"REMARKABLY GOOD."

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1273, 31 October 1911, Page 5

"REMARKABLY GOOD."

1 WELLINGTON COLLEGE CADETS. Tho annual section-drill competitions )f the Wellington College Senior Cadets yore held in tho College grounds yesterday afternoon. Sixteen sections, each in charge of a sergeant, took part in the competitions, which were very interesting to watch. Rifle exercises, musketry drill, skirmishing movements, and company drill constituted tho test of general efficiency. .Major J. G. Hughes, D.5.0., of tho General Stair at Headquarters, was umpire, and tho judges were Captain A. H. Kassam (adjutant Fifth Regiment) and Sergeant-Major _Miller for company drill; Captain Robinson (Headquarters Stili') and Sergeant-Major Roso for musketry; Sergeant-Majors AVoodward and Corkill for skirmishing; and Ser-geant-Major Davis and Corporal Ryan for riilo exercises. Interested spectators of the competitions were Mr. A. do B, Brandon, chairman of tho College Board of Governors, Mr. J. P. Firth (headmaster), and Mis. Firth. Tho sections, at tho conclusion of tho oompefctions, were paraded in front of the college stips, and the results were announced as follow:— Total - ~ . Points. I. No. 3 Scction (Sergeant Holmes) 36'3 2. No. 12 Section (Sergeant Gray) 351 3. No. 10 Section (Sergeant Robertson) 351 ' Sections 10 and 12, having tied in aggregate points, second placo in tho final order of merit was awarded bv Major Hughes to Section 12, as having "the best average throughout. In announcing the awards, Major Hughes said that ho and his brother officers had been quite delighted to come down and assist in the judging. The general efficiency shown all through was remarkably good. In tho rille exercises the sections were inclined to l>o rather hurried, and thoro was a little unsteadiness observed—heads moviug about. Nearly all tho points wore lost here. Tho musketry was good all through—two sections scored full marks, 100 points each —and thcro was nothing below 75 points. This was very creditable indeed, especially in view of the. fact that Captain Robinson and Stalf-Sergeant-Major Rose, who judged that class, were both inc-n who had passed through tho Hytho School of Musketry, and very naturally would be expected to look for shortcomings with keen eyes. The skirmishing also was very good. In tho company drill there were a lot of "bursts," the points ranging from 01) down to 30. Major Hughes also had a word or two to lay about tho non-commissioned officers, who, in some instances, showed certain weaknesses in what he termed tho com-mon-sense of section commanding, for example, he noticed ono non-commissioned officer calling out his orders against the wind—that was not common sense, for his men would not be able to hear him. Tho drill-book could not be expected to supply common sense. Concluding, the speaker complimented the boys oil the quality of their work. "As you stand there," he said, "you are probably the best-drilled unit in Now Zealand at this stage of our defence organisation." Mr. J. P. Firth expressed his thanks to Major Hughes and tho other officers for their kindly assistance, and tho proceedings concluded with cheers for the Judges and for the winning section.