Lord Meath has written to the papers on behalf of
the Lads' Drill Association which has been formed "for the purpose of arousing public interest in the question of military drill for lads. The scheme is an admirable one. and we are glad to see that Lord Meath refers to the example of the Colonial schools, which was cited in a letter from Dr. Harris, of Parramatta, in the Spectator. In Victoria military drill is obligatory in all State schools. A camp is held every year where are gathered as many as five thousand cadets ; the same principle holds in other Colonial schools, and in Dr. Harris's school at Parramatta it is a fundamental rule that every boarder should be a cadet. We should be glad to see it also a Ludamental rule of our own public schools. This is the one form in which military service might be made compulsory and yet not burdensome. And the custom, if inaugurated in our great schools, would soon spread to the smaller institutions. Meanwhile we cordially support Lord Meath's proposal.
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