THE IlOYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
117 
Department of Issue. The Storeholders would be responsible that the 
stores were fit for issue. Some of these would be counted, where 
necessary, examined, and before packing the whole inspected by the 
Asst.-Superintendent in charge of this department. This officer would 
be responsible generally for quantity, quality, and pattern. At the 
same time, it is necessary to observe that this rule, like all others, must 
admit of modifications. He would be, as it were, the court of appeal of 
the subordinate officials, who should, however, be held strictly respon¬ 
sible provided they made no reference to him. Upon the nature or 
usefulness of this reference he would be the deciding authority. 
The grand rule is to procure efficient subordinates , and to trust them. It 
is useless to devise a machinery of checks, through which it requires 
only a little cunning to break, and which in time of pressure necessarily 
falls to pieces. 
The Pacldng Store should be close at hand, so that the boxes and 
cases required, with other materials, might be available for ready packing 
in the Department of Issue. The non-commissioned officer in charge 
would be under the orders of the D.-A.-S. of Issue. All materials and 
tools would be drawn in the usual way from the stores, and written off 
“ for use ;” the tools, however, being accounted for in a general secon¬ 
dary Store Ledger of the arsenal, containing those tools “for use,” and 
thus separating these from the available or reserve stores. 
The rules regarding packing must be founded on the nature of stores, 
climate, means of transit, and common sense. 
The packages for despatch—classes of articles being kept separate 
where possible—should be marked according to those regulations which 
govern the marking of stores for an army in the field, the weight of the 
package marked, and where possible a rough list of contents. Such a 
system entails but little labour at the outset, and may save an immense 
deal to those charged with the receipt of stores. 
In urgent cases, the Asst.-Superintendent should take upon himself to 
personally direct a necessary issue of stores; the requisition being first 
entered by the Storeholder supplying, and then handed over to the 
D.-A.-S. of the Issue Department. 
The invoices should be made out by the D.-A.-S. of Issue, one copy 
being enclosed with the stores, the other sent to the office for trans¬ 
mission to the corps or department to which the stores are despatched. 
As “ unserviceable ” stores may sometimes be ordered to be sold or 
broken up, the Requisition Book of the Issue Department should possess 
columns showing the nature of stores, whether “ serviceable” or “ unser¬ 
viceable,” and whether they have been issued for army use, or merely on 
“sale,” or for “ breaking up.” 
The duties of the D.-A.-S. of this department are numerous, 
responsible, and require a man of experience, intelligence, and method, 
and well acquainted with military stores. 
The transit of stores to the means of conveyance—whether rail, water, 
or road—would be conducted by an assistant, subordinate to the D.-A.-S. 
in charge of the Issue Department. 
There are many minor details of routine—such as the requisition being 
numbered by the passing authority, and also by the arsenal, &c., &c., 
but these cannot be treated of here. 
