OKEHAMPTON, 18995. 69 
There can be no doubt that this careful record has been of the 
greatest benefit. It has given usa large number of averages which 
enable us to arrive at some very distinct conclusions; such as, for 
instance, the time a battery may fairly be expected to take between 
coming into action and opening fire; the time that will elapse before 
we can expect much effect from its fire; and so forth—which must be of 
great practical use, not only to ourselves, but to officers of the other 
arms. These records also afford valuable assistance to comparison 
between batteries practising at the same camp. When, for instance, 
the general rate of fire is three and a half rounds a minute, and that cf 
a particular battery is only two and a half we may safely say that the 
firing of that battery was slow and the Commander has a distinct 
point to which he can direct his attention during the training period. 
But, gentlemen, valuable as, no doubt, these statistics are, there is a 
very real danger of paying too much attention to them. If com- 
parisons are attempted between different practice grounds or between 
different years we shall arrive at most fallacious conclusions. 
But if it were only that the results of such comparison would be 
fallacious little harm would, comparatively speaking, be done; it is 
because such comparison is in itself very liable to lead to positive harm 
that I wish to draw attention to it here. Commandants naturally like 
their batteries to do well, and the feeling that such a comparison will be 
made is liable to restrict attempts to render the practice more diverse or 
targets more difficult. Wecan take just pride in the fact that our prac- 
tice is conducted on a far closer approach to service conditions than that 
of the other arms. Let us never forget that training for service is the 
be-all and end-all of peace shooting, and let us never sacrifice the 
smallest fraction of that practical training for the empty honour of a 
paper percentage. 
MAIN FEATURES OF THE YHAR’S PRACTICE. 
To turn now especially to this year’s practice, I think the main 
features may be summed up as being :— 
A decided advance towards service conditions. 
A rigid adherence to regulation methods. 
A considerably increased use of surprise and moving targets. 
ADVANCE TOWARDS SERVICE ConpiTIONS. 
For some years past we have had tactical schemes, but batteries have 
known the targets they would have to fire at, and the time or the rounds 
to fire at each, and have arranged accordingly. That is scarcely service 
conditions. ‘This year for all service practice a “ general idea’? was 
issued the night before giving such information as might fairly be — 
forthcoming on service, but no more. Arrived at the rendezvous 
Commanding Officers received orders, as no doubt would happen on 
service, as to what they had to do; the method of doing it being left 
entirely to themselves. A battery opening fire did not know whether 
that fire was to be continued for fifty rounds, or whether a change of 
target or position would not occur before even ranging was completed. 
Criticism was directed not only to the way in which the fire of the 
