BUILDING BULL DOG BOYS,

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 88, 7 January 1908, Page 5

BUILDING BULL DOG BOYS,

THE AMOKTOIA MANUFACTORY, ■ A MOVEMENT THAT. MUST GROW. Captain Hooper, R.N.11.. of the Amokura, states that tlio 'trip- South of tho; Government training ship, was tjiiito a success in every way. . The itinerary of tho cruise was from \Ullmgton to Akaroa, thonco to tho iilult and tho points of intorest in Stownrt Island. _ From farthest South they wont Lo Utago Harbour, and'put. in Boxing Day as an interesting -feature of the annual regatta there, i Tho sonsation of the day was tho dofcat by tho Amokura boys (pulling a tenoared cutter) of a crow, from Ii.M.S. Pioneor a twelve-oared cutter). Although tho boys had to manipulate a henvior boat, and gave the Pioneer men a handicap of two oars, thoy won tho race over a mile and rt half courso by ten length's, amidst great enthusiasm. Tho man-of-war crow Tiung to tho boys for the first half-milo, but from that out of tho Amokura's boat bold a practically undisputed load. The next day tho officers of the Pioneer sent a. money prize to tho Amokura boys for their performance, but as'there had boon no arrangement as to a prize, and the' challongo emanated from tho Amokura, the money was roturned. i 0 1? Chalmers- tho vessel was worked along to Oamaru and Lyttolton, sail bomg usod whenovor advantageous to the vossol s progross.. : , n jj°y s bavo taken to tho sea wonderfully well,'; said Captain Hooper, in answer to'a question; "thoy havo grasped tho osBentials smartly, and thoy work the ship with a will. Ihero aro still five or six— out of a crow of 54—who feel it when tho ship rolls a bit, but that is not so bad on tho numbers." "How does tho Amokura behave in a soa-wayp" . "Splendidly. During tho last four woeks sho has travolled over a thousand milo3 without shipping a drop of water." "And what is tho noxt inovo?" "All tlio boys, or rather forty out of tho fifty-four, have been.given three week's leave, and most of them aro visiting their homoseating tho fatted calf. "When they return, tho Amokura will lcavo on another cruiso, probably to Napier and the northern ports." lhis movoment is going to sproad." said Captain Hooper with conviction. "I am getting applications- every day from boys and tho paront3 of boys for admission to the Amokura's complement, but wo can't take any moro.", ' 'Do you think wo will want a biggoi ship?" " No, not for tho proscnt anyway. What I would suggest is that depots should be established ashoro at (ho different contros, wbero tho lads could bo trained in theoretical seamanship, and then thoy could bo taken tc sea for a cruiso in turns to perfect thorn ir tho practical part of tho business. "liverywhero wo went tho groatest interest was taken in tho vessel, and, besidei many visitors, tlicro wore official visits fToir City Councils, Chambers of Commorco, anc Harbour Hoards—tho mombors all manifesting a real interest in tlio ship and her boy crov.*." Thoro has been considerable talk rcoontlj about tlio degeneracy of the British mercantile marino, and statistics prove that tin English aro not tho lovoro of tho soa tho' were tlirco hundred years ago. As islani countries, Now Zealand and Australia an very delieioiit ill the training of boys for i lifo allo.it, and it is on suoli movomorits ai that initiated by i.lio Government in tho nasi of the. Amokiiru that moro depends than cai bo actually defined at present. ,It is a do finite scheme with a dofinito object tha should prove an important factor in peace o war for tho years that lio ahead.