BANNERS AND FLAGS.

Dunstan Times, Issue 3352, 20 December 1926, Page 8

BANNERS AND FLAGS.

A correspondent supplies the tollowing article to the Daily Telegraph, and it is interesting in the Dominion, inas mucli as it shows that the New Zealand Pag has no authorisation The King’s Standard is down according to his Majesty’s instructions when he is present at one ul his residences. The Queen’s .Standard is flown when she is present and he is absent, hut there is no law on the point. Then-, are very definite warrants as to the Hying of flags at sea, hut there is no warrant which has created a Hag to he used hy Lords-Lieuteuant. Many churches" tor some reason which it is difficult to fathom. jrersistgin Hying the (lag of St. George, regardless of the saint to winch the church may he dedicated, and nearly every saint has some badge or emblem as definitely established as the cross of St. George. The fact remains that, except lor the lew people who have obtained grants of standards, the only Hag which may he down with propriety is a banner of personal arms. High sheriffs who display cii | heir trumpet banners an “achievement,’’ including helmet, crest, and mantling, are really making exhibitions of themselves, tor a trumpet banner which one sees so often “on assize should he a banner, and not a painting nt an “achievement.” It is incorrect tor an ordinary person to use the I'njo ii .lack as his own. and although one wonders what should' he used on land, the real truth is that Hags were designed and are regulated tor the purposrTdf being down at sea. and usually tor that purpose only. Various dags are attributed to the dominions. As a matter ol fact- and law. the only dominion dag winch has iinv authority behind it is the Australian Hag. which was authorised by the Colonial Office, though one may he sceptical ol the real and actual authority without a Hoy a I Warrant. The other colonial Hags are those which are flown lor the (lovernors, jukl as sucli •ire authorised h v the Admiralty for use msi. One has never discovered any warrant for their use on land. The .subject becomes one of importance when tho’ .South African Parliament proposes to hold a General Election <m the matter of a new Hag for the. Union. The joke of it is that Parliament, either her,, or in South Africa, has no power to create such a thing, which is a matter of honor, and the Sovereign is the fountain of honor. If the South African Parliament were to adopt Hie old “Vier-Klfur” tin King, it lie wished, could by warrant create an entirely different dag. W'hv no Hag has ever been created tor India has always been puzzling. The crosses of St. George. St. Andrew, and St. Patrick (the latter of whom never heard of his cross until 1902) have nothin.r whatever to do with any variety , of Hindoo or Moslem religion, and the i mere placing -of the Star of India in llie centre of Hie flag has never seemed : (o he a suitable concession to native

The Hellish Kmpire possesses another cueioiis and valuable lake besides Ihe pitch lake of Trinidad. This is (he vasl natural deposit ol soda situated at M agadi, in Kenya Colony, cast of Take V.icloria Nyanza. This iidci' has an area of at least dll square miles and an unknown depth. If is so concentrated as to contain crystals as well as their “mother liquor,” and it looks in consequence as il it were frozen. No sooner has excavation taken place than more soda is deposited from saturated water from many •springs. Thus the supply seems inexhaustahle. and a railway has been built especially to serve il, refineries have been established, and something approaching 200.000 tons of soda are produced there.