a.—l 9

6

Some of the principal items which make up the expenditure are as follows : — Salaries and pay— . £ Headquarters .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 6,194 Permanent Force .. .. .. .. .. .. 41,655 Volunteer Force .. .. .. .. . .. .. 10,665 Stores and magazines .. .. .. .. . . . . 4,449 Ammunition and cordite .. .. .. ... .. .. 24,16] Arms, equipment, ordnance, and other warlike stores .. . . . . 10,108 Capitation .. .. .. .. ~ .. .. 29,480 Easter manoeuvres, 1909 .. .. ~, , n ,, r .. ... .. 13,101 Efficiency fees, badges, and daylight parades xol j r .. .. .. 7,461 Freight, cartage, and shipping charges a }o .. .. .. 5,378 Railway fares and charges .. .. .. .. .. .. 5,580 Maintenance of launches, &c. .. .. .. .. .. 1,787 Travelling allowances and expenses .. .. . . .. .. 5,252 The sum of £10,000 was voted last year in the Public Works Fund, Contingent Defence, and £4,977 was expended. The chief items in this vote were : — £ Drill-sheds, &c .. 2,378 Rifle ranges, &c. . . .. . . . . . . . . ~ 1,124 In connection with fixed harbour defences, an amount of £5,372 was expended for the year ending 31st March, 1910. Field Artillery, The training of the Field Artillery has been carried out on similar lines to the previous year, but difficulty has been experienced in getting N.C.O.s and men to attend the practice camps for more than one day. Individual training has been well carried out, and in most cases the individual efficiency of N.C.O.s and men is of a high standard. The officers are very keen, and, in addition to their ordinary drills, have devoted a lot of time to reconnaisance schemes and Staff rides, with the result that they are far more efficient in the tactical handling of their commands than in former years. In order to give officers experience in observation of fire, facilities have been given them to visit the practice camps in other districts. The Subaltern officers are, almost without exception, competent Instructors, and devote a lot of time to personally training their commands. They have each fired two series at service practice. The N.C.O.s and men are very keen, and devote a lot of time to instruction on Saturday afternoons and holidays. The total time per year devoted to drill and instruction by some batteries would be equivalent to about one month's continuous training. The stamp of horses now supplied is better than formerly, and there is less difficulty in hiring them for Artillery purposes ; but a permanent arrangement has so far been impossible. The training of Signallers to that high Standard of efficiency so necessary in a Field Battery is a difficult matter. The Signallers of one battery only can be classified as " very good," one battery as " good," the remainder as " indifferent." As a result of the service practice, two batteries classified as " first class," and two " qualified." The efficiency examination resulted in two batteries being graded " A," and all the remainder as " B." The efficiency and shooting records of each battery is shown by the following tables : —

Return showing Standard of Efficiency of the N.Z.F.A. for 1909-10.

The Field Artillery Challenge Shield has been awarded to D Battery for the year 1909-10.

Battery. ! ; a ap « .a \ & a a S, « . OB do c 'P. a | a I &p*w in I°9 i 5 so o C .5 5 a 3 . $ >, ; iff ss v> i s I i 3 ! 1 MoS i : | ; | I J ffl CS PP ' P J < I OB I 13 o 0> bo cS -*= a 8 <p Ph a "« 1 "S go [_, i—I l> I—I 5 1 * I s§ -§§ 08 ■—■ g "-i P ! A B D E H .. 50 50 .. ; 85 87 .. i 93 i 96 .. '■ 74 : 50 ..65 46 110 118 115 89 98 87 94 95 90 92 9 80 io ; 90 9 : 85 9 I 80 9 ' 75 116 128 139 90 109 73 48 93 39 79 : 49 94 50 91 48 96 i 50 82 37 ! 93 ! 45 81 45 83 ! 50 j ■ | I | _ 755 ! 77-5 Q 884 90 1st 917 93-5 1st 740 76-0 Q 753 76-6 N.Q. i i A.A.' B. C.