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persons on recommendations prompted by personal liking or desire to secure employment for a particular' individual, rather than by regard for the interests of the State. (/.) Administrative officers should be changed round occasionally, as long residence in a particular centre does not produce the best results nor that standard of uniformity which is necessary to a sound system of administration. The relation of the different branches of Administration, and between the departments of Training and Administration, should be that of friends and helpers. Conference should be encouraged, and unnecessary correspondence frowned upon. (g.) Too much stress is placed upon the value of Courts and Boards. They seem to afford an indifferent check ; and the most remarkable feature about their " findings " is the uniformity with which they agree that " the value of the same is a fair charge against the public," or that " the public should bear the loss." (h.) Definite establishments should be provided for all units, and be fixed by Order in Council, and there should Ire no alteration without reference to the Board charged with appointments. We have been surprised at the lack or looseness of establishments. (*.) It should be impressed upon officers entrusted with the expenditure of public moneys that they are trustees, and that they are subject to penalties for any breach of trust. (j.) We specially urge that there should be a stern combing-out of the Defence Department, and a careful medical examination of all males of military age, so that it may be ascertained exactly how many " A class " men are employed therein —at General Headquarters, in districts, or in camps— and why they cannot be spared to go to the front. We are glad to say that we have come across exceedingly few men in the Department who could be classed as shirkers ; but there are " fit " men anxious and willing to go, and the time seems to have arrived when there must be sufficient war-worn men to replace " fit " men in the Forces here. At regular intervals, say of six months, this combing-out should continue, so that no suspicion can arise in the minds of the public that the Defence Department is falling short in its duty in this respect. In this connection it is fair to say that we have come across no evidence whatever, although we carefully sought it, of the Minister of Defence, directly or indirectly, using the influence of his high office to grant or obtain exemption for men from active service. We also made diligent inquiry as to what relatives or' connections, if arry, the Minister had in the Department. We found only one, a gentleman connected by marriage, doing important work, attending daily the prescribed hours, but enjoying no military rank', and drawing neither pay, emolument, nor allowance of any kind. As a matter of fact, we came across no case of any Minister of the Crown having friends or relatives in comfortable or lucrative positions in connection with war activities ; and if there are any they must be serving in a humble capacity. (/,:.) We are confident that the extension of the principle of the amalgamation of the administrative positiorrs should also take place in connection with the district commands, and that it will result in a large saving without any loss of efficiency. An experienced witness suggested that a Secretary of Defence should be appointed at, say, £700 a year, whose function would be to control the civil portions of administration and act as medium of communication between the military authorities and the Minister. But we fear that such an appointment would fall short, as what is wanted is a first-class man of experience who will be made responsible arrd. accountable to the Minister for the quality and result of his work. Too much would depend on the type of man chosen to be Secretary. If he was a strong man he would find too much of his time occupied in steering clear' of difficulties with the military authorities, who would, resent interference from a purely civilian official in what they regard as matters requiring special training and experience to sucessfully deal with. If the Secretary was an amiable sort of person he would be merely an unnecessary channel of communication—a Chief Clerk—and no responsibility whatever