THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, JULY 13, 1906.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8182, 13 July 1906, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. FRIDAY, JULY 13, 1906.

What is known as the "Spectator" experiment in militia training is proceeding very satisfactorily. Golonel Pollock, of the Somersetshire Light Infantry, undertook to train in six months one hundred recruits, so that at the end of that time thoy would be as good at drill, at musketry, and at gymnastics, as any regular soldiers of the same length I of service, and more proficient in taotlos than any oompanj selected from any regular battalion in the United Kingdom. The challenge was backed by the "Spectator," the requisite funds-* were obtained, and the sympathy of the War Office enlisted, and the experiment is now being carried out on Hounslow Heath. Care was taken to select men with no previous training, the only qualifications being good ohaiacter and physical fitness. Mr William Maxwell, wno may be regarded as an

expeifc in these matters, remarks, after visiting the camp, that althuugb there is no startling novelty in the training that would excite the Horse Guards, there is a difference in methods "based on the theory ' that a man—even when ha joins theEritiau army— i 3 a receptive creature with an inatiuct for variety, and in three months is capable of more than the elements of dull and simple extensions." The results of a little more than / two months' work are certainly surprising. Ihe men are quick and accurate in extended order work, have some profloienoy in the use of ground and fire taotids, can build a trestle bridge, doable two miles without dropping out, use the range-finder, perform some of the duties of outposts, while most of them can read the Morse Oode by flag or lamp. Mr Maxwell is sure that Colonel Pollock will prove that in England, as in Japan, six months' training on sane principles may produce soldiers efficient enough to be rapidly improved to the necessary standard on the outbreak of war, and abow excellent reasons for the abolition of the present cumbersome and wasteful system of training reoiuits. If he does he will go far to solve the urgent question of the beat means of reorganising national de fense in England. He will at least show that neither the British recruit nor the Britith officer is so stupid as the system.

Among the papers presented to Parliament during the brief session of last month was a very interesting analysis of the voting at the general emotion in Deoember. Prom this we learn that there were 476,473 electors on the rolls, 263,597 men and 1 212,876 women, and that 396,657 of them, 221,611 men and 175,046 women, reoorded their votes. The largest roll was that of Newtown, which contained 8,956 names, while the next in order were Ghristohurot North (8,481) and Wellington North (8,231). The largest polling was in Newtown with 7,535 votes, and the next in 'Jnriatohurob North with 7,209 votes. The total numbar of informal voting papers was 5,468, or 435 more than at the election of 1902. The electors of Obinetnurl were the chief delinquents with 159 informal papers, and then followed those of Auckland Central (152), Buller (145), Eden (133) and Franklin (133). The South Island eleotorß made fewer mistaues than those of the North, and the smallest number of spoilt papers* was 5 n Mouut Ida, where only 20 were rejected. The male voters were in a majority in all the country constituencies, but in most of the city and suburban constituencies the ladies'! turnedlj up in the larger numbers. In Auckland West 3,265 women and 3,117 men went to the poll, in Auckland East 2,834 women and, 2,680 men, in Grey Lynn 2,978 women and 2,626 men, in Parnell 2,880 women and 2,675 men, in Avon 2,838 women and 2,740 men, in Ohristohuroh North 3,834 women and 3,375 men, in Dunedin North 3,396 women and 2,871 men, in Dunedin South ' 3,023 women and 2,863 men, and in Oaversham 3,268 women aDd 2.951 men. There were large majorities of men in the three Wellington constituencies, and the hexes were almost equal in lnvercargill, which now ranks as the fifth town in the ' colony. The .smallest; poll was in '' Mount Ida, the scene of a very keen . contest with 3,426 votes, and the next smallest in Hurunui where the result was a foregone conclusion, with 3,455 votes.