3 ;6 
GOLD MEDAL PRIZE ESSAY, 1899. 
How are the regimental officers to be instructed in technical subjects 
so that they may take the place of these regimental specialists and be 
capable if ncessary of supplementing the work done by the I.O.M. ? 
Several ways present themselves : — 
(1.) The course of instruction at the Royal Military Academy might 
be extended and the last six months devoted entirely tc iechnical 
subjects such as are considered necessary for a Garrison Artillery 
Officer. 
(2.) The instruction might be given in districts. 
(3.) A new branch of the School of Gunnery might be started, 
which would deal entirely with materiel. 
(4.) Lastly, this work might be undertaken by a special Institution 
like the Ordnance College. 
The first point to deal with is whether the instruction shall be 
given before the officer joins a service battery or after he has 
attained a few years service. I have no hesitation in saying that the 
latter is the proper course to pursue, turning again to the conditions 
of civil life the general opinion as far as I can gather with regard to 
young men entering various branches of engineering and kindred 
trades is—“that if all the school work is done first, then when the 
young man enters his shop work, he thinks he knows everything and 
offends workmen who have been working at the subject for years and 
who could teach him much.” He ought to do elementary school work 
first, then a shop course, then go back to complete his school training 
for when he goes back to school, he can appreciate why he is learning 
what is put to him. Applying the general principle of this idea to 
ourselves, the elementary school training is that given at the Royal 
Military Academy, the shop work is the training in a service company 
and the second school course, is that which is proposed to be given at 
some special Institution. The argument seems sound, let the young 
officer get a good general course of military education coupled with 
necessary elements of science, as a cadet, and then join a service com¬ 
pany in order that he may learn what work in the Garrison Artillery 
means, what conditions he should fulfil as a Garrison Artillery officer, 
and then give him an opportunity of completing his technical educa¬ 
tion which he will now be able to do with profit both to himself and 
to the country. With regard to the first method proposed, I see no 
advantages beyond economy and that of a false kind : I have already 
stated why a “ post graduate ” course should be instituted, moreover, 
I think that it is safe to assert that cadets at the Royal Military Aca¬ 
demy do not realise the importance of the work they are doing, their 
eyes are turned to the purely military side of their profession and in 
the first few years of their service they seldom give a thought to the 
principles and theories of the technical subjects which they have been 
taught—then when the novelty wears off and the peace soldiering be¬ 
comes a little tame and monotonous, interest in the technical portion 
of their profession should be awakened ; in a few cases this is a volun¬ 
tary action on the part of the individual, such men join the Senior and 
other classes, but in most cases the start must be made compulsory. 
There are many men who are unaware of the capabilities which lie 
