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3. During the past season, 1 member has died, 66 have resigned (28 in Colony and 38 on leaving the Colony), 15 have been struck off as absent without leave and for other causes.
4. Thirty-eight new members have been enrolled.
Equipment.
5. There has been no alteration in the equipment of the Corps since last season; but the C.R.A. has kindly placed two additional 15-pr. B.L. guns (making four altogether) at the temporary disposal of the Corps.
One of these is kept at the Taikoo Sugar Works, to enable the men there to drill with them without coming to the Headquarters, and the remaining three are kept in the verandah outside the Headquarters.
Accommodation under cover for these guns is badly wanted; at present a watchman has to be kept to look after the guns at night, and they add greatly to the inconvenience so often reported on at the present Headquarters.
It has been decided that the Corps is to be armed with the new service rifle; the correspondence on this subject stated that they might be expected to be issued about November
1904.
*
*
Discipline, Training, &c.
20. The discipline of the Corps has been exceedingly good throughout the season.
Drill with the heavy guns, as at Stonecutters' Island, was carried out during the early part of the season, and drill with the 15-pr. B.L. guns and Maxims at Headquarters all through the year.
Maxim practice was carried out frequently in camp on 9th January, 23rd January (competi- tion for Sir W. J. Gascoigne's Shield), and 16th February.
15-pr. B.L. gun practice was carried out on 9th January and on 16th February, 1904, with very good results.
His Excellency the G.O.C. was present on 16th February, 1904. On each occasion of gun practice the men were changed round continually, so as to test their efficiency to the utmost, and the barrel targets were sunk in each case by the ranging rounds before fuzing, so that the greater part of the practice had to be carried out at small pieces of wreckage, and the reports clearly show that the accuracy of shooting was excellent.
During the coming season it is proposed to fire some of the series at longer ranges. 21. Under the head of drills the figures are as follows:-
Staff. No. 1 Co. No. 2 Co. Engineer Band.
Co.
Efficients with more than 30 drills Efficients with less than 30 drills Non-efficients
7
46
$55
44 17
Total
7
107
8258
50
12
22
4
17
7
89
23
Of the 41 non-efficients, 16 have been called upon to make good the loss to the Corps funds (ie., 25 dollars each), 7 have been excused owing to the nature of their employment, 12 are absent (with leave) from the Colony, and 6 recruits have been unable to complete the necessary number of drills.
The number of non-efficients shows a distinct decrease on the number last year, and I am of opinion that, although the numbers have again fallen, the efficiency in proportion to the total is greater than in former years. I hope, now that the heavy gun drills have been stopped, that the decrease in numbers will be checked, and every endeavour is being made to get more recruits to join.
22. Musketry was carried out during the camp of instruction, and as many members as possible were put through the course. The members of the Engineer Company fired the full course laid down in the Musketry Regulations, 1903; the members of the Artillery Companies fired at 200 yards, 300 yards, and 500 yards; the average was good, but, according to Regula- tions, the latter are not classified.
23. The officers of the Corps have practised with revolvers on different occasions with good results.
Camp of Instruction.
24. The Annual camp was held under canvas at Stonecutters' Island from 23rd October to 2nd November, 1903.
The attendance was better than in the previous year, in spite of the fact that a typhoon kept men away for nearly two full days out of the ten.
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