PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2207, 18 June 1896, Page 46

PATER'S CHATS WITH THE BOYS.

A Word or Two: on Flags.

Three or four years ago, if I remember tightly,' l wrote a few words on the evolution of the Union Jaok and, I think, the three ensigns— the red, the flag of the mercantile marine;- the white, of "the Royal Navy ; and the blae, of the captains of the Royal Navy Reserve.

What Is our flag 1 One book I have gives it as the white ensign, with, a red oross oh a blue ground in the place of the Union Jaok" in the top inner corner, and in each oblong of blae a white star. Pat lam inclined to think that our flag is the blue ensign with -the southern cross in four white stars on the fly, though still another gifes the blue ensign ■with red stars: Can any of my readers give any positive information- on. the point T I think in these days of navy and federation leagues and patriotic outbursts we should know what flag we call our own. Flag lore isn't one of my strong points, and not' wishing "to rerriain ignorant on this subject I am willing to expose my ignorance and be taught. Bat where can I get authoritative information 1' -* One of my flag charts gives the Australian flag as a red ensign with the southern , oross in five white stars on it, but under the word " Australian " is also placed " Victorian " ; when, however, I turn up another chart, I see the Victorian flag given as a blue ensign with the southern crosa in four red stars, while another gives them white. Whioh is the- correct one ? or is neither the one 1 In the Orient Steamship .Company's Guide Book the whole of the Australasian colonies (New South Wales excepfced) have the blue ensign with some distinguishing badge on the fly, Tasmania having a red lion on a circular ground of .white, 1 Western Australia, or Westralia, as ib is being called, a black swan~ on a- circular ground of yellow. New South Wales, however, hasn't the blue ensign, but a blue cross on a white ground, with the Union Jack in the top inner corner and a oross of five' white stars on the blae oross. Bat lam not concerned «o much about the Australian flags as about our'own. While dealing with national flags, and as I want you to teaoh me, I may just as well get what you know about the Irish flag. The flag of St. Patrick is a part of the Union Jaok, but it is a red diagonal oross on a white ground ; if we look at, the Royal Standard we see Ireland represented there by a golden harp on a blue ground — only, when it appears' by Iteelf is it a green flag with . a golden harp in the centre, and even then it is often represented as having the Union Jaok Jn "the. inner top corner". "Which of 3 the four is the flag 7 Can, any of you give me information .that will satisfy me, that one of these is undoubtedly the national flag 7 ' And while I am in the inquisitive mood, how many of you oan give an accurate description of, or, better still, accurately draw the Union Jack.? lam inolined to think that, though many of you have seen it hundreds of times, you 'cannot do either, It is fstoniahing how many things- we are familiar with but oan give no . adequate description of. .For instance, many of my readers live, or? have lived,. near seaports,, and how many uses can we assign to flaga ? They are used largely for bunting for holiday and festive occasions,' and we occasionally see a flag half-mast expressive of sorrow. But if we have observed and read we call to mind the blaok flag of piracy, the white flag of truce, and the yellow flag connected with quarantine hospitals, the red warning of danger, and the green to give caution ;. the pilot flag, a Union Jack enclosed' in a white border, the ambulance flag, a red cross in a black ring on a white fly, are less familiar ; the blue peter, the sign of sailing, is, however, seen daily in most ports of importance. Bat by far the greatest use for flags is to signal at sea by means of the International ■Oode, by which 5000- or- more signals oan be made with, I think, 19 flag«— one for each consonant. -The signals are the^amelor all natidns, and every captain has' his flag dictionary to interpret the Bilent -language of the sea. Every navy of course has its secret code.

Streamers, whiffs or Vanes, pennants and bargees, banners, and other varieties of flags IleaTo to jour ouriosity to find out aboijt, or co your cUiliq to enUghtoa my ignoxanoe.

/ A Teacher's Smiles, Most teachers find teaohing rather dreary work when, it comes to drilling the last 20 per cent, up to the standard required, bat gleams of humour, conscious and unoonsoiou?, from pupil and parent occasionally relieve the tedium. The annual examination is in full blast in Dnnedin, and it haa given rise to ths usual crop of gems, and here are a couple i — Teacher (pr inspector, it doesn't matter wbloh) t " What is mahogany \ " 11 Don't know, sir."

"Yon mast know that. Hasnt mother any drawers in her room 1" '•Yes, sir." " What are they made of, then i " "Flannelette."

Afaotl

Hera's another, and this time from ft parent. In answer to a note from a teacher asking how long her boy had been in attendance at the schools he was connected with before be came' to Dunedin, the mother replied : " Daar Sir, as far as I can remember, when John attended Praban School he Was 3£t Ilia ; and when he attended school at Wllliamstown, he was just 4ft." What was wanted of oourse was not length of stature bat of time. Jast as I shall , not, be above being enlightened oii the subjeot of flags, so if yon have any good children's gems yqu-may send them along also.

Distribution of Wealth. . Last week I gave a couple of diagrams to show the proportions between the Huh and the poor and the wealth each section possessed as. well as the rate per head. Did yoa think of comparing the average wealth of the millionaire with the average wealth of the honselesß and landless, numbering over half of the population — 52 per cent.? I think it works oat that every average millionaire is about 7QO times more wealthy than more than half of the men of the United States. Oan it be said that a few excessively wealthy men like. that are as much auperiorin mental capacity to suoh a large proportion as the figures indicate? Surely not. , And with that I'll leave yoa. "