2

E.—ll

Everywhere there was a keen desire for instruction. The Staff Officer and nine Instructors provided for on last year's estimates were appointed during the year, and have been doing good work. The Instructors were put through a short refresher course before taking up their duties at the different centres where they are now stationed. They, however, can only instinct at schools at and near their headquarters ; therefore, in order to get at the country officer, three Officers' Instruction Camps were held at Auckland. Wellington, and Timaru respectively. These lasted for a week each, and were widely made use of, there being an average attendance of thirty-five to forty officers at each. The result of this initial experiment was such a success that these camps will be held again in 1911. As in the previous year, no camps for Junior Cadets were held during the year; neither is it intended that Junior Cadets shall in future be taken into camp for training. Already several Education Boards have arranged to collect their teachers at different centres in order that they may receive the benefits of a systematic course of military-physical training, and have asked for the use of the Instructors for that purpose. In addition to camps of instruction for Junior Cadet officers, there have been two additional Officers' Training units formed at the Teachers' Training Colleges at Dunedin and Christehurch, thus making one unii at cadi college. This means now that from Auckland. Wellington, Dunedin, and Christchurch there will be annually a supply of about one hundred partially trained young teachers going out to take up scholastic duties in various parts of New Zealand, particularly in country districts, who will be ready to look after and drill the Junior Cadets at their schools. The Department having outgrown its store accommodation, due to an increase in the number of Cadets, an additional storeroom had to be rented from Messrs. J. .). Bourke and Co., in Whitmore Street, at a rental of £50 per annum. As much time was wasted by Junior Cadets marching to their rifle ranges, and shooting was often hurried and consequently useless, and also to prevent any overlapping in musketry training of Junior Cadets controlled by this Department and Senior Cadets under Defence administration, it was deemed necessary to abolish all open-air 200-yards ranges, and substitute miniature ranges. Accordingly all ■310 rifles and ammunition have been called in and withdrawn from use by Junior Cadets. 878 rifles and spare parts, and 683,000 rounds of ammunition, have been transferred to the Defence Department for use by that Department. There are two types of miniature ranges now used by Junior Cadets —(1) The 25-yards range for use with -22 Winchester rifles ; (2) 8-to-10-yards ranges for use with B.S.A. air-rifles and special targets. There are already established in New Zealand sixty of the former and forty-six of the latter ranges. The work of providing schools with the above ranges to replace the 200-yards open-air ranges which have been abolished is being proceeded with as expeditiously as possible ; but the utmost care is being exercised in the selection of sites and types of ranges with a view to economy and safety. These ranges afford a most satisfactory form of target practice for Junior Cadets, both from the point of view of efficiency and economy. Under the new Regulations for Target Practice all trophies, shields, cups. &c, hitherto competed for on the -310 ranges are in future to be competed for on whichever of the above class of range happens to be at the school concerned. This has led to a redistribution of the trophies, &c, to suit the two classes of range, as under : — Open in Schools with -'2i Winchester Ranges. (1.) The North Island Government Challenge Shield. (2.) Weekly Press Shield (open to district high schools only). (3.) Winchester Repeating Arms Company's Challenge Shield. (4.) Four Colonial Ammunition Company's Cups. Open to Schools with B.S.A. Air-rip , Ranges. (1.) South Island tJovernment Challenge Shield. (2.) South Island Weekly Press Shield (open to district high schools only). (3.) Wanganui National Defence League's Challenge Shield and Belt (not open to Cadets in secondary departments of district high schools). (i.) Star and Graphic (Brett) Challenge Shield. Results ok Competitions for Shield's, Cups, and Medals for 1910. Government Challenge Shields. North Island — Dannevirke North .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 913 South Island— Timaru .Main .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 863 " Weekly Press" Challenge Shields. North Island — No. 1 Company, Onehunga .. .. .. .. .. 896 South Island — Port Chalmers . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 865