LEAGUE AND NAVY.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 116, 17 May 1924, Page 6

LEAGUE AND NAVY.

I There arc still some who do not quite | realise that support of the League of Nations is compatible with belief in \ the maintenance of national defence i forces. These twin loyalties were discussed at a meeting of the New Zealand ! Secondary Schools' Association yester- j day, when the headmaster of the W'aitaki High School moved a resolution expressing sympathy with the League and suggesting to teachers that pupils should be familiarised •with its organisation, achievement and possibilities. Mr. Milner explained that he was a supporter of the Navy League as well as the League of Nations, but the resolution did not satisfy the headmaster of Wellington College, who thought that in this form it might be regarded as propaganda against the Navy League. At his suggestion the j resolution was prefaced with a recog- I nition of the necessity of maintaining | an efficient navy, and in this form it was carried unanimously. Mr. Cresswell's suggestion was wise. It is true that there is no conflict between the two loyalties.' Adherents to the League of Nations include numbers of sailors and soldiers. However, where children are concerned, every care should be taken to make it plain that support of the League does not imply hostility or indifference to national defence. It is most desirable that something should be said about the League in the schools. It is not only that this country is a mandatory under the League. It is that the League, which is the chief hope of the world, will never succeed unless it has an enlightened public opinion behind it. But if the child is to be | taught the truth it must be instructed | in the limitations of the League as well | as its achievements and possibilities. | and made to understand that so long as I there are these limitations, the Empire] cannot afford to put off all its armour. Breaches of the regulations dealing | with the Hying of Hags were committed! by some of our most responsible insti- ! tutions during the week in the exhuberance of their cordiality towards our naval visitors. Among others one big bank and one club have laid themselves open to prosecution for Hying ashore without warrant the blue ensign with the Southern Cross on the fly—New Zealand's own special naval ensign. Only Government vessels can fly this • handsome flag, and it must not lie flown promiscuously ashore, even when intended ns a compliment to the Navy. People that want to fly the New Zealand ensign ashore are restricted to the use of the red ensign, which of course, also has the Southern Cross on the fly- I Whether intended as a sign of grief I at the departure of the fleet or whether it was one of those frequent mistakes that mere landlubbers make with flags, one of the leading clubs this morning had the blue New Zealand ensign hoisted upside down, which is the uni-versally-acknowledged signal of a ship in distress. "Happy? Happy I am happy," said one of our Fleet visitors last evening, as he beamed upon the amused occupants of the tram. "I told my cobber this mornin'," he continued, "that I shall desert ter-morrer. I'm goin' t'stay in New Zealan', I. am." When the conductor went to him for his car fare, "Watch yer want?" he shouted. "Well, I haven't got it." He searched every pocket, rolling this way and that, standing up being too difficult. The conductor insisted, but was very patient. At last Jack produced a handful of paper money and thrust the whole of it upon the conductor, who waved it away, Jack searched again, and reproduced his notes. The conductor surrendered, and found change for one note, and placed it in Jack's wandering hand. "Bring 'em aboard! Bring 'em aboard. Oh, but I'm happy," said Jack, slept a moment upon the back of the seat, then rose unsteadily and lurched out into the night. He seemed indifferent as to his destination, but it was "New Zealan'." At Friday's meeting of the Te Awamutu Power Board it was reported that wild swans flying into transmission lines at night had been responsible for the dislocation of the service on several occasions lately in the Ohaupo district.

'With the wind shrieking through the electric light cables overhead, the searchlights --weeping across the sky, and the excitement of the people that had flocked out to see the sight, the display by the warships reminded one very much of the times of the air raids in London,'' said a man this morning to a "Star" reporter apropos of the memorable spectacle of last night. In the claim of Thomas Christian Mikkelson, of Otamarakau (Mr. Richmond), against Edith Kmma Sykes, of Otangihakou (Mr. Hogben), for £350 damages for failure to provide access to a farm purchased by plaintiff from defendant, a jury at the Supreme Court yesterday awarded the full amount claimed. Under other heads, claiming £13;) damages, the jury fixed the amount at £fio. Judgment was deferred pending argument on law points raised by counsel. A question was asked of some of the old people at the Costley Home yesterday whether old magazines would be of any use to them. 'Of course they would," was the reply, "and the cider the better, there is nothing we like better out here than the old illustrated magazines of fifty years full of pictures of the wars of those days and short stories which remind us of our youth. We prefer magazines with pictures in them to any other kind." An unusual point came up for con- j sideration by the Conciliation Conmiissioner in connection with a ease in which i Hie Cliristclmrcli metal workers' assistants were applicants. The question was whether or not a Dominion industrial dispute should take precedence over a local dispute. The Commissioner considered the filing of the local dispute quite in order, but decided to pass the case on to the Arbitration Court for a recommendation. A Wellington car with its face towards Palmerston is lying on its side down a ten-foot bank held up over a deep pit of water by the wire fence at a bend midway between Linton and Palmerston (states the "Manawatu Daily Times.") A lady and two gentlemen who were in the car escaped with a shock, and came to the town in another car. It is stated that a cart without lights was passing after dark, and the motorist swerved to avoid a collision. Most people were only too pleased to hurry out of the gale and get near a big fire with a book and a pipe, but last evening one strangely constituted individual chose last night for a dip in the harbour. "I thought it was someone trying to commit suicide," said a passenger by the 5.30 fern* to Stanley Bay. As the ferry pulled alongside the pier a perfectly naked individual could be seen by the lamplight taking a Reader off the Harbour Board's punt that is moored there in connection with the pile-driving operations. It made the passengers feel cold to *cc him take his header, and he was not satisfied with doing it once, but was in and out several times before the steamer went on. His j persistency was only equally by the ap- I parent enjoyment he got out of his chilly pastime. A man at the Costley Home caused much amusement yesterday by telling a story of the sporting proclivities of the persons of the old days, who had often to ride long distances on Sundays between the different preaching stations. I.ie ministers as a rule knew a good horse, and one old Presbyterian, who ' had a poor salary, at one race meeting entered his horse for the chief event, md had trained his steed to such perfection that he proved a winner and ivon the big race. "The parsons' of the jld days were a fine lot of men," he idded, "and took the greatest interest n the everyday life of the people, and ?ntcred fully into their joys and their torrows. and their influence increased lecordingly. - ' The story of a '"heckler" who always took the opportunity of subjecting the .peaker to considerable criticism on Jie prohibition question at his meetings in a certain West Coast town,, was told i>y Mr. H. E. Holland. M.P., at a meetng at Carterton last week. The "hecker" contended that the Labour party i should support the prohibition movenent, "but," said Mr. Holland, "I told lim that the Labour party, which in- ■ •hided prohibitionists, State controllers, md continuance men, left the issue to ;he public to decide. Some time later [ again visited the town, by missed my jld friend, the heckler. I asked the ■hiiirman of my meeting where he was, md was told: 'Oh, he's sold his property iicre. and bought the pub down the road.'" (Loud laughter.) The Auckland University students mticipate appearing before the Auckand public in their annual extravaganza, which is to he produced about Jit second week in June. The play is in original production from the pen of Mr. M.- R. Grierson, and contains many topical allusions. Mr. Jack Joppard. already well known to Auckland theatre-goers, is taking one of .-lie principal parts. The play is being produced by Captain H. J. Redmond, assisted by Mr. H. Ah Kew. The uusical side of the extravaganza is under the direction of Mr. T. Burnand. Rehearsals have been in full swing for several weeks, and good progress has iieen made. The Mayor of Wellington (Mr. R. A. Wright) questioned as to what results were being attained in the raising of the new £59,000 city loan (for repayment of in old loan), which is being issued locally at ai per cent, stated that the result had been surprisingly good. The loan had already been taken up to the extent of £47,000, and it was thought that within the next few days the full lmouiit would be applied for. Tt is reported' that quite a number r>f the electric power, poles erected in Cambridge district 'by the Public Works Department are rotting away, md that some have already had to be replaced. The Cambridge Power Board iias evidently been more fortunate in this respect, no rotten poles having yet _een reported. A petition that Albert Lister, farmer, if Putaruru, be adjudicated a bankrupt, lias been filed at the office of the Dflieial Assignee by a creditor. The first meeting of creditors will be held it Hamilton on May 20. When the creditors in the iankrtrpt estate of a Maori met at Waipawa the other day, it was reported (states an exchange") that the assets consisted of a ljun and a motor-car, forming part of the security of one creditor. At the Auckland Unitarian Church to-morrow night, the Rev. A. Thornhill continues his popular course on "Great Confessions," and deals with the faith of that versatile writer, H. G. Wells, as expressed in "First and Last Things" md "God the Invisible King." Mr. J. A. Lee, M.P.. City EasCwill lecture in the Strand Theatre on Sunday an "Found Guilty," beirg an indictment }f the Massey Administration. A number of grand musical items, both vocal _nd instrumental, will be rendered luring the evening.