MILITARY NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1054, 18 February 1911, Page 12

MILITARY NOTES.

[Edited Bi Echelon.] SCHOOL CADETS IN NEW SOUTH WALES. AUSTRALIAN N.R.A. AND THE SHORT RIFLE. In the course of a commendatory address to tbo officers and men of tho Westport Garrison Artillery Company, at the conclusion of their annual servico company practice, tho other day, Captain Mickle, R.N.Z.A., said their work was .food, especially that on the 12-poundern, and an all-round improvement on that of tho previous year. Tho company had improved out of all knowledge compared with last year, and was tho. best disciplined artillery company ho had wot. The way they kept their camp, and their general smartness, was really excellent. Before next year he hoped to be able;to get a better class of target, so that the officers and men might have an opportunity of doing justice to themselves, which they could not do under existing conditions.

"Mars," of the "Aldershot Military Mail," states that important changes are pending at the War Office. It is rumoured that' General Sir John French will occupy a high position there, it being now practically settled that General Sir W. G. Nicholson will vacate his present position as Chief of the Imperial General Staff in favour of Sir John French, and will tnko over command of the troops in Ireland, as General Sir Neville Lyttelton is anxious to retire as soon as possible. The question of a successor to Sir. John French as Inspector-General of tho Forces is a very open one just now, and (says "Mars") strong efforts are'being made in high places to induce the Government to appoint Lord Kitchener to the post. There is a strong feeling throughout the Servico and the serious-minded section of civilians'who interest-them-selves in national defence affairs, that Lord Kitchener should be appointed. The total strength of Australia's only regiment of permanent soldiers will be 652 men and officers. , In accordance with his promise last year, the pay scale of non-coms, and gunners has been augmented by the Minister of -Defence. The new scale is as follows:— . . Daily Kates of pay. ; - ' ■ s. d.' Battery or company sergt.-major .63 Battery or company Q.M.-sergeant and staff-sergeant 6 0 Farrier (sergt.), fitter or; wheeler (sergt.) and saddler (sergt.)-.... 6 6 Battery or company (sergt.) and band. (sergt.) 5 ' 6 Band ; or company corporal .......... i' 6 Saddler, shoeing smith, fitter .or.--; wheeler and bombardier,.... 4 3 Acting bombardier 3 0 Driver, gunner or trumpeter 3 6

Some startling figures with reference to the medical fitness of v recruits for the Australian defence forces are contained in: a recent Teport presented by SurgeonGeneral Williams to Senator Pearce (Delfence Minister). To Victorians especially they are not pleasant reading. Last year 5588 men were presents for examination as recruits for Australian permanent and militia regiments: - Of this number 4913 were passed as "fit," and. 675, or 12-per ceiit., wero rejected as unfit.' Of these 675 "unfits," no. fewer than 448 were 'Vietorians! The figures for each State are as 1 follow:— .

- No. ' No. • No. •• •. : Presented. ' Marked . 'Marked State. ' : "Fit."-: "Unfit." N.S. Wales ... 1620 1521 -108 ; ' Victoria 1972 1521 448, Queensland ... 1105 ,1044 ' 61' S.: Australian, i37l.vj .fioi 352 ,19 •W«-Australia .(iSfUVi <wr 2SO 21. V.?" 5558 ''" 4913 ' 675 H.M.S.. Powerful (Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Poore, Bart.) returned to Sydney from Hobart on Monday last." '. H.M.Si Challenger has sailed from Sydney for iin extended cruiso through the South Seas. She will- afterwards proceed to South America, and possibly, cruise via the Magellan, Straits to Buenos Ayres and other ports on the east coast of South America. . The exact itinerary is ' riot known, but':it:4s believed that H.M.S. Kent, of the Chinas squadron, will be. met by'th6 : Challenger at Coquimbo, on the South American coast. The Challenger is manned almost-exclusively by Australians, and it has leaked out that (luring the week or two prior to . her departuro there:have, been several desertions. One matt is believed to have swum ashore— at any rate he has been "lagged"' as 'a deserter. '. 1 .' '.

The _ Pioneer is due in New Zealand early in March. The Pegasus is at Sydney, refitting, and the '"survey ship Sealark is also here.' ; The Encounter,- Prometheus, Pyramus, Fantome, and Psyche are at present at Hobart.

The National Rifle Association of Australia is realising the duty it owes .to the national defence. The innovations and improvements in its programme of recent'yeare have been remarkable, and matches under service conditions have been-, fostered. Recently the association went* a step further, and resolved, at its annual meeting: "That, it be a recommendation to the council in framing its next programme to establish a naval and military short rifle series of matches.at low entranco fees. , Members who have ivbn .£1 or upwards in 'A' or 'B' series to be debarred from competing therein." • One very regrettable feature of the annual report, said the mover (Mr. J. R. was the decrease of military entries at . their : last, meeting. • The N.R.A. ~was established,, amdng . other things, to encourage members of. State • defence .forces in rifle shooting, in the interests of defence. From the, point of view, of. national defence the small percentage of entries from tiie forces showed something was radically wrong. ;At the last meeting only 127 entries came from 8000 members of the forces; the previous year-it was 221. The council had been trying its utmost to induce more of them to take part. The chief reason, he thought, was the introduction of the short rifle,, with which it was hopeless to competo,against the long rifle. The military forces were handicapped by want of Dractice, and moro matches should be put on the-programme for the short trifle. The reduction of entranco fees for "C"'series matches had proved a•- great success financially. From that experience, and in view of the large credit! balance of the. association,' it, should-be possible:to provide a naval and military series. . .Colonel" Holines agreed that the; short rifle wAs inferior to the-long for match shooting, however' good as a service ami. Rifte-shdoting' among the military forces needed all the fostering possible, and he, for one, did his best in that direction among tho men of his own regiment. He reminded- .them, though,' that fir'e discipline, fire' control, and .fire direction were iliore important than excellence on tho range. : Brigadier-General Gordon, who presided, was' of the fame opinion regarding th? inequality of'conditions as between short and. long rifle. He believed this to be a Cause of the "lack of enthusiasm" which many people attributed to the- military forces as compared with rifle club members. ■

A deputation recently waited upon the Now South Wales Minister for Public Instruction, and urged that the Department 'should not allow the management and organisation of school'cadets' to pass out of their hands.' One of the members of the deputation, n schoolmaster of long service and experience, declared that in connection with the training of school cadets manv of the teachers had become highly qualified military officers, and he had no hesitation in saying, after, having had opportunities of comparison, that only in Japan could be found discipline equal to that to be found in their schools. If the junior cadet movement were left iri the hands of' tho' school teachers they, would bo able to impart much valuablo information, and establish desirable discipline for n couple of years before boys became liable for registration' for training in the. Commonwealth senio'r

:adct force?. 31 r. Watson (president of the New South Wales Teachers' Association) said the teachers generally ' strongly "aroured the continnance of junior cadet :ralniiiE in the public school:. They had

seen the beneficial effects' of the training amongst the boys, and were anxious that the good influence upon the discipline of Ihe.schools should not be lost. Members indicated to tho Minister that if there was any troubleJn respect to uniform, thoitornge of arms ot equipment, or instruction, the parents wouldbe responsible for the expense of those matters themselves. '

The Minister gave the deputation a sympathetic reply. "This is a matter," he said, "that I admit I- have not given consideration to _ at. all. It is the .first time it has been brought under my notice, •and I have listened carefully and with interest to what has been said.. All I can say now is that I will consider the matter carefully. • The whole question of defence, as yon know, is ■ now a Federal function, and whether or not we, as a State, should run separate juvenile preliminary training in the schools—that is n matter that wants consideration. Tha Federal Government in their wisdom jiassjd a law on the advice of an eminent' Military authority, fixing the starting age at H yean, and whether it is wisa for the State," in spite of that determination and llio" recommendations' upon, which it has been biwd, to start earlier is a matter that requires • cartful thinking out. .1 must admit that tho facts put before ..me have impressed me. and I can only novr promise you that X will go very carefully into tho proposals with the beads of De-; psrtments with a view, at any xat«, of prcf-erving the valnablft discipline crwted id the schools by theso cadc-t corps."-