g required to qualify to
impart the necessary instruction.

The third requirement--"the ability to shoot straight." Here again the
earlier in life a boy is taught to handle firearms safely the more
probable it will be that he will become a straight shot in his manhood.

In this respect it is pointed out that such instruction could not be
expected, except, in some cases, to be given by the teachers, who could
not reasonably be called upon to qualify themselves to teach the use of
the rifle as experts. It therefore becomes necessary that qualified
instructors should be provided to attend all schools and superintend
personally the training of such boys as shall prove their capabilities to
be trusted in the actual use of the rifle with ball cartridge.

It will be seen that it is only in the attainment of this third
requirement that an extra expenditure to that now incurred is required by
the employment of expert instructors.

Now for the fourth requirement--"a sufficient knowledge of drill to give
a man confidence in the field."

In this respect it is well to give such statistics as are available in
order to grasp thoroughly the nature of difficulties that have to be
encountered in achieving the object aimed at.

It is submitted that the statistics available for the State of New South
Wales apply equally to the other States of the Commonwealth pro rata of
their population.

In New South Wales in December, 1904, there were:

17,467 male children between the ages of 12 and 13
17,214 " " " " 13 " 14
16,666 " " " " 14 " 15
16,084 " " " " 15 " 16

Of the above number of male children the following were attending
schools:

Public Private
Between Schools. Schools. Total. Out of
12 and 13 years 12,650 3,160 15,810 17,467
13 " 14 " 11,400 2,840 14,240 17,214
14 " 15 " 6,080 2,080 8,160 16,666
15 " 16 " 2,400 1,240 3,640 16,084

It is evident that the falling off of 50 per cent. at the age of 14-15
years and of 75 per cent. at 15-16 years proves that the schools cannot
and are not to be depended upon as the training ground of the nation's
boyhood beyond the age of 14-15 years; and that at the very time when
that training would be naturally expected, if continued, to reach the
most satisfactory results, namely,