COLONIAL FIRING AT NAPIER.

Auckland Star, Volume IV, Issue 1196, 22 November 1873, Page 2

COLONIAL FIRING AT NAPIER.

We have been obligingly furnished with a copy of the rules and regulations to be observed at the competition for General Government prizes at Napier, in March next. We make the following extract with reference to the preparatory competitions:— RULES FOE THE CIIOTCE OF REPRESENTATIVES FOX THE COLONIAL PRIZES FOR INFANTRY. 1. The champion for the year 1873 shall be a representative, but in future he will have to qualify in the same manner as other representatives. 2. If the champion belt is won two years in succession (or three years at intervals) by the same person it will become the absolute property of such winner. 3. In the event of the full number of colonial representatives authorized for any district net becoming qualified at the time appointed under these regulations no second competition for choice can be allowed. 4. Officers and men of the Militia called out for actual service or for training and exercise—of the Artillery, Engineer, Eifle, and Naval Volunteer Forces, and of the Armed Constabulary—are eligible to become competitors for the colonial prizes subject to the following rules :— 5. No Volunteer will be eligible to compete for the colonial prizes unless he was an efficient Volunteer for the year ending 31st March, 1873. 0. Each company of Volunteers will fire the under-mentioned match, on their own ranges, under the supervision of an officer of another company (to be arranged by the officers commanding the respective districts), before the 31st December 1873. (1.) Ranges, 200, 400, 500, and 000 yards. (2.) Seven (7) shots at each range. (3.) Targets, at 200 yards, G x 4 feet ; centre, 4x2 feet bull's-eye, 2xl feet. At 4CO, 500, and GOO yards, GxC feet ; centre, 4 feet; bull's-eye, 2 feet. (4.) Weapon, long or medium muzzleloading or Snider Enfield rifie. {Vale test, Appendix A.) 7. The highest scores in each district will become district representatives, according to the following table :— Auckland 30 Waiuku and Wairoa ... ... ... IS Waikato 12 Poverty Bay ... ... ... ... 0 Tauranga and Opotiki ... ... ... 0 Thames ... ... ... ... ... 24 S. The district representatives will then fire on their own ranges, between the Ist January and the 12th February, 1874, at such times as the officer commanding the district (who must superintend the same) may appoint under the following conditions :— (1.) Ranges, 200, 400, 500, and GOO yards. (2.) Seven (7) shots at each range. (3.) Targets, at 200 yards, 6 x 4 feet ; centre, 4x2 feet ; bull's-eye, 2xl feet. At 400, 500, and 600 yards, Gx 6 feet; centre, 4 feet; bull's-eye, 2 feet. The highest scorers to be the colonial representatives (according to the following table), provided each attains a minimum score of eight (SO) points. Auckland ... ... _ Waiuku and Wairoa .. ... ... 3 Waikato ... ... 2 Poverty Bay ... ... ... ... 1 Tauranga and Opotiki ... ... ... 1 Thames ... 4 Armed Constabulary 3 10. Colonial representatives for the colonial prizes for Infantry will not be eligible to compete for district prizes (or the Cavalry colonial prizes); but any qualified colonial representative may elect to fire for the district prizes instead of the colonial prizes, in which case the next highest scorer in the district (being himself duly qualified) will be the colonial representative. 11. The cost of a saloon cabin passage to and from the place appointed will be allowed, to the representatives mentioned in rule 8. 12. In the event of there being a surplus of qualified men in some districts, and not the authorized numbers in others, the vacancies will be filled up out of the surplus according to merit; and should there still be a surplus of qualified men they will be permitted to fire for the colonial prizes on presenting themselves on the ground, furnished with a certificate from the officer commanding the district to which they belong that they are duly qualified according to rule 8 ; but it must be distinctly understood that the Government will not pi-ovide them with passages or incur any expense whatever on then account. All such competitors will however be debarred from competing for the district prizes.