The first experiences of the forging and finishing contractors alike were disappointing. It was an entirely new business to everybody engaged in the work, and the usual initial difficulties were met and overcome with varying success. It is safe to say that as far as the first order of 200,000 shells was concerned, the companies engaged, either as makers of component parts or as assembly contractors, received little, if any, profit for their work. They had only the usual reward that comes to pioneers in any new work. When the new and larger orders came in, both the material and the work were thrown open to competition. The Dominion Steel Corporation, the Steel Company of Canada, and other smaller steel producers were asked to supply steel and forgings. The same thing applied to manufacturing establishments, which were in a position to supply other component parts or to take on the work of machining and assembling. By the early part of 1915 the work was distributed throughout the entire Dominion. Those who had done the pioneering work, and who won their position through dearly-bought experience, and by venturing in where others lacked courage to do so, came under criticism from others who had not hitherto undertaken any of the work. To overcome this difficulty and to assure hearty co-operation in the production of the largest amount of munitions possible, the Committee adopted the principle of naming a flat price for each component part, as well as for the machining and assembling of each size shell. All the orders placed thereafter, from time to time, were placed at a uniform price, both for the component parts and for the finishing of the shells. The instant effect of this was that the accumulated experience of the pioneering firms was placed at the disposal of the other manufacturers. Both forging and finishing shops were thrown open, their methods of working and costs were fully explained, and shown to other manufacturers. The newcomers thus saved the heavy cost of experimental work. New methods, improvements of great value in connection with the execution of the work, the outcome of the initiative adaptability of Canadians, wrought a revolution in the methods of production. All these improvements were in every case put within the reach of other manufacturers. Many of these have been adopted, not only by Canadian shell makers, but by shell makers in the United States and Great Britain. During the organization period from September, 1914, to April, 1915, more than one member of the Committee worked from ten to seventeen hours per day, Sundays and holidays not excepted, and none of the members then appointed received one dollar by way of remuneration.