THE AUSTRALIAN SQUADRON.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 179, 24 April 1908, Page 5

THE AUSTRALIAN SQUADRON.

REFERENCES IN THE NAVY /ESTIMATES/'/- , /. /. COLONIAL' FLEETS. • '"■''/ ' ' , ' Navy- Estimates for tho coming financial,year of 1908-9 liavo been issued as a British parliamentary book. ' Amongst ot-hc-r items ■ are /several ' relating to' tho 'Sydney dockyard, and the Australian squadron, and the. Australasian reserve. .Concerning the latter,' the/First Lord of the Admiralty '(Sir John Fisher),- in his accompanying memorandum, says:—-.'.Forty Australian and New Zealand, racings of diiforcrit . branches who had |been entered in v tho .Navy, under- tho conditions of the Australasian naval agreement of 1003, .were sent-Home' to England in tho.spring.(l9o7) to;be.trained, for higher ratings : in-; the training establishments at Portsmouth; and subsequently in the Channel Float. Very favourable reports on their efficiency-have been received-from-the Com-mander-in-Chief at Portsmouth ■ and. tho Commander-in-Chief of . the Channel Fleet. '•A' second '-contingent is now being sent to ! England." - Tho number of tho'Reserve remains/as; before—4oo of all ranks., The following are the establishments of tho Royal Edward 'Yard, Sydney, and the votes for maintenance':—Establishment of officers and clerical staff, 20, salaries £6139; naval armaments, ...3,/-salaries ■ £1010 ;■ artificers, 18, wages £2159; officers omployed in superintending' works, buildings, repairs;/ etc./ 2,\ ■salaries . £799 / victualling and' clothing department, 7 ■ officials, salaries £2559; -hired l artificers' labourers, 21, .wages £2231; arid some smaller., sums for miscellaneous services.. . ' •' The following! is the'establishment of tho dockyard ■in ' charge, £1125 par- annum ,■ V, storo officer, £800; engineer captain, £1007 "; engineer.' lieutenant, £428; inspector of engine-fitters,. £200; inspector of .boilermakers,' £208carperiti.r lieutenant, or chief carpenter, £320;' assistant paymastor, ■ £189; staff surgeon, .£46.'-allowance in addition to full pay;. assistant stoi;o officer,. £367-;': inspector of store h'ous'om'on, £185; mcehahie writer,. £232; senior writer, ,£219; two 'first-grade, writers, -.£351.; four, writers, £523 ;'-and two boy ' writers, £136—total, £6139.! _ .... Sir John Fisher also makes the following note in' his memorandum' already referred to:— .' -" The 1 appropriations in aid. of the Navy Estimates.'which' are contributed by tho various self-governing colonies, are the, same as in,last year's Estimates. The'discussions at tho conference with' tlio colonial Ministers last spring revealed the fact that there was a-certain desiro oil the part of some of tlio colonial; governments for the - establishment of loeal-'dcfenco flotillas in lieu of, 6r as supplementary to, tho present money contributions tb-.tlio' Imperial exchequer.' "The Admiralty, whilo not desiring'to withdraw from, the existing 'agreement and arrangements, recqgniscd that- it was only natural .that-tho colonics should sooner or later desiro ..to liavo defenoe forces of their own. and • consequently _ we announced our readiness to'mec-t the* wishes of the colonial Governments., as far ,a3 possible, and to consider any alternative schemes which they micht put forward. ■ The Prime Minister of the Australian Commonwealth' has communicated to the Admiralty the-outline''of a scheme for the establishment of a local flotilla of destroyers and submarines. ■ which. is now under consideration. The Cape and Natal' Governments have initiated.', legislation with the, object of 'establishing divisions of, tho Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve in Cape, Colony and Natal, and' the-Legislature of the latter colony has passed an Act for tho pnrposo." Wo deliberately make it an expensive .tiling to go into Parliament, and, that being so, "party funds aro necessary, if comparatively poor men are to got electcd. Obviously that is not an ideal system, but we are glad to believe that,it is froo : from any corruption affecting the character of tho Hous'o : of. Commons.—"Westminster Gazette." ... : , Woods's Great Peppermint , Cure for Coughs and Colds nevor fails. Is. Gd. and 2s. Gd. C'Sll,