THE NAVAL PROBLEM.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 251, 22 October 1919, Page 6

THE NAVAL PROBLEM.

The cabled information as to Lord Jellicoe's report on Australian naval defence is very brief, but interest fastens on the estimate of the country's annual expenditure under the Admiral's .proposals. Assuming that what is described as "Australia's contribution to the (Far Eastern fleet includes all that Australia would be expected to do, exclusive of harbour defences, the Commonwealth would have to spend £4,000,000 annually. It is important to compare this estimate with what Australia has been spending on the Navy. We have not the exact figures for the pre-wai period, because the Australian Army and Navy were administered from the same office, and to be quite accurate, one would have to charge the Navy with a proportion of joint expenditure. But it is near enough for our purposes to point out that in 1913-14 the expenditure under the heading "X'aval" was less than one million; in 1915-16, -w(hcn a separate Department for the Navy was established, expenditure was £2*324,000, and in 1910-17 £2,201.000. These were war expenditures. Under Lord JcHieoe's scheme, therefore, Australia's raval expenditure would jump from one million or more before the war, and between two and two and a-half millions during the war, to four millions after the winning of the war that was to end war. Moreover, judging by the New Zealand report, this four millions probably represents the beginning of a mounting expenditure. The seriousness to the Commonwealth of this financial pros pect can be briefly indicated by stating that whereas the Federal expenditure in 1018-14, the last peace year, was £15,453,000, for the current year it is estimated at £49,500,000. Lord Jellicoe's recommendations to Australia increase the gravity of the naval -problem to the young nations of Australasia. As we have said, in commenting on the report to New Zealand, the community wishes to do its duty, and realises the importance of naval supremacy, but it is only natural that people should _k whether victory and the __gue of Nations can do no better for theji than to increase so enormously their oxpenditure on naval armaments. Surely there must be long arid profound consideration of the whole naval problem of the Empire before the Australasian Governments decide what is to be done about the policy that Lord Jellicoe recommends. The Weather Bureau forecast for 24 hours from 9 a.m. this day is as follows: The indications are for freshening northerly winds, strong to gale, and ■backing by north to west. The weather appears likely to be cloudy and unsettled, with rain following. The barometer has' a falling tendency. Sea moderate; tides moderate; sea increasing off shore. A son appeared at the Magistrate's Court this morning to answer when his father was called to show cause why he had not paid an account. He said he would pay the amount due by his father if allowed twenty-eight days' grace. Mr. E. C Cutten said he could not make an order against the son, but adjourned the ease for the period asked for to enable, the debt to be paid. In connection with the protest made by the Chamber of Commerce, Tauranga fishermen, the Returned Soldiers' Association And others against -the recent Order-in-Count-i! removing the trawling limits in the ©ay of 'Plenty, the Mayor has received the following telegram from the Hon. W T . H. Herries, Minister of ■Marine: —"Your telegram in regard to trawling limits received. I will send Mr. Ayson to look into the whole question of the Bay of PJenty fisheries as soon as he returns from Australia. Meanwhile I will have the Order-in-Couneil that is complained about revolted." In the Magistrate's Court at Taumarunui yesterday, before Mr. E. "W. Burton, S.M., two men were charged with behaving in a violent manner to the annoyance of others in a railway carriage on the Frankton-Taumarunui line. The magistrate, in fining the defendants each cBIO and costs, remarked: "In a model area like this we must prevent violence of this "kind. In .railway carriages a flow of bad language is an almost daily occurrence and it is no use coming before mc and expecting to get off lightly." "A fine cock pheasant was yesterday seen to. run across the road at the bottom of Wellington Street, near the gully. It is to be hoped that the bird will escape to cover unmolested." This is one of the paragraphs in the "Daily Southern Cross" or May 16, 1867, and it is local touches of this kind which remind one in looking through old files how Auckland has changed in half a century. The paragraph goes on to say that at the North. Shore and Onehunga pheasants were being extensively killeo. by persons who "have no legal' right," and evidently in those early days the police were also considered fair game, for the writer gets in this little dig: "The police ought to enforce the law, as in the out-districts they are not overburdened with work." A phonetic script by which to teach the illiterate of China* to read is in the possession of Dr. E. J. Stuckey, ot Peking, who is at present in Christchurch (says the "Lyttelton Times"). Dr. Stuckey states that only from 1 to 5 per cent, of the people of China are able to read, and he rather thinks that the percentage is nearer one than five. The Bible has been translated into both colloquial and classical Chinese, but the mastery of Chinese writing is so involved that it occupies an inordinate time even for young students. The script at pre. sent is a series of seventy comparatively simple stgns, and it has been proved ,' r USe au country woman has been taught to read in three weeks. Speaking of ordinary Chinese ___£ W * I "l read d ° w nwards, Dr. adonteH fh atei t ? at the Japanese have adopted the whole of the Chinese alphabet, although they have a different wxird or pronunciation for each sign. There mW°r Vt, Chinaman a Japanese could read the same book, but neither would understand the other' if he „adlt A nurses' memorial service is to be -8 _t° Ug TT' _* D ° minl °" °» th" tion in the semce "*> c a- er °-°Pa -inst! a°rnVn 8h t° 1 ! aTe an -">« made Ma_»trit--1 r- Rfntlctnan at the M-gi-tiatea Court this morning, and that view _£ U ' * S ' M " tt S re(>i »S with month ' ad J° the case" for a

The fact was mentioned at the Court this morning that a man was payim, thirty shillings a week rent. "Thirt? shillings?" asked Mr. _ C. Outten, gu "Yea, sir," replied the witness, "it Lj, twenty shillings at first, but has __ increased twice, and is now thirty ghil lings per week." Tlie man explained further that with £4 per week wages and 30/ going in house rent, he found it hard work to maintain his family especially as one child was paralysedrHe neither drank nor smoked, and although his daughter was working 6he could not keep herself and provide the whole of _e r clothing. "Girls' clothing in town ie very expensive now," he added. The gift of philosophy in misfortune U so comparatively rare that congratulations may well be extended towards gentleman whom circumstances overcame last night to such an extent that he took a > rapid, though somewhat untimely and undignified plunge into the waters of the Waitcmata. The 5.45 boat had reached one of its destinations, and the gentle, man of prepossessing garb and manncrt and carrying with his hands a professional implement and a great parcel was evidently so eager to rejoin his own family circle that he permitted his heart to run away with his head. A* he stepped from the boat she away from the wharf a little, and the gentle- ' man, his professional implement and his parcel all disappeared. Somebody threw a lifebuoy. The gentleman and his two encumbrances rose again, but, although he had lost his hat, he did not lose his head. He swam to the pier, grasped i stringer, fished out his professional implement and his parcel, handed them up and then was hauled up on to the pier at the end of a rope held by three or four lusty lads. He was not angry, but bow the affliction and the sympathy of witnesses both alike with a pleasant philosophy. Some of the old hand's who attend the annual Trafalgar dinner of the Boyil Naval and Royal Marines Association, have had interesting experiences. One veteran last night during a lull in tie speaking was relating his experience) with the fleet of Sevastopol during the Crimean war. Another, who joined the Navy in 1854, and still was hale and hearty, was in the first iron warship ot the British Navy. He was also one of the crew of the first turret ship when it was taken out to be tested by big gunfire. From the remarks made by some of the old sailors, it was evident that the ironclads were regardel witn , suspicion by the men trained in Britain's wooden walls. A member of a trade union appeared before the Magistrate's Court t_s morning to show cause why he had not paid his sixpence per week fee. It was manifest the man had a grievance against the union, was stated that no fee* had been paid since August, 1918. Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., said it was no use carrying on the grievance. The- man could not retain his employment unlesf he was a financial member of the union. It was explained that the union official) did not like to enforce that clause; and throw the man out of his work. Mr. Cutten ordered the .man to pay one shilling per week until he cleared off. his arrears. "You are up against a brick wall," said Mr. Cutten, "and the only thing you can do is to pay up." Th) man agreed to adopt that course. 'ine Harbour Board and the City Colin-, cil have been in negotiation with reference to the extension of the Mechanic")i Bay sewer, across the new reclamation, and it was reported at yesterday's meeting of the Board that the Works Committee was recommending to the Council that, provided the Board pays the whole cost of the extension of the Short j Street sewer, estimated at £1,500, the Council would agree to pay half the cost of the extension of the main 6ewer, estimated at £5,000. The Board decided to approve the tentative arrangement. While it approves of the proposed ne* salary schedule, the Auckland branch of the Railway Officers' Institute opposes the clause in the Railways Amendment Bill giving power to the general manager to promoate men regardless of classifica- , .tion. At a meeting of the branch held recently a motion was passed .opposing this proposal unless such decisions were made public for review by a staff board, upon which officers should be represented. Apropos representations made by residents of Stanley Bay with regard to the practice of overhauling small steamers at the wharf, Mr. W. Wallace informed the Harbour Board yesterday that after, vessels had been lying there broken bottles were found on the beach. The beach was an attractive one, and should not be subject to pollution. The officials should be asked to keep a strict lookout in future cases where permission to overhaul at the wharf was granted. An accident occurred yesterday at Tirau. Leonard Flynn, aged 28, was engaged driving an emery wheel at:» sawmill when the wheel burst, and-a large piece, striking him on the face, broke his upper jawbone, and inflicted a wound above the right eye. He was removed to the Waikato Hospital. Tentative arrangements for a daily inward and outward mail for the Bay of, Plenty are now operating. However, except Tuesdays and Fridays, when the mail comes and goes via Tauranga, the Auckland steamer mails from Whakatane, and the Opotiki end of the Bay of Plenty have to wait at Paengaroa twenty hours before being taken to Rotorua, — route to Auckland and elsewhere.