MILITIA ARTILLERY COMPETITIVE PRACTICE. 
569 
The latter 50 to be sub-divided into :— 
20 for discipline at practice, 
10 ,, ease and accuracy of communications, 
10 ,, arrangements for control, 
10 „ power of control, 
7 to D.R.F. men.0 . , . r , 
r, , n • n Y regimental specialists, 
7 to nag signallers ...j ° 1 9 
20 for practice reports and criticisms. 
The principle adopted was that vital mistakes should be marked 
high .maximum 10, 
ordinary errors in drill low.maximum 4. 
5. —In case of a tie the result will be decided by :— 
1st, The company that made most hits. 
2nd, The company that made best time. 
6. —The target to be placed by the umpire-in-chief, who will then 
give the word to the O.O. to “ go on.” The C.O. then takes complete 
command and responsibility. 
Umpire-in-chief 
Assistant umpires 
Colonel H. Torkington, R.A. 
^Captain W. Griffin, R.A., I.R.F. 
j Lieut. L. L. Harper, R.A., LG. 
-1 „ Hon. M. R. Ward, R.A. 
(_ „ A. H. Ollivant, R.A. 
REPORT. 
From the commencement of the trainings the work was entered into 
with zeal; drill became smart and quick and the officers began to 
grasp the fact that the accuracy of the shooting really depended in a 
great measure on their power of observation ; their skill and quickness 
in correction; their perfect knowledge of all the small details con¬ 
nected with the use and abuse of the guns and their appliances and 
when the days of practice came each officer voluntarily watched every 
shot, studying and discussing cause and effect and picking up all the 
hints he could to profit by in his turn. 
It was a grand point this year to secure the services on range of an 
experienced officer of the R.A., a well-known good sailor (a great point 
for marking on range), who kindly volunteered to report for the whole 
of the practice of the several regiments; and I would take this oppor¬ 
tunity of bringing to notice the great benefit derived from the assistance, 
in the capacity of umpires, of the R.A. officers, Lieutenant L. L. Harper, 
R.A., Instructor of Gunnery, and Lieutenant Hon. M. R. Ward, R.A., 
Inspector of Warlike Stores, and Lieutenant A. H. Ollivant, R.A. 
They voluntarily gave their time and, by their evident knowledge of 
the subject and their careful attention to details, created a feeling of 
complete confidence in the awards. 
On the completion of each day’s practice the umpires met in com¬ 
mittee and from notes they had severally taken during drill and 
practice, they awarded the points according to the prearranged scale; 
the regimental marks were similarly awarded at termination of the 
entire practice. 
