Denton and Haughton Examiner, etc. — 1887-02-19 (Denton, Greater Manchester, England)

THE CONTRACT FOR CARTRIDGES. The statement made by Mr. George Kynoch, M.P., of the Witton Ammunition Works, at a recent meeting of his workpeople, to the effect theta contract for 500,000 cartridges for Queensland had been given to a German manufacturer, having been officially contradicted in the House of Commons by the SurveyorGenet al of Ordnance, Mr. Kynoch hen been asked if he still adhered to his assertion in view of Mr. H. S. Northcote's denial. Mr. Kynoch admits that I:loMinatty the contract has not been given to a German firm. It has been given to an English firm; but he says they are merely a commission house acting as the English agents of a German manufacturer. Messrs. Latimer Clarke, Muirhead, and Co. (Limited), of Northumberland Works, Millwall, to whom the contract has been given, are agents for Lorenz, the cartridge manufacturer, of Carla. rube. After his tender Mr. Kynoch says he saw Mr, Nepean Director of Army Contracts, who incidentally admitted the cartridges would have become from a German. Mr. Kynoch's London agent has written him as follows "After an hour's search at Millwall to-day I found out the factory in question. To my surprise I was informed that at the present time the place contains, all told, managers included, some 14 or 10 hands, and that there are no mechanics amongst them. The publican at a little house within 20 yards or so of the gates hears they are shortly going to make cartridges, and that some hundreds of hands will be engaged. The boiler only went in to day, but some machinery was sent in a week or two ago. There is not the slightest doubt that this factory is in connection with the German Lorenz, as the fact was mentioned to me at Millwall to-day by a working man who had been informed that an experienced German firm were finding men and money." Mr. Kynoch repeats that the contract is going to a German firm, and says the Surveyor-General of Ordnance must have known that it indirectly would when he replied to Mr. Hunter's question on the subject. The cartridges referred to, Mr. Kynoch says, are solid drawn MartiniHenry cartridges with continuous lining, and, curiously enough, they ate for the model of which he holds patent, No. 5662, May 7, 1885. The model was designed to remedy defects in the existing cartridges and rifles. "These are the cartridges," said Mr. Kynoch, "which our Government profess to have adopted for the use of our soldiers in the field with the Martini-Henry rifles, which are at present the only rifles available for arming our troops. As a matter of fact, there was not one in stock at the time, and there are none at the present moment. The officials at Woolwich have continued to manufacture the old condemned Boxer-Martini, notwithstanding that a new cartridge has been adopted, the assurances of Ministers, and the protestations of the press." Mr. Skinner, secretary to Latimer Clark, Muirhead, and Jo. (Limited), states "The allegation that Messrs. Latimer Clark, Muirhead, and Co. (Limited) are merely a c,,nimission house, acting as English agents for a German manufa.turer, is incorrect and misleading. My company are in no sense of the word agents, but are actual manufacturers. It is true they have acquired the patents and patented machinery of Herr Loren; of Carlaruhe, but these have nothing to do with the present controversy. lam surprised at Mr. Kynoch's statement that the Director of the Army Contracts admitted that the cartridges would be made in Germany, and that Mr. H. S. Northeote must have known that this was the fact when he replied to Mr. Hunter's question in the House of Commons. Surely Mr. Kynoch knows that the Government specification expressly stipulates that the contract shall be carried out subject to the supervision of an English official during all the processes of manufacture. The Director of Contracts at the War Office gave the order to my company on the understanding that it was to be ere • cutod in this country, and I am informed made no such statement to Mr. Kynoch as alleged. I can quite understand Mr. Kynoch's disappointment at having lost a contract, but surely this is no reason why he should make incorrect statements; and I trust, therefore, in justice to my company, you will give publicity in your columns to the above contradiction of these statements."  JOHN HENRY Luse, a labourer, was indicted at the Winchester Assizes for the wilful murder of Mr. Walter +%t bite ,of London, at Bournemouth. The deceased was walking across the common, when be passed Lush who turned and shot him with a revolver. The jury acquitted the prisoner on the ground of insanity.  4.lvhte,