SONS OF THE SEA.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 127, 31 May 1937, Page 9

SONS OF THE SEA.

LACK OF TRAINING.

NEW ZEALANDERS' DESIRE.

SUGGESTION BY MAYOR. Stating that the Northern Steamship Company ki a large employer of labour, paying out £126,393 in wages last year, Sir Ernest Davis, chairman of directors of the Northern Steamship Company, referred at to-day's annual meeting of shareholders to constant application for employment by youths wishing to go to sea. It was depressing, Sir Ernest said, that outside the ;inrrow field offered by the Navy, there was for our youths no form of emploj-ment which would equip them for seafaring careers. This was a deplorable lack in an island country. To a substantial extent the difficulty had arisen out of competitive inroads which had gradually driven the coastal vessel to the scrip heap and concurrently removed opportunities for those of the rising generation who might be inclined to make their profession the sea, as was intuitive in the majority of British-born lads. Mute evidence of the desire of our young men to follow these natural aptitudes was seen in the number who undertake ocean journeys in small yachts. "To me there is a wealth of pathos in this expression of a desire, the full attainment of which is stifled by the present-day restrictions." continued Sir Ernest. "Such is the absence of oppor- ! tunity for our youth to take to the sea as an occupation that I am forced to the conclusion that a solution, as far as Auckland is concerned, can be found only by the provision of a suitable training ship. This would be expensive, but in my opinion the cost would be fully justified by the results. Even if our boys have to 'pro foreign' for employment it is still siving them the opportunity they should have."