A CAREER FOR COLONIAL YOUTHS.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXX, Issue 3884, 30 October 1899, Page 4

A CAREER FOR COLONIAL YOUTHS.

For some years’ past the desirableness of establishing a training-ship in New 1 Zealand waters for the youths of the : colony has been recognised asbeingworthy. of consideration. It has been urged that notwithstanding the geographical position of the colony and the certainty of an: extensive mercantile marine service being developed, there are positive hindrances to boys following a sea-faring life. Ever since the passing of the Shipping and Seamen's Act of 1894, the matter has been frequently brought under the notice of Parliament, Even when the Act was passed it was pointed out that it would prevent hoys who desired to go to sea being employed on colonial Ahips; and after the Act had been in operation for twelve months Captain Allman, in a letter to the Marine Department', stated that the contention of legislators that the effect of the measure would be tp shut out colonial boys from all chance of: following a sea-faring life was undoubtedly a sound one. The consequence of this would be that the mercantile marine of this country would sooner or later be almost entirely manned" by ‘.‘foreign”, labour. ; By men who have given'any heed to .uiis matter such a contingency in the interests of the colony and of the nation has been viewed with serious concern. .Various ways out of the difficulty have suggested themselves. An amend-: ment of the law has been urged, but as that has been brushed aside by the do-; minant party, the contemplation of the establishment of a training-ship in New Zealand waters has come home to the minds of legislators as offering the most: feasible solution of the problem. On the motion of the Hon Win; T.i Jennings a committee of the Legislative Council was last session set up to take evidence concerning this project and ,to report. The committee’s report: was laid on the table of the Council on the 18th of. October—too late in the. session to be considered—and • was ordered- to : be printed. The evidence taken before the committee is exhaustive. The’ witnesses included Mr Jas. Mills, of the Union Steam Ship. Co., Captain Blackburne, Nautical Adviser to the Government, Captain Leah, of, H.M.S. MilduraJ Mr George Hogbeu, M.A., Inspector General of Schools, and other prominent nautical and educational authorities. It will thus be seen that the committee had the best information available, and its conclusions ought to -have the favourable consideration of the public and Parliament. Before dealing with the findings of the committee there are some points in the evidence which should be noted. In the course of his statement to the committee Mr Mills affirmed that in his opinion a training-ship was very desirable as a training ground for the young lads of the- colony in order to fit them for the local mercantile marine service. The opportunities for acquiring a knowledge of sea-faring life were admittedly very few, and as sailing vessels owned in the colo-nies-were limited,; boys wishing to take to' the sea. had to go away from the colony in order to obtain the necessary training in seamanship. All the witnesses corroborated his testimony on this point; and the advantages of a train-ing-ship were further impressed upon the committee. It was pointed out that a lad wno had served two years on a train-ing-ship would be qualified as an ordinary.seaman, and that after another two years in the mercantile marine service he would be qualified to pass as an officer for an ocean-going steamer. At present a youth desirous of taking seamanship up as a profession has to become apprenticed to a company that owns sailing vessels, and so numerous are the applicants that a premium has to be paid to the company for the privilege, it is, therefore, presumed that many parents would prefer to submit their sons to the training and discipline of a training -ship for two years in New Zealand waters, rather than send them away from home for four years in a foreign-going vessel. The object of the training ship is to encourage parents of respectable boys—-criminally disposed or reformatory boys would not' be eligible— to let them undergo 1 two years’ training; and after such a training as they would receive bn such a ship parents would have less hesitation in letting their lads go out Into the world. This would be preferable to sending them direct from school to be perhaps ill-used and' corrupted among sailors. - ■ ■ Yet another advantage of the training

ship ought to Ijo notf-d. In all probability a naval station will he established in the colony, and New Zealand boys after such a training as they would receive on board a training-ship would the more readily obtain positions in the Imperial Navy. Captain Leah pointed out that there wore numerous a indications from colonial youths for admission to the Navy, but many of them were not suitable; and then after a period of probation numbers would leave owing to the superior attractions of shore-life or the better pav that the Union Company offered. Still, to boys bent on following a sear - faring life as a profession these considerations would not act as deterrents, and it was shown that there was not much difference between naval pay and shore pay when it is considered that the former is continuous, and there was a prospect of a pension of £45 per annum at the ape of forty. There is, however, as. Mr Hogben pointed out, considerable difficulty in getting colonial hoys to look upon seafaring life as an attractive profession. It is regarded as excellent amusement, but is not generally seriously’ conteipplated ns a means of livelihood. Yet it is believed that in this colony’ there are from one hundred to one hundred and fifty boys, sons of respectable parents, who would take advantage of a trainingship, and a considerable percentage of these would, with the training they would receive, be given a good start to obtain excellent positions in either the mercantile marine service or in .the Imperial Navy.

The : question of the cost of such a training-ship was considered, and fears were expressed that the cost of maintenance would be too .great for the colony, to undertake. The ship would cost from £2000...t0 £3OOO, and the annual outlay is estimated by Mr H. S. Blackburno at £'6400. This may appear a large expenditure for the training of two hundred'' boys, but it is quite proportionate to the outlay upon secondary * education, and it is calculated that the advantages to. the youth of the colony would he so valuable that parents would be induced to contribute something like fifty per cent, of the cost of training their sons on board the training-ship. Taking everything into consideration, the committee is to be congratulated Upon urging the establishment of a training-ship in Now Zealand waters. It has been shown that many youths would take advantage of it, and the committee is satisfied that boys who had served the necessary time on such a ship would have special opportunities of obtaining employment on New Zealand owned vessels. In conjunction with the' I ', establishment of a--1 training-ship, relaxation of the stringency of existing shipping laws.ought to be considered, • with a view to. widening the avenues to employment "for the youth of the, colony. ‘