OUR FLAGSHIP.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 22, 26 January 1921, Page 4

OUR FLAGSHIP.

H.M.e. Chatham comes to New Zealand waters as a representative of the British Navy, and as the flagship of the New Zealand Squadron. She will be welcomed for both reasons, but immeasurably more for the first than the second. The cruiser comes with a fine record of war sen-ice in several seas. She helps to remind us of our incalculable debt to the Navy, which wee our sure shield in the time of our gravest danger, and of the supreme importance of sea power. British warships and British sailors have always been welcome in our ports, but now that they have proved themselves in the greatest test in the Navy's history, their reception should be warmer and more heartfelt than ever before. But the officers and men of the Chatham will excuse New Zealanders who are not so keen about the flagship side of the business. We have now got a small naval unit, with a flagship which, although only a light cruiser, is an expensive vessel to maintain. There is a feeling that the Dominion is drifting along on a sea of naval expense without any very clear idea where it ie going. A definite policy is Still wanting, and while we are looking for it we are in danger of incurring heavy and perhaps useless commitments. It is high time that the extent and probable cost of the country's share of Imperial naval defence was definitely settled. But reflections like these cast no shadow on the satisfaction with which the community welcomes a gallant ship and its company, and the warmth with -which it extends good wishes for a pleasant stay.

i Foftawing is the official weather forecast for 24 hours from 0 a.m. this day:— "The indicatione are for south-easterly winds, moderate to strong, and backing by east to north. Expect warm and humid conditions with increasing haze and cloudiness for a change shortly. j The barometer ihas a falling tendency. j Seas moderate. Tides higli." I The Railway Department anticipates heavy traffic on Sunday evening consequent on the Anniversary Day holiday, and have arranged to run an extra express train from Auckland to To Kuiti, leaving Auckland at 7.40 p.m., making the same stops as the ordinary 7.10 p.m. express. Passengers for stations between Auckland and Te Kuiti will re- | quire to travel by the extra express. "Oh, jiißt bored, but cheerfuL What!" was Mr. Osmond Esmonde's reply to an interrogation as to how he liked life on board the Makura, says the ''Sydney i Sun." The Irish visitor is still marooned on the ship, which is now lying at anchor in Rose Bay. The Union Company brought him to Australia, and the law says that the L'nion Company 'has to take him a»'ay. Failing the .sailing of another Union Company's vessel, Mr. Ksmonde will go back by the Makura to Vancouver. Far the purpose of assisting the Road >''Board in 'beautifying the seashore. {>roijViding adequate drainago and lighting, ,; and ensuring the woltare of children, about 80 residents of .St. Helier's Bay and Kohimarajiitt decided at a meeting l ;iheld at St. Heliers last owning to form • a St. Hclier's Bay and Kohimarama 11 Progressive Le*pup. Mr. W. Maxii'll .; presided, Mr. H. JCJfmr Forrest was ' I elected secretary and trea.<mrer, aaid ' j membors for a comm'ttoe were I appointed. The proposed rules of the , league weTe passed. On Tuesday next a, , meeting will be held at Koh'raarama. The St. Helier's Bay and Kohimarama [ residents, at a well attended and enthnsi- ' j aatic meeting held at St. Helier's Bay I last evening, formed a Progressive i League. Mr. W. H. M.idill presided over 'the meeting. A strong committee was I elected, representative of both St. Heli ier's Bay and Kohimaramn, and rules 'J of the League were drawn up and passed. . Mr. H. Edgnr Forrest was elected Secre-tary-Treasurer. Objects of the League are: To assist the Road Board in both j districts in beautifying the districts; to provide adequate drainage and lighting; ; ( taking an interest in child welfare in the district, and to interest itself in every I matter affecting the public interests of St. Helier's Bay and Kohimarama. The next meeting will bo hold on Tuesday next at Kohimarama.

The Press criticism of the action of tho Auckland Harbour Board in the matter of an artificial harbour for small craft was the subject of a report to the Board in committee by the chairman at yesterday's meeting. Adopted by the committee it was issued for publication. In the main the report consisted ot extracts of a. nature complimentary to the Board's attitude towardfi yachtsmen and boat owners from letters forwarded by the Royal N.Z. Yacht Squadron, Power Boat Association, and Victoria Cruising flub. Any reference to the question of a boat harbour was omitted eiccpt in the ease of tho letter of the commodore of the Power Boat Association, which while emphasising the need of provision for small craft deprecated pressing the question unduly at the present time.

A claim for £6000 damages in respect ■»f alleged wrongful arrest t>v Miss Bridget Partridge (frrnrrerry ' Riste-r J-igouri) from Bishop Dwyer, of Waggn, will, in all probability, be heard be-fore a Supreme Court jirdgc and a jury of fotir at the March c : vil sittings in" Sydney. The pleadings have been fried, and Mt. W. H. H. Hill, who is instructing Mr. Shand, K.C., and Mr. F. S. Boyce, on behalf of Miss Partridge, is busily engaged in tho preparation of evidence. At ■least twelve witnesses wiTI be eVbpoenaoxl in support of the case for Mis* PartrWge. It is expected (says the Sydney "Sun") that the hearing "ill last tho better part of a wefk. Ms? Partridge, it is likejy, will be in the box at least two days. She will be subjected to the cross-examination of Mr. J. L. Campbell, K.C., and Mr. Oorjre ■Flannery, XX , ., who has been retained on behalf of (Bishop Dwyer by Mossts. Purcell and McCarthy.

Mr. D. S. Taylor, who was an alderman in Saskatoon in Xorth-Western Canada, recently arrived in New Zealand and has decided to take up his residence in Auckland. H is very much charmed with the Auckland Harbour and has already bought a boat so that he can visit the many beautiful bays around the Waitemata. Speaking of the growth of cities in Canada, he saye that 20 years ago Saskatoon had not more than 20 people in it, but in 15 years the population grew to 30,000 and then it stopped, and for six years it hae been at a standstill. Re thinks our New Zealand way of building up of our cities and towns slowly and solidly has many advantages over the mushroom growth that takes place in the Northern Dominion. He shows how in the case of Saskatoon people expected the rapid sp-owth to continue and provision was made for the requirements of a great city with the result that taxation ia so great that it is almost crushing. Eight or ten schools were built at a cost of about £50,000 each, and so completely were theee schools equipped that one of them was not satisfied with God's pure air as it came down to ordinary mortals, but the air breathed in the school buildings had to pass through water. He notices that in New Zealand we have not got to such a faddy stage yet and he hopes we never will.

The milking eeason in Otago (cays the "Daily Times") is proving most successful, and heavy supplies of ibutterfat are reaching the Dunedin factories to be made into butter. The supplies, in fact, constitute a record, and the Waitaki Dairy Factory alone will pay out no less than £40,000 in a few days to cover the cost of the butterfat purchased by it for the past month. When it is considered that other districts are also paying out large sums to the dairymen—in Taranaki, for instance, the amounts must be very large indeed —some idea of the value of the dairying industry to the Dominion may be gained. The price for butterfat to-day is 2/6 per lb, but whether this value will be obtainable when the contract with the Imperial GovprnmenV; expires on March 31 cannot be stated with any certainty. As a matter of fact, the opinion amongst those who may be considered to speak with authority is that the price will ease, but that it will not drop to such a figure as would make dairying unrenmnerative. J. Pomeroy and Co., motor engineers (Mr. R. G. Sellar) sued J. Paul, taxi driver, at the Police Court, for £14 for repairs to a car. Defendant conducted bis own defence, and by means of sample flanges and a crown wheel endeavoured to show that the charges were unreasonable. Plaintiff's •foreman gave evidence in detail, showing the work done to the differential gear and crown wheel, and the magistrate gave judgment for .plaintiff for the full claim, £14, and costs.

One fifiherman who has been fishing for kingflsh for some tkne past on the Stanley Bay wharf, has just on 24 fwh to his credit, while others have al?o had big catchee. The trouble now is to get suitable bait; piper and .sprats seem to have disappeared ac if by magic, and both are very suitable bait for kingfish-

Tho public school at Onehunga has bpen overcrowded for the past twelve months and it was found necessary to litre the Presbyterian School Hall to accommodate about 80 infanta. This arrangement was to terminate at the end of last year, but as nothing has been done to increase the school accommodation fresh application was made to the Presbyterian Board of Management. At a .special meeting of that body it was decided to relet the .Sunday School Hall till the end of Xpril, on the condition that the Kducatiun Board set about making preparations for extra accommodation. It is believed that an addition to the present infant department would tide matters over till :i new school is erected at Koval Oak.

One of the latest American contrivances for the control of street traffic was given a trial in Sydney last week. It is a prominent iron standard marked on one side "Stop." and on the other

"Go," which occupies the spot where the traflic constable usually stands. It is controlled by a handle by the constable. For the street that is to "go" the standard turns and indicates tlie sign to the waiting traffic, and where the traffic has to stop it turns and indicates accordingly. The device was brought from Detroit, America, by Superintendent Edward, Sydney's traffic chief. It is an aid principally to the traffic constable Tho standard can be \ised also at night time, when green and red lights are shown. Tt is claimed that the standard will greatly minimise the arguments a traffic constable has daily with horse drivers and motorists, and that it will mean instantaneous death to the old and worn-out excuse of "I didn't see your signal." The third of a series of accidents in the vicinity of the Karamu bridges, near Hastings, occurred yesterday afternoon, when a motor-lorry laden with wool and proceeding to Xapier, swerved, broke through the fencing on the roadside, and fell over a 6ft embankment about 25yds from the second bridge. The driver went over with the lorry, but was not hurt. This is the third accident since New Year's Day, whrn a motor-bus load of excursionists went over the. first bridge into thn stream, a married woman being drowned. The second accident occurred last Sunday morning, when a motor-lorry bound for the seaside dashed into a telegraph post about 150 yds on the coast oide of one- of the bridges, and two of the party wore severely cut about the body.

During the past few days one of the Harbour Board's highest derricks hae been drivinjr piles to strengthen the Stanley Bar jetty, which has lately been showing BJgnri of weakening;. Tlie pea worm has done serious injury to the wooden pile-s. in many rases having eaten them ripht through. The time is apparently not far distant when a new whaxf will have to be put on the board's schedule of works.

The police Tiave been re-ma-rlcing lately on the hostility of crowds wihen arrests »tc 'beinjr nia<ie, an<l on the habit of some people of inciting offenders to resist arrest. One such person was taught a lesson in tihe Wellington Magistrate's Court on Saturday. A few daye ago a Tnfcher serious disturbanoe occurrerl in Manners 'Street, when three ehi-pa' stewards pnit up a big fijrht aganst the polk'e, in the pT<?sence of a crowd of two or three hundred persons, who watched, but offered no aßsirtance. On the contrary, at least one person, James Herbert Carr, a "boxer of same parts, wasj alleged by the police to have encouraged! th« stewards in their resistance. He was taken 'before Mr. F. K. Hunt, S.M., upon a rharire of (having- incited one of bhe three fehters to Tesist the police. He denied the ohnrfre flatly, but the evidence was against him, and he was ordered to pay a fine of £5 or to go to jjaol for a montfh.

"A small expedition wiH, I understand," writes the London correspondent of the ".Daflv Dispatch," "leave this conrrtry shortly w'tft a view to exploring the south-west coast of Australia. Great secrecy is observed about the object of the joiirney, but the leader of the party has informiitron about a tribe of pipmies who live underground in that district. Fantastic th-ouph it may sound, scentists are agreed that a subterranean colony exists in Sou-bh-West Australia. These is ■evidence, also, from recent discoveries in dh-alk aT*d Itmefftone of eanaH bones, that tiny human be r ngs. with partly weNbed fingers and toes, live, or at least have Hved, far below the s<urfatie in caves needing very little air."

Don't go away on your holiday without taking a bottle of Nazol. Good for coughs, colds, sore throats, etc.—(Ad.)

Men's good all-wool dark tweed suits, marvellously cheap at 95/. —Big Economic Sale (opp. Town Hall).—(Ad.)

Double-width French silk ninon, in chestnut, mid brown, cherry, old rose, usually 4/11 for 2/11. —At Milne and Choyce's Sale. — (Ad.)

Every trader has at times special barpains which stand out special value. Here is one: 36in figured casement cloth for curtains, excellent quality, worth 2/6 yard, our clean sweep sale price, \/\\ yard—A.B.C. Stores, Newton.—Ad.

Double j width silk dress net, in cream, putty, old rose, helio., fawn, saxe, nattier, usually 4/11 for 3/6 yd.—At Milne and Choyce's Sale.—(Ad.)

Don't hesitate to use Nazol freely, especially by constant inhalation It protects the mouth, nose, and throat from infection. Good for coujhe, cold*, sore throats, etc. —(Ad.)

Paris lace flouncing, floral embroidered deeign, 27in, 8/11 for 5/0; Cm insertion to match, 2/11' for 1/11.—At Milne and Choree's Sale.—(Ad.)

Men's "hardwear" singlets, only 6/11. Bier. Sale at the Economic (opp. Town Hall), where the bargains are.— (Ad.)

For school girls there is nothing to equal "Holeproof" hose. In black and tan, sizes 4, 5, 6, there's a bier price saving to be effected. —At Milne and Chovee's Sale.—(Ad.)

A dainty white underskirt appeals to all ladiee. We are offering a line of these goods made of fine tarantulle, trimmed with real China lace; usually 12/11, now 7/11.—A.8.C., Newton.—Ad.

The embroiderer of traced work will find now a most opportune time to visit the needlework section at Milne and Choyce's. The Sale price* mean big savings.—(Ad.)

Ideal weather for demonstrating the wonderful labour-saving and perfect cleansing qualities of "No Rubbrng , ' Laundry Help for washing summer clothe?. Demand is enormous—(Ad.)

Turkish roller towelling, 2/3 for 1/11 yd; Turkish towels, 2/11 for 2/6.— Economic Sale (opp. Town Hall).—(Ad.)

Leather-lined handbags in a variety of smart shapes, that were 32/6 each, are now obtainable for 25/6 —At Hilne and Choyce's Sale.—(Ad.)

Acute shortage of oil has resulted in almost frenzied development of all possible Californian fields during the past year. There were nearly 800 wells started last year in comparison to slightly over 600 in 1919. The number of rigs in operation now is the greatest since 1912, and more development is held in check only by a shortage of casings and other drilling material.

The Arms Act is no respecter of persons in regard to the surrender of automatic pisttfls. (For instance, the inspector of the Canterbury Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has one of tlhese weapons to aesi-st him in thp discharge of his duties —for use on animals exckisively, of courseI—but1 —but is now called -upon to give it up. It ie said that a very efficient device for putting an end fco suffering animals in in use in Wellington. It is shaped something like a horse shoe. A cartridge is insert-ed in a Blot in it; it is placed on the animal'e 'uead, and a smart tap results in the animal being given instant quietus.

A fire originated in a room where the shavings were kept at Frankham's timber and joinery mill, Mahuru Road, Remucra, at 5 o'clock this morning. From there it crept through to the workshop; but fortunately the alarm given from the street box brought the ParneU and Remuera Brigades on the spot very quickly, and they caught the fire just in time to prevent much damage from being done. The building is insured for £4360 in the Royal Exchange Assurance Corporation of London.

Writing from Sydney, a Wellington engineer on holiday says of the tramways there: "The cars here are just like rattletraps, and the noise and rattle of loose parts is a disgrace, in my opinion, to the management. God knows how the people have become used to them. The Wellington City Council has just cause to congratulate itself in having officers who maintain their rolling stock In such high efficiency, and it would pay some of the city councillors to take a trip over and compare the condition of the cars here with their own."

We do not make extravagant claim?, such as the "cheapest place in the city," "pre-war prices," etc., etc., but we do claim that you will always find some line that will interest you at a bargain price. For example, we are selling fine bretonne net for frocks and blouses in cream, Paris white, and shell pink, usually .1/11 yard, now 1/1 li, at the A.8.C., Newton.—(Ad.)

Honsewivee, phone us yonr orders early for "No Rubbing" Laundry Help, "Keep Smiling'" Boot Polish. "Keep Smiling" Floor Polish, "Keep Smiling" Pumloe Soap, and "Golden Rule" Soap, and obl : ge Auckland grocers.— (Ad.)

The best quality boot polish is the "Keep Smiling" brand; 8d large tins, at J. Taylor's Boot Stores.— (Ad.)

Who sells quality first teas? John stone Ltd., Tea Specialists, 77 Karanganape Road. Phone 4193. —(Ad.)

Absurd claims, such as "the cheapest store in the Dominion," are not used by us, but you may 'be sure of always finding some article that by reason of its value will appeal to a bargain seeker. Just now we are offering white lace curtains, 2 J yards long, usually 7/11 and 9/11, for 4/11 and 6/11 pair.—A.B.C. Stores, Newton.— (Ad.)