NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14214, 10 November 1909, Page 6

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

THE INDIAN MEDICAL SERVICE. It is clear that the popularity of the Indian Medical Service . is ■on ; the ; wane, and that candidates are no longer forthcoming in the same numbers as formerly. At the last examination for commissions in July there were 48 competitors ; for 21 vacancies, a proportion of something over two to one, whereas not .so many, years ago the figures were seven or eight to one, At the same time, the Pioneer points- out, "there is far more desire shown to enter the Royal Army Medical Corps, for at the July .examination ; 54' candidates competed for 20 commissions, : the old proportion being'at the rate of about three competitors for every two vacancies. ' The proposal of the Secretary of State to introduce independent practitioners into India, and to allot to them- some of the professorial ; appointments and civil surgeoncies, has been adversely. 4 criticised in the ' Service papers at Home, and this has doubtless. had its effect upon the students in the; various colleges. They '■■ see i that i a career in India no longer offers a chance of lucrative practice' apart from professional distinction, 1 and; that there will be few compensations in. the future for continuous ; service :in a; tropical : climated On the other hand, the. Royal Army Medical Corps 'is in high -favour. -At; a recent prize distribution" of the Royal Army Medical College, Sir Frederick Treves remarked that the probationers were entering the service 'at a : very auspicious moment. The Government of India have yet to make a final pronouncement in respect -of independent practitioners, and they may well take note of \ the change that has already taken place in ,the matter of competition for the medical service in the -country."

THE , PROGRESS OF CANADA. ' Great interest is being aroused lin agricultural circles in the United States by I'the prosperity of Western Canada .and the remarkable development of the Canadian Northern railway. As evidence of this, a party" of seven editors of leading I agricultural journals have'•'just concluded a tour of nearly 1000 "miles of the ' Canadian; railway system, including such places "as Winnipeg, Dauphin, Prince Albert, ; Saskatoon, ;, Zealandia,':■■;. Davidson, Lumsden, Regina, etc. The party incluci- [ od Professor Thomas Shaw, formerly. first professor of agriculture at the Ontario Government's College at Guelph,.now professor of agriculture in the University of Minnesota, whose books; on agriculture are used as text-books at most of : the United States, • agricultural , colleges. - Professor Shaw, 'on the conclusion of; his , tour,' stated . in -a > message that the tour had been a revelation Ito him : and his ■ party, and t added : "Not only have we; viewed a long succession of rich \f arming; districts, with bumper crops of wheat,' oats, and barley, but also the evidence of . one ■ of I the ':■ most » remarkable instances of railroad-building in history. No such instance of rapid and substantial railway development and opening of vast tracts of< excellent agricultural land to the people is on record, even in this day of quick and gigantic accomplishment."

THE JAPANESE .ARMY. In calculating the size, "of . a national army, it is hardly possible - to get beyond approximate figures. Hence a calculation of the strength of the Japanese army just produced must be received on that basis, but without any suspicion that it wanders far from the truth. Indeed, the authority responsible for the statistics vouches that the actual numbers • are in excess of those given.: Taking • the figures' as they are" presented, it would appear. the ■: number of men. actually under arms., or, in other words, serving with the colours, in Japan, is :— Infantry e.. ... .... ... J99,060 Cavalry ... ... ... ... 14,500 Artillery ■ 11,270 "Engineers ... ... ... ..'. 10,400 Commissariat " ......... ... , 9,240 ■. Heavy Artillery V-» .-".- ...:..."■ 5,690 ■■ ■'■■'"' Mountain Artillery/?; ... : ... : 1,620 • Communications troops % ... 2,000 ' • Total... , ... ~..•: ;.. 124,590 This is the military strength on a peace footing, being more than:double what it was when the Busso-Japanese war broke out. On a war footing the army is put at 1,214,000, exclusive of 10,000 troops serving in Formosa; :-15,000 officers and non-commissioned ! officers * serving with. the;' colours, and a very large number of officers and non-commissioned / officers whose names are borne on the reserves. .