Page:UK Parliamentary White Paper Cmd 1760.pdf/3

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Final Report.

To the Right Hon. Edward Shortt, K.C., M.P.,
H.M. Principal Secretary of State for the Home Department,

Sir,

I have the honour to report that on July 24th the adjourned Court was re-opened at the Victoria Law Courts, Birmingham.

Mr. Beale, of 12, Newhall Street, Birmingham, represented the Treasury.
Mr. Lort Williams, K.C., M.P., and Mr. Donald Hurst appeared for the Premier Aluminium Casting Co., Ltd.
Mr. C. H. Darby appeared for Mr. J. W. Knowles.
Mr. J. H. Stockdale appeared for the Tipton Urban District Council.
Superintendent Dix appeared for the Police.
Mr. H. Andrews and Mr. R. V. Dawkins, directors of the Premier Aluminium Casting Co., Ltd., were re-called and thereafter the following gave evidence:—
Police Sergeant G. W. H. Flavell, stationed at Tipton Green.
Police Inspector A. Mycock, stationed at Tipton,
Mr. A. Wolfe, Inspector of Factories for the Wolverhampton District.

It appeared from the evidence that a short time before Knowles entered into the contract with the Premier Aluminium Casting Co., Ltd., for the .22 ammunition, he was taken round the works of the said company by the directors thereof (Mr. H. Andrews and Mr. R. V. Dawkins), and he there saw the precautions ordered to be taken by the Home Office before the said Company was allowed to break down ammunition. These included, inter alia, partitions separating each worker, rubber shoes and overalls, and arrangements by which the extracted powder fell immediately into water. Further, he was told by Mr. Dawkins that if he undertook the breaking down of ammunition he would have to take all those precautions and would have to have a licence.

In January, 1922, Knowles made the contract for the said ammunition. It is contained in the following letters:—

"Groveland Road,
"Tipton,

"January 16th, 1922.

"Messrs. Premier Aluminium Casting Co.,
"Hay Mills,
"Birmingham.
"Dear Sirs,
Further to your letter and invoice of January 12th, I hereby agree to purchase 160 tons of revolver ammunition to sample at £18 per ton delivered these Works or equal.