Volunteer Armourers.
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Letters from Those who are Interested in the Development of This Scheme Should at Present be Addressed to the Editor a this Journal marked " Armourer."
We have had a considerable number of preliminary letters concerning the suggestion we made in our last issue with regard to the possible employment in their spare time of all those professional men who, as part of their early training, had had to "serve their time," either in engineering workshops or in other branches of industry which: are now being called upon to make such huge efforts in respect of the production of munitions and war supplies of all kinds. The suggested scheme in its embryo stage has been laid before Lord Kitchener's staff, and has since been referred to the new Government department which is "engaged on the work of widening the production of war material," and we hays an official assurance that it will be borne in mind while existing facilities are being extended to their utmost capacity.
The whole scheme is being considered in all its many aspects with care both by ourselves and by those whom we have been fortunate enough to interest in it, and the practicability of it will, of course, be the deciding factor. That there are considerable difficulties in the way of its fullrealization is, of course, evident, and the period during the coming short holiday will be turned to account to examine them with as little delay as possible, and to decide whether -what is admitted on all hands to be an interesting suggestion for the special employment of the highly-skilled and considerable reserve that is certainly available in this country can be moulded into a sensible working arrangement of which the organization will not be too complicated to kill it.
In the meantime, we shall welcome letters from ,readers giving their opinion of the scheme, although it is obvious that our own particular industry cannot
• ;hold available many candidates for the dungarees :of the National Volunteer Armourers Corps, as can -many other professions. There are many thou-sands -of professional men and others in this country who ." served their time" some years ago, and who are at .present engaged in -countless ways which do not• necessarily tie them for all hours other than ordinary .office ones. Motor works tan do with their aid. .
As was to be anticipated, this scheme for the employment of our industrial reserves has occurred, -in more or less similar form, to other minds, a feature which we are very happy to note. We are already in touch with several gentlemen who are anxious to -see such ascherne promoted, and it is quite probable that within the next issue or two we shall be a.ble to 'inform OUT readers of some central organization to -which all offers of such -help can be referred. We reproduce several typical letters, which will serve to indicate that oarsuggestion has :alrea.dy ,aroused considerable and widespread interest.
• Sirs—Your suggestion of aNational Volunteers .Armourers • Corps seems a good one, and I have pleasure in . asking youto register my name as a -volunteer, willing to work, say, a couple of nights per week and duringweek-ends at any works, turning out 'munitions for the'Allies. SuCh works, of course, 'would have to be within reasonable access of this address. have had seven years fitting and machineshop experience.—Yours faithfully,
Kensal Rise. J. A. ROBERTS, A.M.I.C.E.
• Sir,--I regard the suggestion you make in your last issue, under the heading "A remedy for the shortage of labour;" as a very good one, and I should be pleased if you would add my name to your list of volunteers if you think me suitable. I am 45 years of age, served my apprenticeship to a general engineer at Greenwich, and remained in the business until private affairs required me to reside in this county town. I have never lost touch with my practical training, and I am chairman of committees controlling local gas and water works, bath of which I have modernized. . I shall be pleased to give up what time I can spare for the job—I am, Yours faithfully, Haverhill, Suffolk. J. B. COSTER ' Sir,—I shall be glad to. help in the movement. I could work on any day and at any hour, and should be willing to take up any kind of work. I am a retired bank manager, but I understand machinery, and can -drive a motorcar. Age 48. I might even arrange to live in some other part of Great Britain than where I am now living in order to come into line—Yours
faithfully, F. -W--.-Pniames. 'Worksop, Notts.
Sir,-1 have read the leader in, the "CM." last week with much interest. Can you suggest in what way I can be of use ? Would it be possible for me to assist from this part of the country ? As you know, I am a mechanical engineer:—Yours -faithfully, ARTHUR S. F. ROBINSON, A.M.I.C.E., M.I.M.E. Beccles, Suffolk.
Dear Sir,—I was pleased to read your editorial sugs gestion that a National Volunteer Arniourers Corns should be formed. I hope to be amongst the first to enrol myself as a member, and I am quite sure that I shall not be by any meana the last. There is ne doubt that there are hundreds of men, like myself, who are unable for certain reasons to take service with H.M. Forces, and who, have beenaccustomed all their lives to take a share in whatever work hap. pened to be going and, consequently, at the present time exist in a more or less chronic state of hangdoggedness, though with, I hope, some 'reasonable excuse: . •
I have never been able to bring myself to the point Of view apparently taken by so many, that enrolment in one of -the local volunteer corns, and the spending of Saturday afternoons in chasing imaginary enemies round furze hushes, .1 la boy scout, is a palliative for the aforementioned state of unrest. I am more than convinced that a large proportion of these volunteeia would themselves be glad of a chance to do something more tangible than that which is at present occupying what would be normally their leisure hours. There are one or two minor points not discussed in yOur article, and I hope you will pardon me if I refer to them." In the firstplace, you seem to have overlooked one possible source whence a very fair number of recruits might be drawn.There is,as is well knoVere. a large "number of .amateurs who are quite capable mechanics, and,. at.stich 'atiine is this, they could render valuable assistance. Further, with regard to the actual utilization of the ' labour, which 1 have no 'doubt will' be' freely offered, I think that'alet of the present trouble With the work'men in the way of lost tire-is' doe to the 'fact that they are suffering from staleness. It is practically impassible for a man to work, day in, and day out, including Saturdays and Sundays, 'without some regular rest day, and at, the same time for him to keep up.to his normal efficiency as a workman. If your corps is able by Sunday work to arrange for the ordinary, mechanic to take his weekly day off, an extremely useful purpose will have been Served.—Yours faithfully,
,Putney._ • M. B. GRINDROD.