HARBOUR DEFENCE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIV, Issue 18, 20 July 1907, Page 14

HARBOUR DEFENCE.

♦ TO THB EDIT3K. Sir,— The Premier, shortly after taking ovor the portfolio of Minister for Defence, (slated that it was the intention of the Government to discontinue submarine , mining as a harbour defence, and intimated that by so doing a saving of £12,000 a year would be effected. It would bo interesting ,to the eeneral public to know what will be the ultimate decision of the Government on this allimportant question, since tho Premier has uo doubt, while iv Knjfland, acquired genuine information from the Royal Engineers Branch of tho War Office regarding th° advisability of such a step as compared wilh tho recommendations he received from his military advisers m the colony. Now, sir, the facts are those:-- -The Government havo at least £150,000 worth of property at the Royal New Zealand Engineers' stations at Auckland and Wellington in 6ub-miniug equipment and olectric light goar, all of which is serviceable and up to date, so much so that no submarine mining station in England is said to be so well provided for in the lntest scaled pattern material. To attempt to replace i* with what was suggested — a blockade mine system (costing for a_ vessel alone £90,000, to say nothing of mines and sailors and artillery officer advisers), a system impracticable m tho extreme, outside Wellington Heads, »pd t> dispose of the submariuo mining equipment, which is serviceable for tho next twelve or fifteen years, costing only the ] small amount for the upkeep of stores, to ] prevent deterioration, and to use for instruction and for drill purposes, would bo a waste indeed of public money. If sold the equipment would realise a mere nothing — in fact, it is of no use except for tho purpose for which it was purchased, j We look wilh interest for the Premier to announce something as a result of his knowledge gained while in England, and j trust that the verdi;-t will bo that wo keep ' our submarine mining defence at tho small luture cost as already slated for the years it has yet to reign. If anything better should supersede it, wb may, in paying anew, say at least that our money was worn out. — I am, etc., PRO BONO PUBLICO. Wellington, IBlh July.