Chief Steward Returns Here Empire Knight

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 419, 30 July 1928, Page 1

Chief Steward Returns Here Empire Knight

Sir Joynton Smith Recalls Days Before Fortune Smiled VISIT TO AUCKLAND AFTER 50 YEARS “Fifty years ago I came here as chief steward in the magnificent, fast and furious Wanaka, trading to the Manukau,” said one o 4 Australia’s best-known men to-day. Now the old Wanaka lies 100 fathoms deep in the green waters of the Hauraki Gulf, and Sir' Joynton Smith, K.8.E., M.L.C., is sailing by the Aorangi for America and Europe on a business and holiday tour. ..Sir Joynton, who was looking remarkably fit, is the proprietor of “Smith’s Weekly” and other newspapers in Australia. He also has other big financial interests. “I can’t tell you all about the changes in Auckland,” he explained in his cabin this morning, “but I know from the increase in population that I am going to see an immense change from the town of 50 years ago, when I was last here. New Zealand ip going ahead, and so is Australia.” To give proof of the progress of Australia, Sir Joynton immediately dug up his notebook, in which he seems to carry a sort of outline of present history, and he found that the State Savings Bank had £160,000,000. “It means that half the population of the State, men, women and children, have deposits in the bank,” he said, “and if that is not proof of progress and prosperity, I would like to know what is.” PROOF OF PROSPERITY In the Commonwealth Savings Bank there was another £50,000,000.. These figures were a 6 per cent, increase in one year, after a season beset with political difficulties.” Remarkable activity in naval defence, Sir Joynton said, was manifest in Australia at present, and again from his book he gave the following comparative figures of the amount spent per capita on this:-—Britain 25s 6d, Australia 18s sd, New Zealand 9s 4d, South Africa (whites) Is 6d, and Canada 9£d.

Aviation, he said, had received a great boost through the world-ac-claimed activities of Australian airmen, and the Commonwealth was organising two squadrons of the most modern airplanes to protect the airways, in case of menace. Sir Joynton was reticent about his “business” abroad. He staved off a pressman’s examination by saying that already the police had tried to find out and had failed. “Are there any more political scandals in Sydney?” he was asked. “Scandal?” he inquired, in amazement, “what on earth do you mean?” Then he smiled. He went to the Dunedin Exhibition a. few years ago, but he did not call at Auckland on that ti:fp.