From a glance at the records of the boys it would seem that they are drawn mainly from amongst those boys of some intelligence and worth who have started life in blind-alley occupations, where they must have seen little hope of a useful life, They have all passed a stiff medical examination and an educational exmination. I did not see the papers for this examination, but the curriculum upon which they enter immediately they join the Caledonia would suggest, considering their absence from scholastic studies for about two years on an average, that they must have been well up to the average of attainment when they left school at between fourteen and fifteen, This question of scholastic attainment is quite an important one, as considerable advantage is to be gained by the recruit from being up to a high educational standard on entry or from passing well in the various educational examinations curing his course. Indeed, the course followed by the boys is varied in accordance with the results of a predominantly scholastic grading.
A preliminary course of four weeks precedes the actual grading prior to the boys going "on course," as the period of the course proper is referred to, Thistime is mainly spent marking up kit, doing various drills, school work, and) generally getting used to naval /discipline. During their first few days all the boys are taken to see the Captain individually, and later they also meet the Beads of the various departments. A number of special lectures are given them, one of which introduces them o the course upon which they are about to enter and details the advantage to be gained from working well at school. work, which appears to have been seldom less than 10s per week and sometimes as much as 30s, But such a comparison is of little value. It does mean that, temporarily, at least, parents have to suffer the withdrawal ci so much income to the home. They do not have to feed and clothe the boy, of course, as he gets free kit on joining the Caledonia, and a kit allowance, and there is incurred nevertheless a certain amount of loss. Most boys. however, are able to minimise this loss by sending home about 2s 6d per week after two months and about 5s after six. Wher on leave, too, their parents receive an allowance for their maintenance.
Of their pay the boys: receive in cash only one shilling per week for pocket money. The remainder is retained at their credit and from it is paid such expenses as football boots, train fare on leave, pocket money for leave and, of course, the amounts remitted home. At the end of their course most boys find they have about £5 or £6 at their credit and some have as much as £15,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.