E.—ld

Letter prom the North Canterbury Education Board to Lieutenant-Colonel Loveday. The Education Board'of the District of North Canterbury, Sir,— Christchurch, New Zealand, 22nd February, 1906. I have the honour, by direction of the Board, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 15th instant, reporting on the recently held school-cadets camp at Ashburton. The Board was very pleased to receive your report indicating such satisfactory results, despite the unfavourable weather. I am further to say that the Board approves of your suggestion that in future the annual training of the cadets should take place during the last week of the school year. The Board desires to draw the Department's attention to the necessity of providing waterproof sheets or sleeping-bags for the cadets when in camp. I am further to say that the Board has forwarded a letter of thanks to Colonel Bauchop for allowing two of his staff officers to attend the camp for the purpose of giving instruction. A similar letter has also been sent through Major Sandford to the officers assisting at the encampment. I have, &c, Lieut.-Colonel Loveday, H. S. Lane, Secretary. Education Department (Cadet Branch), Wellington.

APPENDIX 111. [Auckland Star, 28th February, 1906.] Our Young Cadets. The interesting comments made by Colonel Loveday on our public-school cadet system which appear elsewhere in to-day's issue should help our readers to understand that a large amount of energy and enthusiasm is being expended on this work by the officials who have it in charge. The Education Department, which has control of the system, has already done a great deal to promote its success. But Colonel Loveday is of opinion that more might still be done without interfering in any way with the ordinary school curriculum. One serious objection to the present arrangement is that so short a time —three-quarters of an hour to an hour a week —is now given to drill and training by the cadets. Colonel Loveday holds that the public-school syllabus might be amended in such a way as to allow of more drill without any detriment to the purely scholastic work of the pupils. But most teachers, we fear, with that portentous syllabus before their eyes, would find some difficulty in making room for additional work of this sort. A more practical suggestion, also made by the Colonel, is that a short period—say, ten minutes or a quarter of an hour —might be devoted every day to physical exercises before school work begins. We understand that it would be easy to arrange for a uniform system of physical training which could be used in all our public schools ; and the health of the children, as well as the discipline of the schools, would certainly be improved thereby. One important factor in the success of such a movement as this must be the degree of enthusiasm displayed by the teachers, and the efficiency they acquire in elementary military training. We can well understand that our public-school teachers, already heavily burdened by their ordinary duties, may be inclined to grudge any large portion of their hardly earned leisure to drill and cadet camps. But when it comes to be generally realised that this cadet work not only improves the tone and discipline of the schools, and so facilitates the work of the teachers, but is itself a valuable, and even necessary, experience in every boy's school life, we will find that adequate room can be reserved for it, either in or out of school hours. As to the training of teachers, we are glad to hear that there is some prospect that Government will shortly establish a school of military instruction for teachers which will enable schoolmasters to obtain efficiency warrants or otherwise to qualify as officers in the regular way. As to the shooting practice, which is not only the most interesting, but in many ways the most valuable, portion of the training that our cadets receive, it is to be hoped that arrangements can be made that, without pressing too heavily on the teachers, will insure regular weekly rifle practice at the ranges. There is nothing that attracts boys so effectually to " soldiering " as a taste of the real thing—witness the delight with which cadets always welcome any attempt at camping in military style. Colonel Loveday's description of the big school camps which were held recently at Wanganui and Ashburton would convince anybody that our young cadets are generally in earnest about their duties, and that this kind of work has the best possible effect upon them in physique, conduct, and character. Our public-school cadet system, if properly managed, may become the foundation of a complete system of public defence ; and even the mere physical effects of this training upon the rising generation are well worth the time and trouble expended upon them. It is to be hoped that Colonel Loveday's effort at establishing a regular gradation of service between the cadets and the adult corps will be successful, for nothing will do so much as this to inspire life and energy into our Volunteer system. And we may add that, in our opinion, the colony is fortunate in having found, as director of our cadet system, so able an organizer and so sympathetic and enthusiastic a guide and leader for " the boys " as Colonel Loveday.

[Auckland Weekly News, Ist March, 1906.] School-Cadet Parade.—Governor presents the Challenge Shield.—lnspection by Colonel Kirkpatrick. The school cadets of the Auckland City and suburban public schools mustered in good force on the Metropolitan Grounds, at the rear of Government House, Auckland, on the 20th February, to witness the 2—E. Ir.

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