THE ROYAL NAVY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2623, 22 June 1904, Page 33

THE ROYAL NAVY.

ENROLMENT OF COLONIALS.

The following is an extract from the regulations for the enrolment and service of Australians and New Zealanders in the Boyal Navy, under the terms of the naval agreement between the United Kingdom and Australia and New Zealand, 1903:— RULES FOR ENROLMENT. 2. All candidates for entry must be British Subjects of European extraction, of good character, able to read and write the English language, ani must have resided for at least three years in Australia or New Zealand immediately! prior to entry. They must pass a medical examination as to their physical fitness to serve, and must be of the required standard. (b) Until further notice the standard will bo

3. Boys may be entered between the ages of 15 and 17, men between the «ges of 18 and 35 (domestics may bs entered up to the age of '45 if otherwise fit). Men may be entered from any existing local naval force up to the age of 45, if in every way physically fit. 4. All candidates on joining will be required to sign an engagement to serve for five years Xform supplied). Boys will be required to sign an engagement to serve for five years from the age of 18. 5. Re-engagements for further periods of five yfars will be allowed in the case of specially desirable men; but no man will be allowed to xe-engage after he has attained 50 years of age, and no man will be allowed to continue serving after he has attained the age of 55. 6. All men on first joining the force will be entered in the loweat rating of their particular ■branch, unless they are already holding higher ratings in any existing permanent local na-val force, or Ihave left such force, or the lioya.l Kavy, within two years, holding higher ratings, in which case they may be entered to fill a vacancy in any higher rating for which they may be found qualified after examination by the officers of one of his Majesty's ships. No man who has been discharged from any naval or military force on account -of misconduct will be permitted to join.

SERVICE.

7. All men joining this force will lie liable to Hue transferred to any one of the four ships manned by Australians and New Zeal'anders, and every man will be required to serve park of This time in the locally-manned sea-going cruiser. In time' of war or emergency these anen may be -transferred to -any ship of the Australian squadron by order of the Commau-der-in-Chief or senior naval officer.

8. All men in this force will be under the same regulations as regards hospital treatment and pensions for wounds and injuries received whilst' on service as other nien serving in the Imperial Navy, except! that they may be invalided out of the' service by a, naval medical .board composed of three medical officers of his Majesty's ships, instead of being sent to England for final survey. 9. Pensioners from 13ie navy or army will not be allowed to join this force, nor men belonging to the Royal Fleet Reserve. No man who has left the Royal Navy after December 31, 1903, will be allowed to enter this force until ihree years have elapsed from the date of his discharge, and the entry of such men is not recommended except under special circumstances. DISCIPLINE. 10. All persons on joining this force will Tbeconie subject to the Naval Discipline Act in force in the Imperial Navy, and also to the Kings-R egulations and Admiralty Instiuctions for the Navy, except as modified by these rules. PAY AND ALLOWANCES. 11. In view of the fact that the men joining the Royal Navy under these- regulations will be short-service men, and will, therefore, not be entitled to any long-service pensions, they will (be given the following special allowances, in addition to the ordinary Imperial rates of pay (C.S.) and the Imperial allowance for badges, gunnery and torpedo qualifications, etc. : — s. d. Boys and all persons under 18 years of age 1 0 per diem Ordinary seamen and domestics of all classes 2 0 „ 'All other ratings, including all petty officers .-* 3 0 „ This allowance will not be paid to the men on board their ships, but will be placed to their credit by the Governments of Australia and New Zealand in such State savings banks os the men themselves select when enrolled. Each man on joining will receive a free kit tip to the value of £5. Note 1. — Men who join the Royal Navy under these rules will bs able, on completing their five years' engagement, to go into the. Aus■tralian branch of the Royal Naval Reserve 011 the higher scale of pay, doing 28 days' 1 drill per annum, with pay of about 5s per day when actually on drill, and also a retaining fee of £8 a year. Note 2.— The principal Imperial rates of pay, in addition to gunnery and torpedo pay of horn 2d to 6d a day, are as follow : —

NEW ZEALANDERS FOR THE RESERVE. ANOTHER" FEATURE OF THE NAVAL AGREEMENT. t Captain H. R. Robinson, of H.M.S. Tauranga (says the New Zealand Times), ihas received an advance copy of the regulations for the enrolment, training, discipline, and pay of men in the Australian and New Zealand branch of the Royal Navy Resia-ve. The creation of the reserve is pai"t and parcel of the new naval agreejnent» under which colonials may enlist in the Royal Navy. Particulars of the terms of enrolment of colonials in the navy were published yesterday. Persons wishing to join the reserve should make application to Lieutenant C. D. Pickering, R.N.R., Wellington, who has been appointed registrar for New Zealand. Applicants must be British subjects of a European race, able to speak and write English, free from physical defect, and in health, character, and other respebts eligible. No applicant will be

accepted wlio lias not been a bona fide resident in New Zealand for at least three years preceding his enrolment. Engagements, whether for enrolment or re-enrolment are to be for a period of five years. The limits of age on first entry are : — Seamen, 18 to 40 ; stokers, 21 to 40. No man will be accepted whose height is less than sft 3m, and che&t measurement less than 32in. The numbers at present being enrolled are limited to 500 seamen and 200 stokers. Seamen will be divided into " qualified seamen," and "seamen." "Qualified seamen" will comprise men who have served for at least three years as part of the permanent Australasian crews of one of his Majesty's ships, and have been discharged with a rating not below that of A.B. But no man will be eligible for this class if more than five years hav"e "elapsed since his discharge from the navy. Other applicants enrolled as "seamen" must prove a fair knowledge of the sea, and be either a merchant seaman, boatman, fisherman, or yachtsman by profession. "Qualified stokers " must have similar credentials in their class to " qualified seamen." Ordinary stokers must have served at least two years as firemen on board a steam vessel of not less than 20 tons register, and must produce certificates as to character and ability. Previous services must be proved to the satisfaction of the registrar. No person already bound to serve in the Royal Navy is eligible for the reserve, nor is any person eligible who is in the army, army reserve, militia, or Volunteer force. No man in the reserve may be enlisted in any of these branches of the service, under a penalty of six months' imprisonment. Each mail on being enrolled will reoeive a certificate of enrolment. Applications must be made for re-enrolment at the end of every five years' period, but if no application is made within three months of the expiration of the period, the name is erased. Trained men belonging to the "seamen" class will be granted threepence per day extra pay when they have passed the A.B. examination on the drill ship, and are favourably reported on as regards character and physique. The A.B. examination will include both gunnery and seamanship. Similar privilege*, under adapted conditions, are provided for the " stoker " class of the reserve. Every naval reserve man must present himself every six months to one of the registrars, and leave his address, and probable movements for the ensuing six months. No man will be allowed to leave the reserve except by permission of the Commander-in-chief, and on repayment of the sum of £10 for the purchase of his discharge. Any reserve man failing to respond when the reserve is called out, win, if not physically incapacitated, be liable to be punished in the same manner as seamen of the Royal Navy. The reserves will be drilled in the use of heavy guns and small arms on the lines of the' drill laid down for the Royal Naval Reserve of the United Kingdom. Seamen may be required to drill on 28 days, and stokers on 21 days in the first year, and 14 days in subsequent years. The 28 days for seamen must be done the first year either continuously or in two periods of 14. days, but subsequently may be done in terms of seven days. Stokers similarly must do their 21 days, either without a break or in two periods of 14 days and seven days.

Reserve men, when actually on drill, will be paid on the following scale : — Qualified seamen, 4s 7d per day ; seamen, 3s 3d ; qualified stokers, 5s ; stokers, 3s Bd. Naval Reserve men will be victualled during drill on the same scale as seamen of the Royal Navy, if they are living on board ; but if living on store will be paid Is 4d per day in lieu of victuals, and 4d per day for lodging. When on drill, reserve men will be subject to the same discipline as men in the Royal Navy, and men not putting in the required drill will be liable to a fine of £10, and forfeiture of retainer. The folloAving are the retainers : — Qualified seamen and qualified stokers, £8 per annum ; seamen and stokers, who are not trained, £5 per annum,- paid quarterly. The longest time for which a reserve man may be called upon to serve in the navy is five years, unless he re-enters in the Naval Reserve. ' In the first instance, he may, when called out, be required to serve in the navy for three year?. If, at the end of that time, there is actual war, and if the Naval Re&erve man is then strving in one of his Majesty's ships, he will be liable to serve for two years longer. Any man belonging to the reserve failing to appear when called out iy proclamation is iiable to be treated as a deseiter.

Reserve men when called- out by proclamation will be paid as" follows: — Qualified seamen, Is 7d per day ; seamen, Is 3d ; qualified stokers, 2s ; stokers, Is Bd, and, in addition, a special colonial allowance of 3s per day for qualified seamen and quali- ! fled stokers, and 2s per day for seamen and stokers. They will also be victualled on the Royal Navy scale, and receive a free kit. The ordinary retainer will cease from the date of a proclamation, and a special war retainer of £1 per month will be substituted. When called out by proclamation -reserve men will be subject to exactly the same discipline as seamen in the Royal Navy.

Applications for enrolment will be received from June 15 (Wednesday), but no actual selections will be made for some time after that date.

Mr Cruickshank, at Milton, on Monday, delivered his deferred judgment in the case in which th© Marine Department prosecuted the Bruce County Council for obstructing navigation in connection with th© punt at Taieri Mouth. His Worship found against the County Council, and ordered it to pay £1 Is, counsel's fee. Mr Donald Reid, for the council, asked his "Worship to state a case for appeal.

A shipping- master in "Wellington reports a shortage of officers for deep sea vessels. He has lately had several inquiries from the South Island if officers are available-, but has had to reply in the negative. There is also a shortage pi sailors, — Exchange.

Height. Chest Mea.suremenL toys from 15 to 16 years ol age ioys from 16 to 17 years of age .. .. « „ .. [en of all classes, except domestics .. « «.. •bmestics .... *. »« •• sft 2in sft 3in sft 4in sft 2in 32in 32£ in 34in 32in

Joys )rdinary seamen ibie seamen Petty officers, from j., itokera jeading and chief stoke ;rs s. d. 0 6 1 3 1 7 2" 0 1 8 2 3 s. d to 3 I to 2 i to 3 I i. 0 0 0