Matters pertaining to our defences by land and sea are receiving just now the Josest attention from statesmen and po-Yeians of all grades of opinion. Sir William Lyne, acting Minister of Defence Quring the absence in London of Sir John Forrest, is formulating a scheme for the consolidation of all our forces, military Snd naval. It is understood that under new order of things the salaries paid to State commandants in the past will be largely reduced. A Federal naval commandant is one of the offices of the near future. Sir William Lyne thinks that our forts are out of date and we must turn over anew leaf. "No forts," he declared Tecently, "such as those we have been
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.