The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1884.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4923, 20 October 1884, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. MONDAY, OCTOBER 20, 1884.

An item of no mean importance to the colony, more especially to the Northern portion of it, appears in our English mail news published in another column. The intelligence we refer to is the probability stated of an alteration beinß made in the headquarters of the Australasian Naval Station, and containing a hint that .tfew Zealand should not ' be uninterested in the event of such a movement being consummated. It will be remembered that a few years ago some agitation was undergone in the colonies when the matter of fixing the headquarters of the station, was last under con • sideration ; and the supporters and ad* mirers of the various centres throughout Australasia became exercised, and spoke and wrote in glowing terms of the transcendental qualities of the respective harbors nearest to them. Their respective depths, safety, defence, and many other points were exhaustively dwelt upon, and ail available stress possible laid upon the fact that certain harbors had docks of certain capabilities j that the class of Her Majesty's naval vessels placed on the Southern station absolutely demanded more dock room than many of the muchlauded ports possessed, and amongst a variety of other reasons given was one that the nearest point by sea to Great Britain, providing the necessary requisites as a harbor, and possessing superior doefcaceomnaodation was the port of Auckland. Of course some site had to be selected, and in its phoice New Zealand was left out in the cold, There is now, it appears, some poßßibility of the question being again dealt with, and we are ycry much mistaken in our opinion of fche Auckland people if they do not push, with might and maio, their very clear title to have (their harbor recognised as that one which should he fixed as the bead quarters of the AiUsti'ajUij^&B station. There can exist no doubt f& t& the navigable qualities of the Waitemala ii&rjjor for tne purposes required, and its depth of water, jts perfect safety, and geographical pos£t,ion f more especially point out the fact tiha-t a proper and unbiassed consideration of its merits fifrojajr} lead to results as satisfactory to, as they are deserved b? it, The present dock accommodation pjwi^ed by Auckland is yery efficient, and with ike Calliope Dock —one of the largest undertakings in the colonies—the construction of which ' ia&QJje shortly begun, the harbor and its acqaire«»ea^C=^even setting aside the very important matter c* alps? communication with the Home country—sho.uld gettle at j ffupe the question as to where the head- ' .ow.te/rs of the Australasian naval station should ;be. &y our mail news, it will be s-en .Hutf: t-be QjienJ Ifae?, the p.s. Lmitania," from Sydney, aud the 1?,#.8. Cg'f

s s. Ruapehu, from this colony, arrived at their'respeetive ports on the same day, although the New Zealander left its colonial port eight days after the Orient steamer undertook its trip homewards. The speed of both, and their respective routes being duly considered will not answer the argument that New Zealand at her nearest Home point, ?iz., Auckland, is—all other things being equal, or even slightly against it, in minor points (which, by the way, they are not) —the most convenient and. profitable settlement that can be made for the station's headquarters. We are perfectly unselfish in this matter, but desire that the provincial district will not —even if the city does—obtain for itself the name of " indolent " in seeing that it obtains due recognition of its importance at the handsjof the powers that be, and (hat all it is entitled to in such a direction will be duly accorded it.