TEAINING SHIPS & A COLONIAL NAVY RESERVE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12638, 16 April 1903, Page 5

TEAINING SHIPS & A COLONIAL NAVY RESERVE.

A NAVAL OFFICER'S OPINION. (Fnou Our Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND, April 15. A press ropicsontativo had a chat to-day with Captain Glossip, oE H.M.S. Lizard, with roferonco to tho proposed training for Now Zealand boys for the navy and the formation of a colonial naval reserve. Captain Glossip said tho lull complement of tho Sparrow, which had been accepted as a training ship, io 85, and for efficient training tho number of boys'should not exceed that. The Lizard's complement was 78. The ordinary term on training ships was 18 months, after which boys wcro sent to sea. At present, however, i\\b navy is never recruited from industrial ships, and h« did not think tho navy would look kindly on the drafting of industrial school boys into their ranks, as suggested by Mr Seddon. To get on training ships for tho navy at Home boys had to havo the parents' consent, certificates of desirability, and' a medical certificate. Ho did not think it would do to mix Industrial School boys with boys who voluntarily camo for training to adopt the navy as an occupation. Tho samo disoiplinc could not bo applied to the two classes. With regard to tho naval reserve, Captain Glossip said lio could not follow the Premier's idea, which seemed to be to establish a connection botwoen tho training of boys for tho navy and tho colonial naval reserve. His idea of a naval reserve was that tho training of men such ns now form the naval Volunteer companies should bo amplified, and that they should every year bo sent on a cruise lasting about six weeks. Such men would then bo available for the navy when wanted, and would stand in tho samo relation to the navy as. colonial Volunteers stand to the army. At present ho did not think colonials who wished to join tho siavy got sufficient eneoursgemont.