THE NAVY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 47, 13 July 1912, Page 5

THE NAVY.

AUSTRALIAN CRUISERS. By Cable— Vrtm Associativa—Copyright. > Melbourne, July 12. Advices from London report that the arrival of the cruisers Australia and Melbourne has been postponed from December until April. The delay in their completion is due partly to industrial troubles and partly to a more complex reason which, the" Admiralty states, is delaying all British warship construction. THE ..AVAL BASE. Sydney, July 12. The transfer of the naval base to Auckland means a trade loss to Sydney of from "£BO,OOO to £IOO.OOO annually. Mr. Kitchen, managing director of the Sydney Soap and Candle Company, suggests as a remedy to get the Commonwealth Government to approach 'the Imperial authorities with a proposal jointly to appoint a victualling officer who might act on behalf of both, buying for the Imperial and Australian fleet vessels. Then there would be a change of competing against Xew Zealand. If New Zealand could supply goods at a lower price than Australia, then good luck to her. but the odds were that Australia would keep most of the trade it had had j before. j