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THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 20

Age.
10. The candidate must be unmarried, and must be within the ages of eighteen and twenty-two on the 1st January of the year in which he is allowed to present himself for the examination in military subjects.

Literary examination.
11. The literary examination of students of the chartered colonial universities will be conducted entirely by those universities. Geometrical drawing will be an obligatory subject of such examination.

Name of candidate to be notified to War Office, with documents prescribed.

12. The name of the candidate selected for nomination must be forwarded so as to reach the War Office on the 1st July, and should be accompanied by—
    (a.) A certificate that the candidate is a British-born or naturalised British subject.
    (b.) An extract from the register of the candidate’s birth; or, in default, a certificate of his baptism or other documentary evidence, accompanied by a declaration made by one of his parents or guardians before a Magistrate, giving his exact age.
    (c.) A certificate of good moral character, for the four years immediately preceding the date of application, from the heads of all schools, colleges, or other educational establishments at which the candidate has been educated during the period; or, if such a certificate cannot be produced, a statement showing the reason for the omission, together with some other satisfactory proof of good moral conduct.
    (d.) A certificate from the head of the college that the candidate has passed the required university examination, including geometrical drawing.

Examination in Military Subjects.
Examination in military subjects.
13. An examination in military subjects of candidates nominated under paragraphs 8 and 12, who have previously passed the literary examination, will be held in September in each year. The subjects, and the maximum marks obtainable in each subject, will be as follow:—

Marks.

1. Fortification .. .. .. .. 600
2. Military topography .. .. .. 600
3. The elements of tactics .. .. .. 600
4. Military law .. .. .. .. 600

The scope in these subjects will be that embraced by the synopsis of the course of instruction at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.* There will, however, be no practical out-of-door examination in any subject. The text-books will be those in use at the time at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.

In order to qualify for a commission, a candidate will be required to obtain one-third of the marks in each subject, and half of the aggregate. Not more than three trials will be allowed at these examinations.

Inspection by Medical Board.
14. A candidate will be required to undergo an inspection by a Medical Board, to be convened by the Governor of the colony or other proper authority, and will not be allowed to proceed with his examination unless recommended by this Board to be physically fit for Her Majesty’s service.

The general conditions as to height, weight, chest-measurement, eyesight, &c., required, are given in Appendix I., page 9. The Board have, however, discretionary power to recommend a candidate slightly below one or other of these conditions in a case in which they are satisfied that he will fulfil them by the time he is twenty-one years old. No relaxation, however, of the eyesight qualification will ever be allowed.

The recommendations of the Board will in all cases be absolutely final.†

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APPENDIX I.

MEDICAL EXAMINATION OF CANDIDATES FOR COMMISSIONS IN THE ARMY.

I. A candidate for a commission in Her Majesty’s army must be in good mental and bodily health, and free from any physical defect likely to interfere with the efficient performance of military duty, and it should be stated whether he is of pure European descent.

*This synopsis has been published by authority, and is sold by Eyre and Spottiswoode, East Harding Street, Fleet Street, E.C.; or John Menzies and Co., 12, Hanover Street, Edinburgh, and 90, West Nile Street, Glasgow; or Hodges, Figgis, and Co., 104, Grafton Street, Dublin.

† It is suggested that a candidate, before commencing his course of study, should be thoroughly examined by a competent physician. By such an examination any serious physical disqualification would be revealed, and the candidate probably spared expense and the mortification of rejection. It must be understood that this informal examination is solely for the benefit of the candidate, and can in no way affect the decision of the medical examining Boards.

II. The examination will be conducted by a Board of medical officers.

III. The attention of the Board will be directed to the following points:—
(a.) That the correlation of age, height, weight, and chest-girth is equal or superior to that which is given in the following table:—

Physical Equivalents.

(b.) Measurement of height.
The candidate will be placed against the standard with his feet together, and the weight thrown on the heels, and not on the toes or outside of the feet. He will stand erect without rigidity, and with the heels, calves, buttocks, and shoulders touching the standard; the chin will be depressed to bring the vertex of the head level under the horizontal bar, and the height will be noted in parts of an inch to eighths.

(c.) Measurement of chest.
The candidate will be made to stand erect, with his feet together, and to raise his hands above his head. The tape will be carefully adjusted round the chest, with its posterior upper edge touching the inferior angles of the shoulder-blades, and its anterior lower edge the upper part of the nipples. The arms will then be lowered to hang loosely by the side, and care will be taken that the shoulders are not thrown upwards or backwards so as to displace the tape. The candidate will then be directed to empty his chest of air as much as is possible. This is best done by continuous whistling with the lips as long as sound can be produced. The tape is carefully gathered in during the process, and when the minimum measurement is reached it is recorded. He will then be directed to inflate his chest to its utmost capacity. This maximum measurement will likewise be recorded. The mean of the two measurements will be considered as the true chest-measurement.

(d.) The regulations regarding the examination of eyesight are as follows:†—

Letters and numbers corresponding to Snellen’s optotypi (test-types for the determination of the acuteness of vision, 1892 edition) will be used for testing the standard of vision. If a candidate’s vision, measured by Snellen’s test-types, be such that he can read the types numbered D = 6 at 6 metres, or 20 English feet, and the types numbered D = 0·6 at any distance selected by himself, with each eye separately, and without glasses, he will be considered fit. If a candidate cannot read with each eye separately, without glasses, Snellen’s type marked D = 36 at a distance of 6 metres, or 20 English feet—i.e., if he do not possess one-sixth of Snellen’s standard of normal acuteness of vision—although he may be able to read the types D = 0·6 at some distance with each eye, he will be considered unfit. If a candidate can read with each eye separately Snellen’s types numbered D = 36 at a distance of 6 metres, or 20 English feet, without glasses, but cannot read them beyond that distance—i.e., if he just possesses one-sixth of normal acuteness of vision, and his visual deficiency is due to faulty refraction—he may be passed as fit, provided that, with the aid of correcting glasses, he can read Snellen’s type D = 6 at 6 metres, or 20 English feet, with one eye, or at least Snellen’s types D = 12 at 6 metres, or 20 English feet, with the other eye, and, at the same time, can read Snellen’s type marked D = 0·8 with one or both eyes, without the aid of glasses, at any distance the candidate may select.

Squint, inability to distinguish the principal colours, or any morbid conditions, subject to the risk of aggravation or recurrence in either eye, will cause the rejection of a candidate.

IV. The following additional points will then be observed:—
(a.) That his hearing is good.
(b.) That his speech is without impediment.
(c.) That his teeth are in good order. Loss or decay of ten teeth will be considered a disqualification. Decayed teeth, if well filled, will be considered as sound.

• This table will come into force at the examinations in September, 1898.
  † After the 1st January, 1899, candidates will be required to possess one-fourth of Snellen’s standard of normal acuteness of vision.