GENEROUS OFFER.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1867, 29 September 1913, Page 8

GENEROUS OFFER.

TRAINING SHIP AMOKURA. OffICERS FOR UNION CO. SIX BOYS DRAFTED TO THE APARIMA. A gonerous offer, which will greatly benefit boys on the Government train-ing-ship Amokura, has been made by tho Union Steam Ship Company, l owners of the Aparima. During tho past few years, the company has employed as sailors a number of lads drafted from tho Amokura, and it is now going to experiment to see if boys from tho ship are suitable to fill positions as officers in tho company's serVice. Six boys are therefore to be given a trial on the Aparima, tho training-ship of the company. A premium of £120 is usually demanded from cadets joining tho 'company's service, but the boys from the Amokura are'being taken without premium. Evidently the Union Company is keenly alive to the good work being done by the Government training-ship, for it is taking these six boys to tho exclusion of outside applicants (of whom there are more than are required) and is therefore making an initial loss of £720. It may be hero mentioned that the offer is tho result of the active interest being taken in the Amokura by the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher, Minister for Marine.

Tho six boys selected for service were W. A. Neale, aged 15 years (Waikare Moana); H. A. Brockett, 17 years (Gore); O. G. Cullen, 16 years (Eltham); E. A. K. Lovott, 16 years (Bluff); C. P. Gandy, 16 years (Wellington) ; and S. Ritcner, 15 years (Eltham). They have gone through varying periods of training from twelve months to twenty monthß. Tliis will not bo lost to them. Before a candidate can sit for a foreign-going certificate, the law requires that he shall have four years' actual sea service. That which has been served, on the Amokura will count half-time when these cadets present themselves for examination. Thus a boy who has been twenty months on the Amokura has already ten months' soa servico in hand, and will only require to complete a period of three years and two months on the Aparima before being eligible to sit for 'his examination for second mate. The training given on the Amokura is solely that of seamen, but in addition the boys have the benefit of schooling in tho winter months, when a schoolmaster is attached to the ship. As for the lads, who have gone from the Government steamor to tho Aparima, their training will stand them in good stead, for it has been as near to the training on a Bailing vessel as it is possible to have it. the Amokura being square-rigged. Such training is, of course, impossible on tho Aparima, as sho is only a steamer: On tho other hand the necessary knowledge of navigation to fit" a boy for the position of officer is taught on-the Aparima, and this is something not within the province of the Amokura. Undoubtedly tho inducement held out by the Union Company to the six lads named will prove a great incentive to all the Amokura boys, who have energy and ambition ( for, if their behaviour warrants their being singled out for such favour as offers in the case of tho Aparima boys, then their future is practically assured. Commander Hooper has every confidence in the boys that have been sent to join the Aparima. He specially selected them or integrity, progress, and general conduct. They, will be: on the same'footing as the other cadets on the Union Company's vessol, and provided, in after years, their service has been absolutely satisfactory they will have opened to them the avenues loading to'nil the important posts in the company's service. This is, indeed, a great chance for them. It was found necessary to provide :'outfits for the lad 3 before they left Wellington.' This was.done at tho expense of the parents, who readily agreed and guaranteed to defray costs as soon as they wero aware that the boys had been chosen for the cadetships. On Friday last, the cadets, who looked a very promising lot, were paraded in uniform before Captain Strang, marine superintendent of the Union Company. Ho spoko to them of their future careers, and subsequently they sailed' ' in the Warrimoo for Sydney and' Newcastle, to join the Aparima at the latter port. Their progress will be watched with interest. The previous day the Minister of Marine, whp has keenly interested himself in the welfare of the boys on tho Amokura, went out to the vessel and explained to them the scheme ho had in view, and the incentive it offered them to qualify for placos on the Aparima. The lads, at the close of his : remarks, gave Mr. Fislier three hearty ; cheers.

On Wednesday last the Aparima left Dunedin for Newcastle, where she should arrive to-day. She loads at Newcastle for Java, whcnce she proceeds, to Calcutta, to tako tho Decembor loading berth for New Zealand ports. Her departure from Calcutta is set down for December 10, and she comes ,to Lytteltpn direct, afterwards. calling at Timaru, Dunedin. Wellington, and Auckland. At present the number of cadets on the books of the Aparima i 3 forty-one, including the six from the Amokura. •

A word about the Amokura's record may not be out of place. Since she became tho training ship of the New Zealand Government, some 210 boys liave been entered oil her books. Of this number over 190 have been sent to sea, and between 40 and 50 are now undergoing training. Many of tne lads, : who have taken service, are at present i:i local vessels of the mercantile marine, otherß have gone down to the . sea in ships trading to all parts, some are serving in His Majesty's Navy, and one holds a special; gunnery rating on the new Commonwealth battle-cruiser Australia, which-recently arrived in Svtlney. Already four boys from tho training ship have, secured officers' certificates, and have served in the capacity of officers—two in sailing vessels, one in the Union Company's service, mid one on tho steamer Kent. From this it will be seen that boys who join the Government ship may, by perseverance and assiduous attention to dutj - , rise to the top of the tree in the mercantile marine. It is ■ regrettable that some persons, who are not properly acquainted with the conditions of admission to the vessel, labour under the impression that she is a reformatory ship. This is hot'the case. The boys who join tho Amokura are air voluntary applicants. Then, before they are admitted to the ship, their characters are 'strictly inquired into.