420 
COMPETITIVE PRACTICE IN THE GARRISON ARTILLERY. 
already, vide pp. 499-500 G. A.D., 1895 and para. 18 “ Instructions for 
Practice Seawards, 1897.” 
Suggestion 2, that the whole of the practice, except the elementary, 
should be “ competitive,” would, I think, be very difficult to carry out, 
as it would necessitate, as I have already said, each company firing 
precisely the same number of rounds and from the same natures of 
guns. This procedure is hardly desirable, as a company who is allotted 
to a district on mobilization which has nothing but B.L. and Q.F. guns 
should surely fire a greater proportion of those natures of ammunition 
than a company allotted to a district in which there are nothing but 
E.M.L. guns. 
Suggestion 3, that a fair proportion of rounds should be fired at the 
fastest target obtainable, is in my experience already carried out. 
To my mind what is wanted is, not so much a revised set of conditions 
for competitive practice, but a few tugs capable of towing a record 
target at a rate of at least 12 knots an hour. 
I also think it would be a great incentive to the men if every com¬ 
pany (whether a prize company or not) which qualified for 1st class 
were allowed to wear badges. Under the present conditions a 1st class 
shooting company may be moved to a new station and see the men of 
another company which has only qualified for 3rd class in possession of 
badges, while they, the better shooting company, have none. 
