170 
SHOOTING OF COAST ARTILLERY. 
In this practice also, (more even than in the competitive), the B.C. 
is made responsible for the keeping of all sorts of records as to time 
etc., which he certainly would not have to keep if he was firing at an 
enemy. 
This is seriously opposed to service conditions, and also interferes 
sadly with his giving his undivided attention to his shooting and to 
the personnel and material of his work. 
The records themselves, kept as they are mainly by those im¬ 
mediately concerned in them, are often very unsatisfactory, and fre¬ 
quently, though almost unconsciously, “ cooked.” 
The subsequent mode also of criticizing the practice by written re¬ 
marks only, upon the receipt of the practice reports, is tedious and 
wearisome to all concerned, and often results in the criticism being re¬ 
ceived by those most concerned, long after the practice has almost 
faded from their mind, and not as it should be, when perfectly fresh 
in their memories. It so loses much, if not the whole, of its possible 
good effect. 
10. Changes proposed in company practice and as to the 
RECORDS OF THE RESULTS OF SUCH PRACTICE. 
It is proposed now to make all company practice (elementary ex¬ 
cepted), count as competitive firing . 
In order to make this proposal practicable, it was, in the first place 
necessary to establish some system of record by which it would be 
possible fairly to compare the shooting, at any rate at each station, 
from the results of all the service practice carried out by them :— 
(x.) Of the companies, at each station in any one year. 
(y.) Of all the artillery at the station, from year to year; and to 
see, in this way, distinctly what progress or otherwise, is being made. 
Such a system of record was, on the writer’s initiative, definitely 
established in 1897.* 
These records, taking in both time and accuracy, give the results 
by companies, of all the service practice for the year, and are ordered 
to be kept at every coast Artillery station. 
Presuming these records to be carefully made, it is therefore now 
quite easy, (within certain limits,) to compare and to classify companies 
by the results of all their company practice in the year instead of by 
those of one single day’s practice only.t This marks a great step in 
advance, for a means is thus provided, not only for showing what 
standard we reach to in any one year, but also for determining whether 
the shooting, as af whole, is falling behind, stationary, or progress- 
* See Royal Artillery R.O. of 1st. June, 1897, directing the results of service practice to be 
furnished in such a manner as to give the information required, and upon certain specified forms, 
“A” and “B.” 
f In some cases these results might be corrected by some factor for the nature of the gun and 
of the work fired from, as to height, etc., but this much complicates matters and is pot believed 
to he at all essential 5 
