NAVAL TRAINING VESSELS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XXVI, Issue 4394, 23 September 1882, Page 2

NAVAL TRAINING VESSELS.

The Comonittee appointed by the House of Representatives to report upon tho best mean 3to give effect to the expressed wishes of the Efouso in favor of naval training vessels, have reported as follows; — "Your Committee have given careful consideration to the matters submitted to Ihem, and, having examined a number of witnesses, have no«v the honor to report as follows : — '(1) The number of children who, by reason of tho neglect or default of their parents, or ( f some criminal act of their own, are virtually handed over to the enstody of the State, ih Eteariily increasing with the increase of population (2) While some of the witnesses examined by your Committee favor the establishment of training schools

on board a moored vc:sel or vessels, all a-jree that it will be Dccc^sa.y to have suitable emaM vessels for cru^'og about, so tbat the lads may be taught practcal seamanship, (3) It appears that considerable use could be made, by ve^-^s of suitable Bize, manned by the lads, in tiia suoplying of lighthouse, surveys, transport of stores, &c, within proper limits from the schools. This is specially the case in the Auckland district, where, on account of the large area of the Gulf, it would bo quite safe to intrust to the naval traiuing vessel the work of supplying the whole of tho lighthouses in the gulf (4) Looking at the large aud constantly increasing tonnage owned and registered in the colony, it appears beyond question tbat many of the lads attending ttio school could be provided for ri soon as they had acquired a fair practical knowledge of ord'nary seamanship. Many owners now voluntarily accepb lads as apprentices on board their vessels, and tho Coramitteo can see no great difficulty In inakin" the whole of the vessels owned or registered in the colony, abnva a certain tonnage carry a certain number of apprentices in proportion to th%t tonnage. (5) It would j appear better, taking everything iDto conn slderatioD v to endeavor to work the cruising vessels in comiPctiDn with a shore Bohoo). The better health aud greater sense of freedom which the boys would enjoy iv Buch case will be clearly evident, (6) A great deal of valuable information as to tbe class and cost of the vessels fib for the purpose required will be found in the printed evidence and papers The Committee recommend, That (s)' naval training school are essentially necessary, and should be established and maintained as now provided by law ; (b) A naval training school BQtvnld again be established at Auckland, and a suitable cruising vessel be employed in connection wih the institution ; (c) A similar institution should be established at Port Chalmers or Lytte'.fcon ; (d) To meet the difficulty of class. ficatlon a moored vessel might be used for the purposes of a : naval training school. Kuch vessel might be stationed at' Wellington, The criminal or rjefraotory children could be committed to such vessel, and be thus placed under strict discipline, and cut off from communication with the shore. "John Shebhan, : • "Chairman,"