NAUTICAL TRAINING SCHOOLS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4149, 8 July 1874, Page 2

NAUTICAL TRAINING SCHOOLS.

TO THE EDITOIi. Sir, —I think the Government are to be congratulated that they have not. been presented •with a white elephant"in H.M.S. Rosario. I do not think she is at all adapted for the purposc ■which they require. The accommodation would be insufficient for the number of boys required to navigate a ship rigged as she is, without going to great expense to alter the internal fittings. A boy taught there would still have all the practical part of his duties to learn when he went to sea, as he would never find a merchant ship rigged in the old-fashioned way our men-of-war are. They can afford to make some sacrifices to a neat appearance. The system of education carried out in the training ships at Home is admirable. I have gone thoroughly into the subject on board H. 31.5. Formidable, at Bristol; all the advantages of it could be obtained by a system which I proposed to Mi\ Vogel more than a year ago, and I believe the first step in a right direction has been taken in. Auckland. Establish nautical training schools at the five principal ports. It would be easy to get pensioned seamen to take charge of them. Let the boys first be taught as. much of the three R's as is necessary for their station in life. At the age of 11 or 12 their instruction in seamanship, swimming, management of a boat, and rifle drill might begin. There should be a fair-sized schooner or brigantine in connection with the schools. It should spend six weeks to two months at each port, and during that time all boys from 14 to 16 should live on board, and cruise about as required ; and there is no reason why its cruises should not be made . reproductive. At 17 or 18 they ought to be quite capable of taking care of themselves ; they would soon find employment in the coasting trade, which it should bo the great object of the Government to assist. They may very well leave the ocean trade to take care of itself, and get its supplies of seamen from the great centres of population. It would be folly to go to the expense the Colony has been at in obtaining immigrants and then tram up all the boys thrown on their hands to a profession which takes them out of the country. I think a good system might be established in this way at about two-thirds the expense of keeping up an establishment on board any of H.M. Ships, and besides, we should get rid of the Provincial jealousies which would be aroused if the ships stopped two days longer in one .port than another.—l am, Sir, your obedient servant, J. D. K. Hewitt, Commander K.N. Wellington, July 6.