37

h:—10.

(k.) Medical Services. (1.) New Zealand Medical Corps. —The organization of the corps should be such as to ensure that a Medical Officer is always resident in camp. At some of last year's camps I found that the camp was only visited periodically. At some camps excellent lectures on sanitation were given by officers of the corps. The work done by the officers of the corps in connection with the medical examination of Territorials and Senior Cadets has varied considerably, but has on the whole been very satisfactory. All officers of the corps should be attached to a Field Ambulance for training for at least two years. (2.) Field Ambulances. —Excellent work was done by soriie of the Field Ambulances during the past year. The start of others has been unnecessarily delayed. Officers Commanding Districts must ensure that the Ambulances are posted up to 75 per cent, of establishment, as ordered in the case of other units, and that arrangements are made for the Field and Mounted Ambulances complete to go into camp with the Infantry and Mounted Rifle brigades respectively. At least six signallers should be trained in each Ambulance. (1.) New Zealand Veterinary Corps'. Good work was done by the officers of the corps in buying Artillery horses, in the veterinary instruction of the new R.N.Z.A. Field Artillery Section, and at the camps; but what I have said of the Medical Officers as regards attendance at camps applies here also. The organization should be such as to ensure that a Veterinary Officer is permanently in camp. This should be easy of accomplishment with brigade camps. I hope that the Director of Veterinary Services will be able to arrange for more instruction to be given by the veterinary officers to joung officers and N.C.O.s of the Mounted branches in elementary veterinary knowledge and shoeing. I would call the attention of all veterinary officers and all officers of Mounted branches to an article on shoeing in the July number of the Cavalry Journal, 1912, by Lieut.Colonel Bulkeley Johnson, Royal Scots Greys, which will be reprinted in the New Zealand Military Journal of January, 1913. (m.) Chaplains' Department. I have already spoken in my Annual Report of the great assistance which the chaplains of all denominations rendered us during the camps of last year, and I look forward to their help again during the current year. The Senior Chaplain of each denomination in each district should make it his business to see that a chaplain of his denomination is present at each camp, and Officers Commanding Districts should let these Senior Chaplains know the dates of the camps when fixed. (n.) Ordnance Corps. Ordnance depots will be established at this year's camps, and the nucleus of an Ordnance Corps formed by the training of selected officers and N.C.O.s at the same time as those for the Army Service Corps. 5. Rifle Clubs. The position and status of Rifle Clubs has been more clearly defined during the past year, and, in order to enable the members of them to qualify themselves to be a real second line to the Territorial Force, all area-group officers and area sergeants-major should give them all assistance and help in their power. Presidents of Rifle Clubs will deal direct with area-group officers, who are responsible for the Rifle Clubs, and these two officers should be able to satisfactorily settle most questions that arise, without reference to higher authority. Men liable to universal training who are posted to Rifle Clubs can only receive a very elementary training in drill during their first year, since their opportunities are so few. But such instruction as they are given should be thorough, and should be devoted to producing discipline and steadiness, which is the most essential and difficult part of their training. They will fire the prescribed course of musketry, and will receive the assistance of regular members of the Rifle Club to which they are posted. The area-group officer is responsible for their training and drills, and for the firing of the prescribed course of musketry. He should fix the time at which they will do the latter, in consultation with the president of the Rifle Club, in order that the latter may make suitable arrangements for the assistance promised by the older members of the clubs. 6. Senior Cadets. Owing to the circumstances connected with the starting of the Territorial training, and the amount of attention this required, the Senior Cadets were of necessity rather neglected in the past. But opportunities were taken of training officers and non-commissioned officers for this organization preparatory to undertaking the training of the personnel. In some centres, notably in one, a good deal of trouble was experienced in drilling the Senior Cadets. The boys, never having been under the influence of discipline before, did not seem at first to appreciate the new conditions, and were inclined to kick over the traces. Their training' therefore, did not progress as it might have done otherwise. But since new powers have been given to the Senior Cadet Commanders, and the Permanent Staff has been augmented, a different state of affairs obtains, and the training is generally running more smoothly-. The above remarks do not apply to the Cadet companies of the high schools, secondary schools, and such organizations. ' These companies always show Tip well, are steady and well drilled, and leave little to be desired.