AMERICAN FLEET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 19062, 6 July 1925, Page 10

AMERICAN FLEET.

THE LIQUOR CONTROVERSY. AUCKLAND TOWN HAIL. STATEMENT BY THE MAYOR. [BY TEIEQRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON. Saturday. Interviewed to-day, the Mayor of Auckland, Mr. George Baildon, said a message from Auckland contained an error which he wished to have corrected. Ho had been credited with saying that there hc'id never been liquor at a civic function in the Town Hall. Ho had not made any such statement. Tho civic authorities of Auokland had never allowed tho divergent view on the liquor question to interfere with the hospitality extended to their guests, who had always been provided with anything they required in the -way of refreshments. Mr. J. Aston has given notice of his intontion to move at the next meeting of tho Wellington City Council that the resolution of the City Council authorising tho expenditure of a sum of £2OOO toward entertaining tho American Fieet bo rescinded, pending a definite understanding being given that no portion of this sum will be expended on alcoholic linuors, In an interview, Mr. Aston said that ho took tho view that the £2OOO was tho ratepayers' money, and among , the ratepayers there were very many who .would be much averse to the spending of their money upon alcoholic liquor for the entertainment of the visitors. CRUISER FOR LYTTELTON. OMAHA WITH DESTROYERS. [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION.] CHRISTCHURCH, Saturday. Tho secretary of tho Lyttelton Harbour Board ha 3 received a telegram from the Department of Internal Affairs stating that tho Commander-in-Chief of tho American Fleet to visit the Dominion has desired that if possible the light cruiser Omaha should visit Lyttelton with tho destroyer units scheduled to berth there. The length of the Omaha was 565 ft., the beam 55ft. and the maximum draught 19ft. Tho secretary of the board telegraphed that the port authorities would be able to accommodate the vessel at the Lyttelton wharves.