to preserve order and correct any evil doings. Besides, these masters-at-arms would constitute the police of the ship, and could stand regular corporal of the guard watch, especially in port.

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Quoting from the present regulations, "The discipline on board the training ships must be enforced with firmness and consistency. Mild means may be employed at first, to be followed by severe measures if the former fail to correct offenses.' Now, the severe measures require an offense to be committed three times in many cases. Demerits may be very well to establish conduct classes, or to be included in a multiple of marks, say, but will not correct very mischievous boys, neither will the ordinary "extra duty." extra duty." For the offenses of Positive disobedience of orders," "Gross insolence and disrespect," "Lying," etc., for the first offense twenty demerits and four hours extra drill are given, and for the third offense in any one quarter, forty demerits and eight hours extra drill. Any boy on coming on board a training ship should know right from wrong, and for such grievous offenses as the above nothing but "bread and water" "irons" can have any lasting effect. There is the possibility of being too mild. Summary court-martials should not be spared. for aggravated offenses, and a "bad conduct discharge" should follow incorrigibility.

or

In this connection a strict discipline with the men should be maintained. Every bad thing on board the training ship cannot be laid at a boy's door; the men's example goes a great way.

DISPOSITION OF APPRENTICES ON TRANSFER.

As far as practicable apprentices should be transferred to vessels just fitted out, or on the first part of a cruise, for reasons already given. It would also be well to have them in a special division, or divisions, on the service ship, in charge of officers who would continue the instruction until they become sufficiently acquainted with the ship on which serving, and her fittings, to be distributed to all divisions, and, when so transferred, they should be advanced in rating according to their value.

OFFICERS FOR THE TRAINING SHIPS.

Taking the ships proposed, besides the commanding, executive and navigating officers, there should be five watch officers,

five ensigns recently graduated, one engineer officer, one surgeon, one paymaster, one chaplain, one boatswain, one gunner, one carpenter, and one sailmaker. The first eight line officers should be carefully selected from those having plenty of actual sea service according to grade, and the duty should be, as far as practicable, voluntary, as the duty is hard in many respects. The five ensigns detailed as junior officers would be on their first cruise, one being assigned to each division. By reason of their familiarity with the drills and details, they would be of considerable assistance to the division officer, and would be gaining experience on the sailing ship, standing day watches. This experience is good for all officers, and Admiral Luce says, "The fact must not be lost sight of that the practice ships, though intended primarily for the training of the naval apprentices, are, at the same time, an admirable school of practical seamanship for the young officers who go out in them."

All commissioned officers on the training ship would be in the ward-room.

Regarding this duty, I have heard it remarked that some officers at the Navy Department have said that duty on a training ship is fancy duty. Of course, no one who makes such a remark has ever been at sea in a training ship, and possibly not much in any. These ships spend more time at sea, during a summer cruise, than some ships of the New Navy do in three years. Special concessions should be made to those on this duty.

PERMANENT CREW FOR THE TRAINING SHIP.

The rule is at present to select general service men who have the best records and send them to the training ship for the permanent crew. Unfortunately we do not always find good men amongst them, and it is difficult at times to make changes. As the boys get many impressions from them, it is not well to have men who are over-fond of cursing, swearing, using foul language, getting drunk, smuggling liquor, who are disobedient and disrespectful; but such are found even among the chief petty officers. There is no intention of running down the men of the service, but black sheep exist everywhere. Only such petty officers and men should be carried as are necessary to the thorough training and control of the boys, and to handle the

ship in an emergency, or during the time when no boys are on board. The engineers' force need only be large enough to enable the vessel to steam two days without serious inconvenience. The total number of men necessary on a ship as described would be about 110, including servants. These, with a complement of 216 boys (two training station divisions), would make a total of 326, which such a ship could easily carry. The neces⚫sity of having one schoolmaster and one master-at-arms for each division has already been referred to. There should also be a coxswain for each boat, and at least one seaman in each division (part of ship) for each watch.

SEAMAN BRANCH OF THE NAVY.

The Navy Department has recently made some very good changes in the classification and pay of the enlisted men; and I believe that this fact, in connection with the laws allowing discharge by purchase, provision for pension, or retirement after 20 years' faithful service, permanent ratings for petty officers, have been of much benefit, and the records should show it.

In order fully to carry out the scheme of promotion by merit, beginning with the naval apprentice, and further to strengthen the training service, the writer would suggest some further changes in addition to the twelve articles under the head of 'Enlisting Apprentices, Inducements," and such laws as are now in force.

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Starting at the bottom of the ladder, the following classification and rules might be an improvement.

Boys enter as 3rd class apprentices, and, after six months' service on a training ship, may be rated 2nd class apprentices, if qualified. On transfer to the general service, those having a percentage of 85, and otherwise qualified, may be rated 1st class apprentices; and there will be a further promotion before attaining majority and discharge, to "Seaman Apprentice," who will have the same pay as a seaman; but such a one must be able to perform a seaman's work. All apprentices honorably discharged, on the expiration of minority, should be able to reenlist within one year as "Trained Seamen," but will not have the benefits of continuous service unless they re-enlist within three months, as now required. The pay of a "Trained

Seaman" might be $3 per month greater than that of seaman. The rate of seaman gunner might be abolished, as well as special training on shore, except for warrant officers (acting).

Instead of having three classes of petty officers, it is suggested that two are sufficient, as the difference in pay between Ist and 3rd classes is too great, when the same duty is performed. The following rates should be established:-2nd and 1st class electricians, chief electricians, 2nd and 1st class gun captains.

The electricians will have charge of the dynamos and electric gear, and should be qualified to do all electrical work. Gun captains will perform the duty the name implies, and should be firstclass marksmen.

No seaman should be rated as petty officer until he qualifies before a board of officers, who may be designated by the commanding officer; nor should any petty officer receive a higher rating without so qualifying. The appointments (acting and permanent) should otherwise be made as now provided by Navy regulations.

The following table shows, in convenient form, the proposed classification and pay of the seaman branch:

Other laws now in force relating to classification and pay do not suggest any change.

Any petty officer of the seaman branch should be able to transfer from one rating to another in the same class, on passing the special examination. There should be uniformity in the

examinations, and to that end the Department might establish the requirements for each grade.

By adopting the changes as proposed in this article, or some similar scheme, it is believed that a staple class of efficient petty officers would soon be formed, men whose opinion could be sought by the commissioned officer, as it is done in the Army. This class is necessary to a sound organization, and when upheld, given privileges over and above those of seaman, and not made one of them, held strictly responsible in carrying out orders, etc., we will obtain the end so long desired. All the training of apprentices is to a great extent to get good petty officers as well

as seamen.

Under the proposed general system, every boy, every man will have an incentive to go ahead; each one will be able to have ambition, and fulfil that ambition by his own exertions. There will be a reward for each good step.

QUESTION AS TO SOURCE OF SUPPLY.

In case the number of apprentices is not increased to about 3,500, it will be necessary to continue enlisting adults who have never served before, and it is often difficult to teach these enough, as they are too old to learn. Such being the case (with the exception of those enlisted for special service), it is suggested that young men from 21 to 25 years of age, of good education and character, might be enlisted, and sent on board the training ships, and given the same course of instruction for the first six months, those qualifying at the end of that time being transferred to the general service as "Trained Seamen,” seamen, or ordinary seamen, according to qualifications.

Some similar system obtains in foreign countries. Of course, in France and Germany, say, where the service is compulsory, the early training of boys is not such a marked feature, and socalled volunteers, men from maritime inscriptions, and conscript landsmen are taken in training, and have a chance to develop taste and aptitude for the naval service, and profit by their industry and talent.

It is urged, however, that for seamen in our service the main dependence be placed on the apprentice system as the cheapest and best in the long run, provided some endeavors be made to foster it.