THE NAVY AND N.Z.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18369, 30 April 1925, Page 10

THE NAVY AND N.Z.

PLEA FOR MORE RECRUITS. The chief guests at the Dunedin Rotary Club's luncheon were the officers of H.M.S. Dunedin. Commodore Beal, on behalf of himself and his brother officers, expressed his very great appreciation of the honour in being guests at the Dunedin Eotary Club. It was meet that he should be permitted to express to the Mayor and citizens his warmest gratitude for the hospitality accorded to the officers.and crew of H.M.S. Dunedin, and, indeed, to all visiting warships. He (the Bpe'aker) had been the guest of Eotary on one or two other occasions, and he would like to express his admiration of its ideal*. Commodore Beal also referred to the illness of New Zealand's Prime Minister (Mr -Massey), and voiced the deep regret of the officers of the Navy that he should be laid aside. Speaking on the work of the New Zealand Navy, he said that their station waa by no means confined to New Zealand—it took in a large portion of the South Pacific Islands and also the southern limits, conveniently mentioned as the South Pole. His Majesty's ships in New Zealand waters were the Dunedin and .the Philomel, maintained by the Government/ and the Laburnum and the Veronica, maintained by the Admiralty. It was hoped, however, to have another vessel of the Dunedin class before long. There were 234 New Zealand ratings serving in the British Navy—ls4 on the Dunedin, 45 on the Philomel and 35 in England undergoing special courses in torpedoing and gunnery, etc., and more boys were desired. "The more help we get in this way, the better we shall be pleased," •said the Commodore. "The boys we enter (from fifteen to nineteen years of 3ge) do a preliminary course of nine months on the Philomel, and are then transferred to the Dunedin, where they are kept for a year and two months, during which time they are required to pass four examinations. At the end of that time they are rated A.B. From those selected the best. are sent Home to England, where they see service with the Atlantic Fleet, and then come back. The first batch came back just before Earl Jellicoe left New Zealand, and he interviewed them. They were a fine stamp, and had earned for themselves a fine name. A man usually Berves for twelve years from the age of eighteen. He starts at a minimum wage of 498 a week, and, in addition, he is given a free kit, medical attention, ete. Each year he is given twentyeight days leave on full pay, and an extra allowance, and at the end of the twelve years he can leave, on a system of deferred pay, on £SOO, which will enable him to make a start in business. If he volunteers to serve another ten years, he can leave at the age of forty with £IOOO. The recruit is liable to: serve in any part of the world and on any class of ship." In conclusion, Commodore Beal expressed the' he had shown his hearers that life in the Navy was* a very, great advantage to a young fellow. The curriculum in the New Zealand Division constituted three months in the-islands of the South Pacific, one month in a musketry course, at Trentham, and the remaining period in exercising, docking, etc "