SHIPS' CADETS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 2, 3 January 1934, Page 3

SHIPS' CADETS.

TRAINEES IN PORT. ABOARD NORTHUMBERLAND. OLD CONDITIONS CHANGED. The 30 cadets training aboard the Federal Line's steamer Northumberland lead a very different life from that of their counterparts of forty years ago. There is no reason to say that they are "softer," but the conditions under which they train for officer's tickets are in sharp contrast to those under which lads shipped aboard the old-time sailing vessels as apprentices. "It is hard to classify the general conditions when I was training in a windjammer," said an old salt this morning. '•'Different skippers had different ideas; some tooK quite a fatherly interest in the boys, but as a rule they had a pretty hard life. One captain always had his wife away with him, and the two made their ship a 'home away from home' for the apprentices. As a rule, the lads worked with the crew, and the boys had to be available in all watches. 'When the crows deserted in foreign ports —as was often done —the apprentices were left to do all the work. Yes, I'll admit that some of the lads deserted occasionally, but I didn't wonder at that. Their work was as hard as anybody else's aboard. The loftiest sail, whether it was the royal or a skysail, was always the apprentices' work, and after they had attended to that they would have to help the other seamen," he continued.

In those days the usual method was for practically every ship to carry up to eight apprentices, who in most cases paid £25 or £30 as a premium to the owners, who articled the boys for four years. No wages were paid, but the premium was returned over the period as pocket money, washing in ports, tobacco and clothing. The trainees supplied their own bedding and eating utensils.

"At the end of three years an apprentice was very often the best man aboard," the old salt continued. "The ordinary apprentice had to learn what he could, when he could and from whom he could, but Devitt and Moore, who were in the Australian trade, carried a schoolmaster and instructor to assist the boys in their work. After their training aboard ship they had to pay fees for a navigation school to pass the first milestone in their maritime career—the second mate's ticket."

Cadets of To-day. Although it may at first seem that the employment of cadets in the place of able seamen is an imposition on those who pay their premiums, it is realised that in an instance such as that of the Northumberland men, modern facilities demand heavy expenditure. The amount paid in wages aboard that vessel is said to be greater than that required to pay a crew of able seamen. It is not usual to place such a large number of cadets aboard one ship, but the idea is working satisfactorily. Extra staff engaged for the training of the young men include a doctor, a physical training and other instructors, and additional stewards. With this special expense, apart from incidentals, the work of the cadets is hy no means "cheap labour." Moreover, the company supplies such amenities as sports gear, a swimming bath, and special equipment in other directions, and pays for outings ashore at some ports. The company views the manning of the ship by cadets as the best way of enabling them to learn their job. The quarters provided for the trainees are comfortable and, of course, clean, and they are well looked after generally. In fact, their position and conditions seem to be much the same as that of the midshipman aboard the Australian cruisers which visited Auckland last year —they are young gentlemen undergoing special training so that one day they may be officers. Among the Northumberland's cadets are two lads from Wellington, who are now home on leave.