SEA TRAINING.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1483, 4 July 1912, Page 2

SEA TRAINING.

THE UNSUITABLE AMOKURA,

SOME NEW PROPOSALS,

There was an interesting discussion in the House yesterday afternoon on the question submitted by Mr. Vs. J. C'raigie (i'imaru) asking for information about tho Training Snip Amokura. The replv ot' tlie Minister was as follows:- I .

"(1) The- Amokura has accommodation for sixty boys, and so- far uo boys have had to be refused owing to want of room, although some of them have had to wait for about three months tor openings. At vrt-sent there are only two boys waiting tor admission to tins ship, and there will be openings for them when the winter holiday is over in a fortnight's time. (2) in 1000 the Government approached the i Imperial authorities in regard to obtaiiiing a larger and more suitablo vessel for a training ship, when it was advised by tho Admiralty that it hud no wooden ships which were healthy enough to satisfy modern hygienic requirements, and that iron and steel ships, of which modern navies arc composed, are not suitable at all in the same degree for housing and training boy?.. The Admiralty added that in the case of the Boyal Navy it had been found'necessary to build barracks on shore to accommodate the seamen boys, and that ten or twelve training ships which were full a fow years ago had, except one which was temporarily retained, all been abandoned, and their complements returned to the shore, and that the same process was gradually going on in the case of ships lent for training establishments for the mercantile marine. (3) The Government was not aware that the Dart

was recently offered for sale, but in any case she. would not have been doemed suitable for' a training ship as she is smaller than the Amokura. (4) In the event of the Amokura not being able to fatko all tho boys offering iu future, it is considered that tho best plan would be to establish a station or stations on shore, and to iiie tho Amokura for taking the boys on sea trips in batches for sea training. The Government recognises the deep interest which the honourable, member for Timaru has taken in this most important matter, and in view of the good results which have boon already accomplished by one training ship in New. Zealand waUrs, and the growing demand from parents for their boys to havo an opportunity to enter on sea life, tho question of providing further accommodation either afloat or on shore is now receiving careful consideration."

Mr. James Allen referred lo the question. So far as he could learn from the Minister's reply, there was no more suitable wooden vessel than tho Amokura available, and that a steel vessel was supposed to be unhealthy. Ho would liko to know why a steel vessel was unsuitable. Whatever scheme was to bo followed, he was quite sure that moro facilities should be offered for the sea-' training of boys. The Navy must bo the first line of defence of our island country. Wo had already voled money contributions, but thero was a sacrifice which Now Zealand must yet make—a socrifico of men to bo given up to training for tho protection/ of our shores. Ho believed the 'Ministor was cn'ircly sympathetic, for this was no partv question, but ho did not believe.that the Amokura w - as a good enough ves=el on which to .train men to take their place in the naval defence force--. When the boats of the China Squadron were .stationed at Auckland, as thev.would bo scon, he did not think New Zealanders would be content lo see Ihose ships manned bv British sailors, and pa'd for bv British money. Mr. IV. J. CraiVie (Tinlaru) said he, like Mr. Allen, did not regard this as a parly question, but a Dominion question, and an Eninire question. His electorate was especially interested, in that it had sent more boys to be trained on the Amokura than any other seaport. He did not. believe that tlie Amokura was a suitable vessel. holding the opinion rs-ther that it was insanitary, He: urged that his suggestion ns to the establishment of a shcrc training denot with the Amokura as a seagoing tender, should be adontcd. Good work was being done by the Amokura already. All he asked was that it should be extended and made moro thorough.

■ Mr. Ji H. Bradney (Auckland West) thought the Amokura might be used to carry stores to lighthouses, and so discharge useful sen-ice, while affording the boys 0. good opportunity to ■ get a sea

training. Mr. A. L: Herd man (Wellington North) asked the. Minister to state l , in his reply what steps the Government had taken to afford New Zealand boys an opportunity to attend.tho Commonwealth Naval College. Tho House would be glad to k'noiv what terms had been made with, the Commonwealth Government. ' Sir Joseph Ward (Awarua) did not think it. was necessary to have another ship. It would be a better arrangement to have a. shore training depot, and to allow the boys to take their training on the ship. He also thought it would be money exceedingly well spent to uay a contribution to the Commonwealth to make it possible' for New Zealand boys lo bo trained in tho Australian Naval College. < The Hon. G. Lanrenson said th.it he bod Veen "greatly pleased at tho spirit in which members had approached this subject. All the boys who had pawed through tho Amokura had done credit to their training. One of their number, after becoming an officer on an oceangoing vessel, had unfortunately been drowned. The Minister said that he had received no communication from tho Australian Naval College, but that lie. believed some such communication had been received by the iron. A. M. Myers (Minister far Defence). Mr. Lanrenson said that Sir Joseph Ward's suggestion that the New Zealand Government should sul>sidiso the Australian Naval College was a very proper one. Tim Minister went on to state-that the conditions of life at sea had greatly improved of lato years. Deck hands on vessels leaving New Zealand ports made sometimes with overtime 05 much as .£l7 or .«S a month, and tho life they led was -lean and healthv. Mr. Lanrenson emphasised tho value of tho training to bo obtained aboard the Amokura, and expressed a hope that as tho advantages of tho sea career came to be better known more boys would come forward for training. He thanked tho member for Timaru for giving a lead on this interesting question—one that was warded with deep interest throughout the Empi re. 1

PHYSICALLY UNFIT. Mr. Sidey gave notice yesterdav that he will ask the Government whether they are aware that in a recent examination of ■ lads from tho training ship cFt- ° a " nlictl for service on the Ji.M.S. Pionrer, out of six who presented themselves, five were rejected as physically unfit, and will they state or ascertain the reason for this, and, if necessary take 4 immediate steps to provide that tho medical examination of all bora joinin" the Amokura with the intention of sub=£ quently joining tho Navy, shall bo mado more thorough, to that such bovs may be spared the hardship of spending valuiblo years of their lives in training' for a service for which they afterwards find themselves chysically disaualified.