B.—ld

1902. NEW ZEALAND.

EDUCATION: PUBLIC-SCHOOL CADETS (REPORT ON THE ORGANIZATION, ETC., OF CORPS AND DETACHMENTS).

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

The Officer commanding Public-school Cadets to the Hon. the Minister of Education. Sir,— Wellington, 14th July, 1902. I have the honour to submit the following report regarding the public-school cadets of the colony : — Model Bifles. —There are enough of these in store for issue to arm those corps which do not possess them yet. Miniature Martini-Henry Bifles -31 Calibre. —Five hundred of these are also in store, and they are to be issued at the rate of 10 per cent, per corps or detachment. These rifles are sighted to 600 yards, and were procured from Westley Richards, of London. As the model rifles are for the manual exercise, so will the miniatures be for the firing exercise and target practice. The regulations provide against all accidents at ball practice. Snider Carbines. —All the public-school cadet corps which were under the Defence Department were armed with these; but as a shooting-weapon they were utterly useless, on account of their antiquity and kicking-powers. They are good enough, however, for drill purposes, and those corps having them might be allowed to retain them. Ammunition. —There is a sufficient quantity in the magazine for the year's free issue for ballfiring. Provision is made for corps to purchase for matches and private practice at cost price. I had an interview with Mr. Whitney, the manager of the Colonial Ammunition Company, when in Auckland, and he promised to let me know if his company could manufacture the ammunition, and if so we could always rely upon a sufficiency for all purposes at a short notice. Rifle Shooting. —All possible encouragement should be given to rifle shooting. Matches between corps should be permitted, and an annual competition between education-district teams should be held at certain centres in each Island for challenge shields to be given by the Department on such conditions as may be fixed. Manual. —With a view of supplying a means whereby all ranks may learn their drill, duties, &c, I purpose preparing a manual for your approval, in which the following subjects will be dealt with: viz., squad, company, and battalion drill ; ceremonial movements; manual and firing exercises ; bugle-calls; the Morse and semaphore systems of visual signalling; guard-mounting, posting of sentries, &c, and the duties generally of every officer and non-commissioned officer. The manual will also contain a summary on scouting and outpost duty, and a chapter of "Don'ts." The book will be illustrated from direct photographs where it is considered necessary, so as to give a better idea of the subject than could be given by printed descriptions. This manual should be issued by the Government at cost price. At present more than one book has to be consulted for the subjects on which information is required; but this inconvenience would be saved by the publication of the proposed manual. Provision is made for such a publication in the regulations. Physical Drill. —This was compulsory in all the public schools, under " The Education Act, 1877," and is emphasized by "The Physical Drill in Public and Native Schools Act, 1901." The

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