The Times of Thursday publishes a useful summary of the
existing agencies designed to promote military training in schools. Dealing with the Public School Cadet Corps, the writer very rightly dwells on the drawbacks of the voluntary system. Compulsory service is only enforced in a few schools ; in most the rifle corps occupies an anomalous position. "Games are compulsory and the corps is not, so it must muddle along as best it can." Even more pointed is the observation, a pro pos of the excellent work done by the various organisations—Lads' Drill Association, Church Lads' Brigade, &c.—which depend almost entirely on private enter- prise, that at present "the wealthier schools which possess a uniformed corps are given a grant of arms and ammunition which is denied to the poorer schools which have no uniform, a curious illustration of the clothes making the man." In New Zealand, to take one example from the Colonies, where the number of Cadets has increased from 4,126 in 1902 to 12,000 at the present time, all expenses in connection with training are borne by the Education Department. The writer also notes the excellent beginning which has been made at Derby in the way of teaching shooting in elementary schools, to which attention is called in our correspondence columns.
Bank Rate, 21 per cent.
Consols (24 per cent.) were on Friday 90f.
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