RECRUITS FOR NAVY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 209, 3 September 1932, Page 6

RECRUITS FOR NAVY.

FIFTY WOUUJ-BE STOKERS. . PHYSIQUE DISAPPOINTINd There is bo shortage of rechilts for the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy. On Thursday 50 men applied at the Garrison Hall, Wellington, for admission as stokers. They were mostly unemployed, one man having walked -itt from the Hutt Valley. Of the 50, 25 -were rejected : M obviously unsuitable, and the remainder were interviewed by Captain L, W, Andrew, V.C., N.Z.S.C. Ten, who. included three ratings from ' the Wellington Division of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, were finally selected to undergo an educational test, which'is equivalent to primary school proficiency standards. As only ten stokers are required from the whole of the Dominion, competition is keen. The main recruiting centres at Auckland, Wellington, Dunedin, and Christchurch send papers dealing with the selections to H.M.s. Philomel, the final decision resting with the ship's recruiting officer. Captain Andrew said that the physical standard of the average Wellington applicant was disappointing, very few having the required chest measurement of 35° inches. Bad teeth were also a contributory reason for most of the failures.