WHITE STAR SEA NURSERY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 237, 3 October 1908, Page 11

WHITE STAR SEA NURSERY.

(Frota Our Special Correspondent.) LONDON, August 21. The White Star line has started a sea "nursery" for the training of apprentices (writers our London correspondent under date August 21), and some forty cadets, aged from 14 to 17, sailed from Liverpool this week for Australia under the care of experienced officers and teach- . crs. They are aboard the clipper-built ship Mersey, hought by the White Star line for £7000. The Mersey is to continue her career as a trader, principally in the Australasian trade, but cargo-carrying, while an important branch of her work, will probably be subsidiary to what may be called her scholastic aspect. Her fitting up suggests this, as well as the fact that she was originally constructed for the carriage of passengers. Mess-room, dormitories, schoolroom—all the incidentals of a floating academy— are provided, together with a staff of instructors, nautical, and otherwise. The young cadets are to contfnue their general education while they are picking up a knowledge of practical seamanship, and even of foreign languages, at the hands of competent teachers. They a*e to work the ship and to keep watches, the latter so arranged that each watch will have eight hours' rest at night. But, besides becoming familiar with the handling of the ship and being initiated into the mysteries of navigation, the youngsters are to have other forms of tuition in port. There the cargo will give them the opportunity of acquiring all sorts of wrinkles as regards discharge, stowage, and ventilation, while in the matter of boatsailing, they are to be put through a rigorous course. Not the least important feature of Mr Ismay's enterprise is that it assures a career in certain well-known steamship lines' when the three years' or the four "years* apprenticeship, as the case may be, is it an end. A sea apprentice in the ordinary Way may serve his time. at<d may get his eprtificate from tho Board of Trade. ' But his foot is not even then on the first rung of the ladder. He may or may not obtain suitable employment. Under the White Star scheme, however, his course is mapped out. On the expiration of their apprenticeship, cadets will be eligible to pass the Board of Trade's examination for second mate's certificate, and, having obtained it, they will have the^preference for appointments as junior officers in the steamers of the "White Star, Leyland. Dominion, and Atlantic Transport lines. Thereafter promotion will come according to conduct and ability, the intention being that the . young officers shall remain in the service, gradually advancing in rank and ! experience until, perhaps, they finally .• attain the command of a crack liner.