BOYS FOR SEA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 139, 14 June 1935, Page 5

BOYS FOR SEA.

TRAINING SHIP.

PROPOSAL COMMENDED. HARBOURMASTER'S VIEW. The proposal made by a number .of Dunedin shiplovere to build and equip a barque, to be known as the Otago, for the training of young New Zealanders who wish to adopt the sea as a career was commended this morning by Captain H. H. Sergeant, harbourmaster at Auckland, who has for a number of years advocated the provision by the Government of a training ship in New Zealand, preferably to give experience in sail. Captain Sergeant said a number of Auckland residents had for some time attempted to interest the Government in the provision of a training vessel. In the past several opportunities to purchase a sailing ship at a low figure had been lost, notably when the American vessel. Guy C. Goss was sold for debt in Auckland, and when the barque Rewa first arrived here. Among those who had approached the Government had been the New Zealand Company of Master Mariners.

"To my mind there is no training like sail," said Captain Sergeant. "1 raining i n sailing ships makes boys very roeourceful in every way, so that they Brow into men ready to deal with any emergency. Other countries have training ships—the Dutch, the Germans, even the Japanese. At present in England ,'thev are content to train boys in steamers and motor ships, but I do not think that this training can take the place of training in sail." Costly Venture. As the cost of a vessel such as the Dunedin sponsors of the proposal had in mind, a vessel 217 ft long, would be high,-Captain Sergeant said he did not,,

think that private enterprise would b able to bring it to successful fruitioi While he did not know what such vessel would coot, the expense would b great, while the cost of maintaining th ship would also be considerable. In hi opinion it was a matter for Governmen action. Captain Sergeant said he agreed wit the Mayor, Mr. Ernest Davis, tha Auckland would be the ideal place i which to centre training activities, bot by reason of the weather and the exee lent facilities for sailing afforded b the Hauraki Gulf. However, a vessc such as was proposed in Dunedin woul be a deep sea ship of from 1000 to 200' tons, which presumably would trade al over the world, giving the best training of all to apprentices. From that poini of view the Otago scheme was ideal ii jit could be carried ijito practice. Severe Disabilities. At present New Zealand boys who wished to <*o to sea suffered from severe disabilities? While they might obtain a position on a ship as boys, they could serve for only 12 months and would then have to come ashore and join the Seamen's Union. Their chance of obtaining a ship as ordinary seamen was small," owing to the large number of men at present without ships. The oversea lines trading to the Dominion signed on their boys in England, and provided no outlet for New Zealanders. He himself knew of six or eight boys who wished to get to sea, but had received no opportunity. Most of them had been forced to take positions on farms, where they were completely out of touch with the waterfront, and from where they could almost certainly never hope to go to positions. "At present ! I our boys are under a very severe handi- ■ I cap, and until a scheme such as that ■ I proposed is adopted there is very little opportunity for boys to get sea train- ' ing," continued Captain Sergeant. Ships were being gradually recommissioned again after the worst of the. J depression, "and the great number o£! i officers who had not been able to get i ships were being absorbed again in in--1 creasing numbers. It appeared as though, j there would be a need for trained offi'cers in the not distant future, and if a j ship such as war, visualised were laid down now, by the time the first trainees I had finished* their course, Captain Serigeant said lie was confident they would I find posts.