382 COMMENDED ESSAY, 1895. 
and military education, and he finds ample opportunities in the service 
of advanced study, with many openings for special instruction such as 
the classes at the Artillery College and in the various branches of the 
School of Gunnery. So far good, but granted a very high general level 
of proficiency, it may be doubted if the education of Artillery Officers 
is sufficiently wniform, sufficiently controlled, and directed with sufficient 
precision towards definite ends. In particular it is very questionable if 
enough attention is paid to the local technical duties which after all 
constitute for the time being the one thing positively necessary especi- 
ally in the Garrison Artillery. Stirred by a spirit of adventure, or it 
may be love of change, officers are apt to regard their residence in any 
one district as so very temporary an episode, that they are tempted to 
neglect to study as carefully as is desirable the part they would have to 
play in local defence should war break out (as war generally does break 
out) at a moment’s notice. It is very well to be a smart parade officer, 
good at games and sports, a linguist, a fin dw siecle tactician, and to 
have it may be the letters G., P.A.C., P.S.C., and so forth annexed to 
one’s name in the army list, but if being Range Group Commander of 
a certain group an officer has never practised his special duties as such, 
and is unacquainted with the water area seen from his command post, 
can he say that he is really in that state of readiness for active service 
which the true professional soldier should be ? 
Fortunately, we are dealing with a body eager to accept the smallest 
hint in the direction of improvement, and a short coming of this kind 
has therefore only to be detected in order to disappear forthwith. 
dihitia and In the Militia, and still more in the Volunteer forces, it is plainly 
out of question to demand from Officers anything more than the mini- 
mum knowledge which is necessary to enable them to discharge the 
duties they have undertaken. More than this, if forthcoming, should 
of course be thankfully recognised. There are at the present time, and 
there willno doubt always be officers of Auxiliary Artillery possessing 
great scientific attainments, who find something more than recreation 
in military pursuits. 
It is not however the exceptional officers that we are concerned with. 
What we want to establish is a certain minimum level of capability 
associated with each step in rank, and which is absolutely insisted upon 
as a qualification for that rank. ‘To meet this requirement Militia and 
Volunteer officers might perhaps with advantage be given greater 
facilities for training i company with regular officers in the fortresses 
to which they belong. ‘l'here seems no reason also why officers in the 
Colonial Artillery should not be affilated for instruction to the Service 
Companies which form part of the garrisons of the Colonial Ports, nor 
why Colonels of Artillery should not everywhere be made responsible 
to a certain extent for the average proficiency arrived at by the 
Volunteer officers in their districts. A little energy and management 
will go far in this respect, and if the Volunteer officer had clearly put 
before him, that he was not asked to pursue an indefinite curriculm, 
but only to fit himself for a responsible post, he would in all probability 
rise to the occasion, and readily meet half way any arrangements 
suggested for his benefit. Again during Militia training, it might be 
