Australian and Pacific Naval Coaling Stations.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 83, 3 January 1885, Page 3

Australian and Pacific Naval Coaling Stations.

In an exhaustive article on our naval coaling stations in the " Pali Mall Ga/otto," "One Who Knows" writes :— " Fiji is a secondary station, useful commercially, and of considerable importanco in a naval war. When the Panama Canal is opened, it will bo of more importance, and it is even now a usoful counterpoise to the French possession— New Caledonia. But at present it is a Mnall all'uir, although its importance will increase with tho opening of tho Canadian Pacific Railway. Itb total trade is orjly C 400,000 per annum, ite revenue C 11,000, and its population about 125,000. Its chief importance arises from the fine harbour at Suva, which will make' it a useful stepping-stone for commerce between Australia and America. But to be worth much it should be one link in a chain, instead of the isolated outpo>st looking out over an expanse of thousands of miles of sea -which separate it from the nearest Union Jacks, ono of which floata at Vancouver and the other at tho Falkland Islands, at the opposite ends of the American continents. All round the world outside the Mediterranean the only coaling stations, except Bermuda, which may bo said to be fairly defended, are those which have been defended by our colonists at their own expense. Notably is this the case atMelbourne and Sydney. It has been well said that he who commands the Newcastle coalfield in New South Walos is lord of Australasia. Though this may not bo true to the fullest extent, its possession would undoubtedly give to an enemy the command of the fuel necessary for subsequent attacks on the Australian ports ; and in order to prevent this our colonists have taken and are still taking measures to prevent the key of the Pacific passing out of their hands. The colonists have erected batteries at the entrance of the harbour of Newcastle and at the entrances to Port Jackson near Sydney, enrolled a torpedo corps, and now contemplate the provision oi a small naval force. Thus these cities and ports are secure from direct attack, but they have yet to te made equally secure from the tire of very longranging guns. Moreover, there are other coalports to the south of Sydney, the defence of which has yet to receive attention. At Melbourne, in ISB2, the colony adopted a defence scheme involving an expenditure of £390,000 to erect a marine fort, complete the land batteries, form torpedo store. 0 , and to buy gunboats and torpedoboats. By the aid of these batteries and harbour vessels — consisting of one turretship, one sloop, two gunboats, and three torpedo-boats— it is hoped that there may bo no repetition of the scare which prevailed in 1873, when it was expected that the llussian squadron of fast cruisers would some fine day levy a contubution of £6,000,000 on tho two cities of Melbourne and Sydney. What is wanted in Australia is the union of tho various colonies for purposes of defence, and one is glad to see that there is now an indication of something being done in this direction. In this way only, and with the aid of tho Imperial Naval force in the Australian waters, can united action against an enemy be effectively secured. There is the nucleus of a small lleet growing up in the antipodes. Many of these vessels aro undoubtedly required for strictly local defence; but in course of time vessels for general coast defence may be added, and stops must then bo takon to secure cohesion and unity of action with these means of attack and defence, and to bring them under the control of one head. At Queensland also the colonists are dofending themselves with gunboats, and we will not say moro about our Australian ports than to oxpre&s a wish that all our Imporial coaling and refitting stations were in as good hands as those of our colonists in Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland. New Zealand unfortunately has done littlo or nothing. The trade of New South Wales in 1882 was £38,000,000, its population 84,000, its revenue £7,400,000. The trade of Victoria is £35,000,000, its population 900,000, its rovenuo £5,000,000."

Tho question whether whist-playing should bo prohibited in a railway carriage is receiving some attention now in England. Tho Czar of Hussia has ordered his pictures out of the public squares at Sfc, Petersburg, on the ground that they aro liable to indignity.