34 



NA TURE 



\_May 8, 1 884 



made the real field of selection narrow, and did away 

 with many possibilities of attracting well-educated youths 

 into the service. 



Competition was of the essence of the whole system — 

 unlimited and fierce. There was an open competition for 

 entry as apprentice, with probably ten times as many- 

 candidates as there were appointments ; then from 

 amongst each year's successful candidates — perhaps 

 thirty or forty in number — three only could reach the 

 Naval College after five or six years' work and frequent 

 examinations. Supposing the College course successfully 

 passed, and the student launched on his professional 

 career as a fully certificated naval architect, he then only 

 began a fresh series of competitive examinations on the 

 result of which depended his futuie promotion. This was 

 a second objection to the old scheme : it was much the 

 same as if a wrangler were called upon to begin work as 

 teacher in |an elementary school, and to compete for that 

 position in elementary subjects with men who knew little 

 or nothing beyond those subjects. 



Both these objections have been disposed of by the 

 constitution of the Constructive Corps. For the future, 

 while the apprentices in the dockyards will still retain the 

 possibility of advancement to the highest posts, a new 

 class is to be created, termed " Students of Naval Con- 

 struction." Not more than three are to be entered 

 annually by open competitive examination ; they will 

 receive special training at Portsmouth for six years in 

 both professional and educational subjects, living mean- 

 while in quarters there, and receiving the same treatment 

 as is given to the students in course of training as engineer 

 officers of the Royal Navy. No possible objection need 

 be felt by any gentleman in placing his son under these 

 conditions, and the training is certain to be thorough. 

 Once entered at the Training School, a student has a 

 definite career before him, provided he is well behaved 

 and diligent. He has simply to pass certain standards to 

 insure entrance into the Naval College ; and similar con- 

 ditions hold good during his stay there, as well as at his 

 graduation therefrom. Very properly, powerful induce- 

 ments are offered to the students in order that they may 

 exert themselves and pass out in the highest class ; but 

 those who pass the standard fixed are to receive appoint- 

 ments at once as Assistant Constructors in the Royal 

 Navy. With position thus assured to begin with, and 

 with duties to perform suited to the special training 

 received, the graduates of the Naval College can look for- 

 ward to an honourable and useful career in the Construc- 

 tive Corps. Promotion throughout the subsequent stages 

 is to be by selection, and not by competition, selection 

 being governed by the reputations which men make in 

 their professional work. 



There are many degrees of rank in the new corps, 

 reaching up from the junior assistant constructors, to con- 

 structors, chief constructors, and the highest office — that of 

 Director of Naval Construction, now so worthily filled by 

 Mr. Barnaby. But from the highest to the lowest all the 

 members of the corps have recognised positions in due 

 relation to one another. This is a great gain. 



Still another notable feature in the new arrangements 

 is the possibility which now exists for a naval architect 

 who has obtained his training outside the Admiralty 

 service to enter it after he has proved his capabilities for 

 the appointment of assistant constructor by passing a test 

 examination at the Royal Naval College. There are cer- 

 tain limits of age laid clown, and it is possible that the 

 number of candidates who will present themselves for 

 some time to come will not be great. At the same time 

 the Admiralty have shown a wise discretion in thus ex- 

 tending the field from which their shipbuilding officers 

 may be recruited. The private trade has drawn largely 

 hitherto from the Admiralty staff: perhaps some return 

 will be made in future. 



In the Constructive Corps are included all the principal 



officers at the Admiralty and in the Royal^dockyards, and 

 all the specially educated men from the Naval College 

 who have been successful in their course of study. Pro- 

 vision is also made for admission to the corps of 

 subordinate shipwright officers from the dockyards who 

 may be qualified for the appointment. This is a matter 

 of less public interest than those above mentioned, but it 

 has a very important bearing on the discipline and smooth 

 working of the dockyards. 



These are the main features of the new arrangements. 

 They promise well for the future. While retaining for the 

 apprentice class their possibilities of advancement to the 

 highest positions, the Admiralty have greatly enlarged the 

 field of selection for their constructive staff, and made it 

 possible for any gentleman to place his son in the Training 

 School at Portsmouth with the assurance that the sur- 

 roundings will be as suitable as the system of training is 

 excellent. Further, the Admiralty have recognised the 

 wisdom of training men who from the first shall take rank 

 as officers, and not be compulsorily forced through the grade 

 of workman in order to become officers. This is what is 

 done in all the principal foreign navies and in private 

 establishments : it need not involve any loss of practical 

 knowledge of details, and it is a gain from an adminis- 

 trative point of view. 



For my present purpose it will suffice to terminate here 

 this sketch of a " new departure " which promises well 

 for the Royal Navy, and to which most people will wish 

 entire success. There are matters of detail which seem 

 open to criticism, and it would be interesting, did space 

 permit, to show in what respects the new regulations re- 

 semble or differ from the corresponding regulations in 

 force in the French or other foreign navies. As this 

 could not be done within the limits of this paper, I have 

 been content to draw attention to the openings which the 

 Admiralty have presented to youths who have a taste for 

 naval architecture, but who would not submit to the 

 drudgery of an ordinary apprenticeship; and have en- 

 deavoured to point out how the public service may be 

 benefitted by the changes introduced. 



The shipbuilding profession has hitherto been a very 

 " close " one, both in the public service and outside it. 

 But it may be reasonably anticipated that, at least in the 

 Royal Navy and possibly in private establishments also, 

 a change of system would prove advantageous. If the 

 conditions for admission and training are made to re- 

 semble more closely those holding good in various 

 branches of engineering, there seems no good reason 

 why a larger number of well-educated and intelligent 

 young men should not adopt naval architecture as a pro- 

 fession. The new Constructive Corps has been created 

 on the recommendation of a departmental Committee, of 

 which Sir Thomas Brassey was chairman. The Report 

 of this Committee, as well as the minutes of the evidence 

 taken by them, have been published as a Parliamentary 

 Paper (No. 277 of 1S83), and will well repay perusal. It 

 may there be seen that the appointment of the Committee 

 resulted chiefly from action taken by Admiral Sir Houston 

 Stewart, when Controller of the Navy : and it is a matter 

 of great gratification to myself that I had the honour of 

 assisting that distinguished officer in the preparation of 

 the scheme, which was substantially recommended by the 

 Committee for adoption, and has been adopted by the 

 Admiralty. A few years' experience will decide whether 

 or not the benefits anticipated from the changes above 

 described will be realised. Much must depend, no doubt, 

 upon the manner in which the scheme is developed, and 

 the pocess must be gradual and carefully watched if it 

 is lo be successful. But whatever the result may be, 

 nothing but good can come from the changes which 

 enlarge the field of selection for the shipbuilding officers 

 of the Royal Navy, and which unite in one corps all 

 ranks and classes of the constructive staff. 



W. H. White 



