§ THE EARL of STRAFFORD, in rising to ask the Under Secretary of State for War, Whether any of the recommendations of the Board of Visitors at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich (presented to Parliament in 1886), have been or are likely to be carried out? said, he wished to point out that the Report of the Board of Visitors on the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, for 1886 stated that the annual inspection was made on the 30th of June last. The health of the cadets was reported good, the average daily number of sick being 3.78 on an average strength of 304. Discipline was also good, unpunctuality being the principal shortcoming. The conduct, tone, and spirit were also stated to be good. The Board recommended that a sword of honour should be given to the best conducted of those about to get a commission, as at Woolwich. Shooting with the rifle and revolver were reported good, owing to many cadets belonging voluntarily to a rifle club. The Board recommended for consideration that a practical course of shooting with both weapons should be introduced as a voluntary subject, and that the cadets should have rifle instruction, with a view to their utility with their regiments. It was further pointed out that the quartermaster, who acted for both Staff and Cadet Colleges in that capacity, and as acting Ordnance and Commissariat Officer, only received the pay of an Infantry quartermaster. This case appeared to be very exceptional, and the Board were of opinion that it required exceptional treatment. Then there was the question of gas in the riding school. The Board fully concurred in the recommendation that the introduction and use of gas would make it possible for riding classes to be held 669 on winter afternoons. In regard to the changes in hospital arrangements, he remarked that the previous recommendations of the Board had been fully carried out, and the medical officer was completely satisfied with the present arrangements. The furniture in the cadets ante-rooms was certainly unfit for further use, and the Board recommended this as a case for favourable consideration. The clerks' and mess meeting rooms were devoid of ventilation, and lighted only by skylights which did not open; they were unfit for habitation. The Board recommended the opening out of a window in each room, which could be done at a small expense and would look well. The Board also recommended a new roof for the racquet-court, as the defective and leaky condition of the old one rendered the court useless in wet weather, when it was most needed. The former recommendations which had not received attention were (1) accommodation of the servants in the College estate, which was desirable both from a disciplinary and sanitary view; (2) provision of lavatory and dressing room adjoining gymnasium, the cost of which was proposed to be equally divided between the War Department and the Royal Military College Mess Fund. With these exceptions the Board were highly gratified with the result of the inspection. The visit to Woolwich Academy was made on July 2, 1886. In this case it was found that the normal number of terms (two) per year and the courses of study had been returned to, the extraordinary circumstance of the last two years having ceased. The deficient accommodation for cadets was strongly remarked upon by the Board. There were 230 cadets on the roll—30 over the establishment—22 rooms holding three cadets each. At the last visit of the Board, 15 rooms held three cadets each, and on that occasion the Board animadverted on the arrangement, which forbids privacy to the cadets, and prevents the erection of partitions in the rooms. The conduct of the cadets was good, the large number of terms, numbering 16, which were lost being attributable to the admission of nearly all qualified candidates. The reception of cadets suffering from illnesses of an infectious order, or requiring isolation, was at the Herbert Hospital. The Governor of 670 the Royal Military Academy, who had no control here, stated that the accommodation was only that of a private soldier. The Board most fully endorsed his recommendation that a private room should be fitted up for the accommodation of cadets so suffering. The hot-water supply to the bath rooms was still deficient, although recommended by the Board on two previous occasions. The daily average of sick was shown to be 2.9 on an average of 219 cadets.
THE UNDER SECRETARY OF STATE FOR WAR (Lord HARRIS), in reply, said, the recommendations of the Board of Visitors, of which the noble Earl (THE EARL of Strafford) was Chairman, were considered so important by the present First Lord of the Treasury, the War Office, and by the Secretary of State that they had endeavoured, as largely and rapidly as possible, to carry out the changes recommended in the Report; but he was sorry to say they had not been able to carry out all the changes in such a way as the Report suggested. The difficulty of finding sufficient sleeping accommodation for the number of cadets at Woolwich was one of funds. The estimate for the work was £22,000, but it was not practicable to find the money at present, in view of many other Services of an even more urgent character. An arrangement was, however, in contemplation for reducing the length of the course, by which the number of cadets at one time would be reduced, thereby increasing the accommodation for those who were there. The room at the Herbert Hospital which the Board suggested should be fitted up for the reception of cases of infectious disease, was, he regretted to say. not available at present, but as soon as possible the matter would be dealt with. With regard to Sandhurst, nearly all the recommendations had been carried out. It had been determined to confer some distinction, as a sword of honour, on the best-conducted cadet of those about to be commissioned at the end of each half-year. Ammunition for voluntary revolver shooting had been issued to the cadets, but it had not been thought necessary to make shooting a part of the course. The recommendations with regard to Woolwich would be carried out by the War Department as rapidly as circumstances permitted.