3/0 GOLD MEDAL PRIZE ESSAY, 1899. 
vancement in materiel for field service. Now if it is necessary that 
the field artillery be armed with a quick-firer, and as this system is 
by no means a very modern one, it follows that if officers had been 
alive to its advantages, they would have pressed for its introduction 
some years ago; although this essay only deals with the training of 
garrison artillery officers, yet I mention this as it shews the importance 
of educating officers so that they may be able to discuss the advan¬ 
tages or otherwise of new or proposed eguipment; and here one sees 
the use of a technical school which would give officers an opportunity 
of studying the latest scientific devices, point out what is being done 
at home and abroad in the way of improving the equipment for all 
branches of the Artillery and would educate officers up to modern 
ideas—mechanical combinations which formerly were looked upon 
as of a complicated nature are now thought simple in the extreme 
and applied to numerous service purposes; the advantages to be 
gained from modern inventions should not be thrown away because 
at first sight they appear and are stigmatised as “ complicated ”— 
B.L. guns must have appeared very complicated, compared to R.M.L. 
when first introduced, but these latter had to give way in front of the 
advantages of the later invention. The familiarity of modern mec¬ 
hanism which would be gained as a result of technical education 
would cause a revulsion of ideas as to what may justly be considered 
“ complicated 
Are officers of the garrison artillery satisfied now with the arma¬ 
ment supplied to their branch of the service, if not they must be pre¬ 
pared to shew, in what direction the improvement lies and also that 
the scientific reasons on which their arguments are based are worthy 
of consideration. I do not see how one can ever rest satisfied, be¬ 
cause any arrangement which as a whole is made up of mechanical, 
electrical, and other devices must be capable of improvement as time 
goes on, only if one has not got the technical knowledge to combine 
with ones everyday work, how can one point out that the application 
of some new scientific discovery would be of increased advantage to 
the system with which one has to deal, or suggest any slight improve¬ 
ment if one knows not the principle upon which the mechanism is 
based, or even compare our own armaments with those of continental 
nations. 
The opinions of all regimental officers, not alone of those specially 
trained and in special employment should be extremely valuable in 
all questions of change in materiel, provided always that their techni¬ 
cal knowledge is of a sufficiently high standard; much good can 
result from criticism, from argument, and from a greater interest be¬ 
ing taken in materiel. Of late years much attention has been paid 
to drill and fire discipline, regular systems have been worked out, and 
due to the School of Gunnery have permeated through the service. 
Not only those who go through the long course, but every officer is 
prepared to criticise the principles on which the drill and fire discipline 
rest and has his own ideas as to alterations and improvements. We 
frequently see letters and essays on the subject of the Drill and 
Training of the Garrison Artillery, which shews that these subjects 
