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corps ; and many Cadet units —notably those connected with secondary schools —have retained their high standards of efficiency. In almost all units the work done can be regarded as satisfactory under the circumstances. The closing of the School of Instruction has been a severe blow to the efficiency of both the Territorial Force; and the Cadets. The school ensured uniformity of instruction throughout the Dominion, and enabled a large, number of officers and non-commissioned officers to become qualified instructors, whose influence soon became apparent in the improved efficiency of their units. Special value is obtained by the training of Cadet non-commissioned officers who, on transfer to the Territorial Force, form a valuable, source of supply of officers and non-commissioned officers having, in the meantime, considerably improved the standard of training of the annual quota of recruits posted from their units. It is hoped that the school may be reopened as soon as financial conditions permit. For financial reasons camps cannot be held during the current year, and the training will consist of twelve half-day parades and twenty drills, which in the case of Cadets in country districts will be consolidated into six consecutive whole-day parades. Some Territorial units are arranging to consolidate most of their training in a similar manner, and it is hoped that the procedure will be generally adopted, as it will give greater efficiency, and is likely to prove more satisfactory to both trainees and their employers. In the case of Mounted units, whose numbers are usually drawn from country districts, training should be in camp. The following table shows the results of the musketry course : — Territorial Force. Percentage of Number. „. S Strength. Strength (all arms) on 31st May, 1922 .. .. ..17,084 Number who fired full course .. .. .. .. 12,175 71 Number who fired part course .. .. .. .. 1,112 6 Number who did not fire . . . . . . . . . . 3,797 23 Number who qualified .. .. .. .. .. 11,337 66 Number who did not qualify .. .. .. .. 5,747 33 , Senior Cadets. Strength on 3.lst May, 1922 .. .. .. ..26,706 Number who fired full course .. .. ... .. 21,208 79 Number who fired part course . . .. . . . . 2,280 9 Number who did not fire .. .. .. .. .. 3,218 12 Number who qualified .. .. .. .. ..20,212 76 Number who did not qualify .. .. .. .. 6,492 24 The Territorial Force suffered from delay in tho issue of now rifles to replace the worn ones on issue, many of which had become unserviceable. The Cadets on the, whole did. better than tho Territorials, many units showing, by their excellent results, the great pains taken by their officers and non-commissioned officers to bring them up to a high standard of musketry efficiency. Several competitions —viz., the Islington Challenge Cup, the Weekly Press Challenge Shield, and the Imperial Challenge Shield —in conjunction with which His Excellency the Governor-General recently donated a trophy —have greatly helped to stimulate the interest in rifle shooting among Cadet units. Area and command rifle meetings for members of the Military Forces have been held, and in almost every case proved successful ; but, for financial reasons, a Dominion naval and military meeting on the linos of the Army Rifle Association meeting could not be held. For similar reasons the Dominion Rifle Association meeting for 1922 was abandoned, but permission was given for trophies to be competed for at the Wairarapa Rifle Association meeting at Papawai. The " service shooting " included in the programme of the Dominion Rifle Association is of little value to the Military Forces of the Dominion, and past committees have always opposed proposals to bring it up to date ; proposals have therefore been submitted that all service shooting shall bo carried out at the naval and military meeting, and that the Dominion Rifle Association shall run the match shooting independent of the Defence Department. Defence Works, Mobilization Stores, Equipment, etc. Only such defence works as would be manned in war are now maintained as fighting-posts. Mobilization depots have been established at Burnham for the Southern Command, and at Trentham for the Central Command. The site for the Northern Command depot at Ngaruawahia, which is being obtained in exchange for land at Frankton Junction taken over by the Railway Department, will be available at an early date ; meanwhile the mobilization stores for the Northern Command are being held at Trentham and at Featherston. It will be, necessary to incur some expenditure this year for the erection of buildings at Burnham and. at Ngaruawahia, and, later on, the provision of suitable fireproof buildings to replace the present temporary accommodation at Trentham and at Burnham must be undertaken. At Trentham all available buildings, including the gymnasium used by the School of Instruction, have been utilized for cover; but the old hutments are not suitable for storing the very valuable, equipment on charge, and the risk from fire is a very grave one. The mobilization depot in each command will hold, the stores and equipment required, by the Territorial units in that command, on mobilization ; in addition, Trentham will hold, the general reserve of stores and equipment. All stores surplus to mobilization requirements are being disposed of. During the first portion of the year disposal-depots were continued in the four centres, after which a series of country sales were held in various towns. Owing to the reduced staffs it was

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