THE ROYAL NAVY.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 901, 22 August 1910, Page 2

THE ROYAL NAVY.

—4 : AS A TRAINING SCHOOL FOR BOYS.

(By C. A. young.)

Few parents in tho Dominion, can have realised the advantages which a course of training in U, e lioyal Navy offers to their boys. If to enable independence to be acquired at an early period of life be the principal consideration in selecting the career for a lad, our naval service fulfils this condition m iv manner not to be found, in other callings. Of course, it is desirable that the lad should be inclined to a life on the ocean wave, but there are few lnds in our sea-igirt islands who do not inherit the blcod of tie sea-lriiigs of. old, and lovo tho .sea, although in cases of lads of inland towns they may not be aware of it until this inherited instinct in their nature is exoitcd.by opportunity. It is a free and healthy life, under, the conditions of which even delicate lads grow to robust manhood. In addition to the attractions offered by it as a career, it relieves parents from the heavy expenses attending the preparation of a young man for, and launching him in, other professions, which, moreover, do not usually cease w;hen this is accomplished. Much could be written of our duty and our obligatioua, utul the necessity of some sacrifice of self in the service of out country, but the writer desires to eschew all.sentimental considerations, and limit himself to an endeavour to make clear the advantages of an early training in the Royal Navy, A Remarkable Prophei.y. In Passing, though, he may be peinutted to quota a mmarkable prophecy which the late General Gordon (of China and Sudan fame) made in June, 1882, when he was reviewing troops at Dordrecht, in Cape Colony. "So far as England is concerned, sho need not for tho next quurter of a century be under aory apprehension of serious difficulties arising with any of her European .neighbours, but in 1910, or thereabouts, there wilL have arisen a naval power which may: prove mightier than she, and should she (Germany) gain tho supremacy England will become extinct both as a fiea and land power, : and all her dependencies, including India, will fall into Germany's clutches. You may live to see this—l shall not. But when that time comes, remember my words." There is a tendency to leave the Imperial organisation of the Navy to those great and generous impulses which N havo in very recent times exhibited thoWolves in such magnificent relief, but in these days of quick action and quick results, we must be ready for eventualities, or we certainly will be overwhelmed. t may also bo permitted to ask tho careless New Zealander to consider for one moment what would be the result in New Zealand if such a calamity overwhelmed England. His commerce, valued at ,£30,000,000, would disappear, as not a ship could carry his butter, frozen mutton, and Wool over the seas, and lie would be reduced to the necessity of producing everything he required for himself, while awaiting the worse falte which.would inevitably befall him. i Lot hiin ponder over the memorable words uttered by Mr. John Burns, M.P., iu tho British House of Commons on November 13, IS9S. "Wo cannot reduce the Navy. Without it. the British Empire would be at an end, and its colonies would bo gone."

Advantages of a Naval Training. let us now consider tho advantages of a training; in the Navy for tho young. Youths arc.taught self-reliance, and tho necessity of discipline in every walk of life. This involves respect for all constituted authority, and .reverenco for Miiu-ud things. They art taught to use Ihoir hands in multifarious ways, so that a sailor can rarely be put into any position of life that lie cannot make himself useful in—he is in fact our "handy man." Sailors are never found loafing nround street comers in. tho ranks "of the unemployed, and tho home of retired sailors, officers and men, are always found to be pictures of neatness and cleanliness. His training is indeed a.liberal education in men and: manners. He sees the great cities of the world, is in touch with all things new in the scientific world, becomes acquainted with all tho nations of the earth, and lives ever in a Kaleidoscope of action. What many of us spend fortunes in travelling to become acquainted with, comes to the sailor in the way of his profession. Even if people limited the training ot their boys to the naval training ship of , the Dominion—and one may remark in parenthesis there ought to be more than one training! ship—any and every ,-lad would bo the better for it in after manhood, and such training would make him tho more valuable unit to tho Dominion. A little booklet entitled "Regulations for the Appointment of Staff and Enrolment of Boys iri New Zealand Training Ships" may be obtained from .the nearest office of the Navy league, or from tho lion, secretary of tho Wellington branch, or from the-Minister for Defence. "Applications for enrolment in the training ships must be made by the parent or guardian in writing on- the form laid down,'and addressed to the secretary, Council of Defence, accompanied by a written consent to his enrolment, together with the medical inspection form duly filled in and certified to by a medical practitioner, also two certificates as to character, one of which must be from a justice of the peace or a clergyman, etc., etc." After a week's probation the boy will cither bo rejected or enrolled, free railway and steamer passes aro provided, and a freo kit; civilian clothing being returned to the parents. Boys may join tho training ship up to the masimum age of fourteen years and a half, but if it be intended they are to qualify to take service in either the Briish Navy or the mercantile marine on completion of their training in the training ship, they should join tho latter at the age of thirteen years and a half, when after eighteen months, but not nioro than two years, they may pass on into tho sister services. Due provision is made to encourage tho lad in the way of pay, emoluments, and promotion, and the strictest attention is paid to their general technical training, to their training iu good habits and conduct, and ki I.hoir food and general health. Ample provision is also made for holiday leave on shore and furlough to visit friends, when holiday kit is provided by the ship. Subjects of Education. Tho subjects in which instruction is given comprise seamanship (which is an education in itself); gunnery, drill, ■ and rifto exercise; tho use of arms, singlestick, bayonet, and club swinging exor«" cises; 'rudiments of navigation, engineroom and stoke-hole duties, etc. Theso with ordinary schooling keep the youngsters too busy to got into mischief. It must bo understood that this is tho finest possiblo training to form character, and will train a lad to be useful in any after walk iu life which circumstances and opportunity, may call him to, but it is not the training necessary to qualify for promotion-to the commissioned ranks of the lioyal Navy. This will bo treated of later. As has been sad, training on the-train-ing ships of tho Dominion is mainly intended to form character, good habits of conduct, and to inculcate discipline and respect for constituted authority. It is, however, also a necessary preliminary training if it be-desired that the lhd should pass into the Royal Navy, in which by good conduct, attending to instruction, and by forco of character, ho may riso high in the non-commissioned ranks. And this is as a career the finest a suitable lad could enter upon. Qualifications to Enter the Royal Navy, Candidates to pass into the Eoyal Navy must be British subjects of European extraction, of good character, able to read and writi.-, mid must hnvo resided for at least three years in Australia or Now Zealand immediately prior to entry. They must pass a medical examination as to fitness to serve, and must be of tho -required standard measurement.'! Boys may enter of ages between 15 and 17, and those entering at once on .pleting'their training in tho trainingships of tho Dominion would havo a great advantage. If accepted for service in the lioyal Navy, boys must agree to servo five years on boys' rating, and will be also reojiired

to sign an engagement 1o servo h further period of five years from 'the ago of 18 on the higher ratings. When entered as a boy, is allowed on. account of'clothing and bedding, and this covers the cost. On becoming u second-class boy,lie receives Cd. a day pay, ami can obtain air additional 3d. a week for good conduct. A first-class boy •receives 7d. a day, and is allowed a further sum of £■> 10s. for clothing.'. After six months' service a secondclass boy can send money homo to his parent or guardian. to tho sum of Cs. a month, ami a first-clnss boy Bs. a month. In addition to this, Is. a day accumulates to his credit in tho State bank of his colony, which he can draw at the conclusion of his service; and, further, an allowance instead of grog is paid ts m °, il '''? 'raving the training-ship. Lack-ship has its own medical officer, Church of England chaolain, schoolmaster, band, and lending library. In addition to instruction .in- many subjects, healthy recreation is provided on board ship; and, as opportunity 'offers, to pleasure parties on shore, and to suitable public entertainments, the boys are taken free of expense to themselves— but parents interested had better obtain a ; copjr of tho regulations from Ihe Minister for Defence, as neither time nor space will permit to exhaust all the inducements offered. . Pay and Position Afloat. ' I At tho ago of 18 n hoy can become" ah ordinary seaman, with n daily rate of Is. M. pay; yearly, .£22 16s. 3d.; from thence ho passes, as soon os qualified, to the rating of A.B. (able seaman), daily pay Is. 7d. to Is. 9d„ yearly m 17s. lid.: to .£3l 18s. 9d., and' can rise as vacancies occur to leading seaman, daily pay Is. 3d. to Is. lid., yearly ,£3l 18s. 9d. to .£34 IDs.' 7d.; second-class petty officer, daily pay 2s. to 2s. 2d., yearly JJ3G 10s. to J3S ills. lUd.; first-class petty officer, daily pay 2s. 3d. to 2s. 7d„ yearly ,£39 10s. lOd. to £17 2s. lid. j chief petty officer, daily pay 2s. Bd. to 3s. 4d„ yearly J24S 13s. 4d. to JE6O lGs. Bd.; warrant officer, daily pay ss. Gd. to fis. 3d., yearly £100 7s. Gd. to .£l5O lis. 3d.; chief gunner and boatswain (com-, missioned), daily pay 95., yearly «£IG4 ss. Food and clothing are supplied free, and there are numerous additions of pay made:—For each good-conduct badge, Id. a day (threo badges can bo obtained, 3d. a day); for gunnery and torpedo qualifications, id. up to ls.'Sd. a day; warrant., officers' extra allowances range from Gd. to Is. 6d. a day. These ore the ordinary Imperial rates of pay (C.S.), but in view of the fact that tho men joining the Royal Navy, under tkrso regulations will bo short- ' service men, and will, therefore, not be untitled to any long-servico pensions, they will bo given the following special allowances 1 in addition:— Boys and all persons under 18 years of age, Is. a day. ' ■ Ordinary seamen, 2s. a day. All other ratings, including petty officers, 3s. a day. This allowance will not be paid to tho men on board their ships, but will be placed to their credit by the Governments of Australia and New 'Zealand in I snch Stale savings banks as tho men themselves select when enrolled. So that after ten years' service the boy .will have become a well-trained man. of' 25 years of age, with an education which will have made him a most desirablo settler in a new country, and with a sum due to him by tho State -.of at least ,£273 155., but which could bo easih increased by promotion and thrift to iSOO, to enable him to make.a start in civil life.