262 
MOUNTAIN ARTILLERY ESTABLISHMENTS, ETC. 
Committee for mountain equipment, and should, ex officio, witness all 
experiments with the same at Shoeburyness. The instructional school 
would be, of course, a branch of the School of Gunnery, and he 
would conduct the Mountain Artillery practice camp at Hay. 
At this practice camp not only shooting, but all field duties incidental 
to the training of Mountain Artillery, should be carried out; and 
officers of the branch on leave from abroad, and candidates for ap¬ 
pointment to Mountain Artillery, should be permitted to attend the 
camp. 
The service battery would carry out its duties as at present in con¬ 
nection with the training of the recruits, but a roll should be kept of 
all the N.-C.O. ; s and men who would proceed with it for service abroad, 
active or otherwise. The remainder, although of course attached to 
the battery in peace, would constitute part of the school, and form the 
depot nucleus on the despatch of the battery abroad, a proportion of 
the previously trained officers and men of the Garrison Companies 
expanding it to the necessary strength. These latter would not be 
necessary were the Army Reserve men of the branch called out. 
The great advantage to Mountain Batteries of service in India can¬ 
not be over-rated, and it would be of great advantage to the batteries 
on the home and colonial establishment, were the present system of 
localising the Mountain Batteries in India to be discontinued, and a 
relief from India be carried out every six years in this manner. The 
battery first on the roster for relief from India, to proceed for six years 
service at each station, first to Natal, then to the Eastern Mediterranean, 
and thence home, returning to India again on completion of its home 
tour of six years. Thus, a battery would be moved from India every 
six years, and all the batteries would derive in turn the advantages of 
Mountain Artillery service in India, and there would ensue also greater 
uniformity in the batteries. 
There is another point, before quitting the question of establish¬ 
ments, which should not be overlooked. At present there is no doubt 
that, in India especially, the Mountain Artillery is not a popular branch 
amongst N.-C.O/s and men. The following are assigned amongst the 
reasons :—■ 
(i.) Men are selected for their special physique and good character 
from the Garrison Artillery, but lose all the pecuniary advantages of that 
service on their joining the Mountain branch, (ii.) The exceptionally 
rough work and continuous marching, and life in small tents throughout 
the greater part of the cold weather, and the heavy transport expenses on 
the battery institutions incidental to the same, (iii.) The distaste for 
stable duties, to which they have not been accustomed prior to enlist¬ 
ment. No credit, moreover, attaches to them for the “turn out” 
of a mule, for which the native driver is responsible, (iv.) The ex¬ 
treme unpopularity of the system of localising the batteries -in India, 
which checks re-engagement and extension of service, and causes 
continual scheming on the part of some of the best N.-C.O/s and men 
of a battery to try and obtain transfer to Garrison Companies high 
up on the roster for home service. 
The opinion of a large number of Commanding Officers is, that a 
