TRAINING SHIPS FOR BOYS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20629, 30 July 1930, Page 14

TRAINING SHIPS FOR BOYS.

| Sir, —I am very pleased to seo an ! article in Monday's Hekald drawing attention to the need of a training ship for New Zealand boys who are desirous of going to sea. I can endorse the writer's statement as to the largo number of boys who are clamouring for a chance to obtain a position as boy, no doubt with the ultimate intention of sitting for their certificates in later years. In such a country as New Zealand, with a sea-borne trade, there should be opportunity for'lads who are anxious to take up the sea as a profession, not only for their own sakes, hut also for the good of their nation, which owes so much to the sea sense anti to the men of the mercantile marine. V.'hilo realising that the present is a difficult one for the Government, my opinion is that a sailing vessel could be procured cheaply, which would be practically self-supporting in running Government. coal, if only between Newcastle and here. No doubt some masters will dispute the value of a suiting vessel for training, but I would like to point out that such countries as Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Germany still use sail for training. Further, Sir William Garthwaite has started a " Sea Lion " training ship society in the hopo of being in possession of at least one ocean-going training ship to be devoted entirely to the training of future officers of the British mercantile marine. Seeing that in Britain a lai - j number of boys ' already have importunity, there is an even stronger argument lor such a ship in Now Zealand, where at present, opportunities are practie-i-llv nil. B. BriUv .Master Mariner.