French cruiser visits NZ

The Jules Michelet, which arrived at. Auckland from Sydney on Tuesday morning, is the largest French warship which has yet visited this part of the world. She was launched in 1905. Her characteristics are as follows: 15,500 tons; gunnery, four 8-inch guns, twelve 6½in guns, eight anti-aircraft guns, two torpedo tubes; engine power 30,000hp; speed 22 knots; length, 492 feet; width, 69ft; depth, 28ft; officers 54; men 750. The Jules Michelet fought during the war in the Adriatic Sea, took part in the blockade of Austria (fight of the 16th August, 1914, during which an Austrian cruiser was sunk — shellings of Cattaro), has been unsuccessfully torpedoed three times, helped to protect in 1915 the rescue of the Serbian army and convoyed the troops landed at Salonika, and, after the armistice, took part in the operations of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea. The ship has been named after Jules Michelet, a famous French historian, 1798-1874, who wrote a history of France and made a special study of the French Revolution. As a philosopher he wrote two capital books, one upon womanhood, the other upon the sea.

Marsden purchase centenary

It is over 100 years ago since the second transfer of land in New Zealand was made. The transfer was from Chief Hongi to the Church Missionary Society, and the land concerned was at Kerikeri. The Rev Samuel Marsden walked over the block, and estimated it at 13,000 acres, but on subsequent measurement it was found to contain only 5350 acres. The price paid was 43 felling axes. The original deed bearing Hongi’s "Moko" (tattoo design) is now in the Hocken collection. Mr Marsden hoped that the land would grow sufficient crops to support the whole mission, but in this he was disappointed, and in 1824, when Mr Davis, a practical farmer, arrived, he reported that the land was not suitable for wheat-growing, the crop of six acres hardly yielding more than the seed sown. Later the land was divided amongst the children of the missionaries — Messrs Clarke, Davis, Kemp, Hamlin, Shepherd and Baker — and was known as the Children’s land. Mr Kemp bought the other shares up and sold the block to Mr Williams, and he sold it to its present owner, Mr Riddell. It is interesting to note that Kerikeri was named Gloucestertown by the missionaries, but the old Maori name has luckily survived. The first transfer of land was a piece at Oihi.

Digging up new asphalt

The first meeting for the new year of the City Council was held last night. Cr Larnach asked if it was correct that it was proposed to break up the asphalt roadway in Cumberland street for the purpose of putting in a sewer or something of the kind; he thought it was very regrettable if such a thing were going to be done. Cr Begg said he was glad Cr Larnach had raised this question, but there was a larger issue at stake than that which he had mentioned. If permission were given for this particular connection there would be nothing to prevent anyone from obtaining a permit to break up the asphalt. Probably the applicant would be required to reinstate the roadway, but it would only be a patch, and did not give the asphalt a fair test. Cr Wilson said that although one was very sorry to see this sort of thing happen, it was bound to happen.  — ODT, 18.1.1923

Compiled by Peter Dowden