SPLIT IN THE CAMP.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 19, 17 October 1907, Page 6

SPLIT IN THE CAMP.

WELLINGTON RIFLE ASSOCIATION'S " TROUBLES.' ■' A LIVELY SKIRMISH. Tho Rifle Association at present , can hardly be quoted as an exemplification of the proverbial injunction, " Birdies in their little nests must agreo." This is a matter for regret (for any body'which is rent by. internal dissension can hardly bo expected to succeed in tho fulfilment of'its functions and broader aims). The trouble,has arisen through the vexed question of' fixing the •fiost suitable date for the Association's annual riflo meeting at Trentham. Was. the meeting to bo held on November 9 or January 22? At tiro previous meetings' the question was hotly debated, a resolution in favour of the meeting being held on November 9 being carried by a majority of one. It was an unsatisfactory position, but the majority ruled, and the date was fixed. ; Then came more. trouble. The annual grant by the Government' of "money for tho encouragement of rifle-shooting was distributed among tho officers commanding specified sub-districts, with: instructions to arrango for. competitions.. The Wellington sub-, district was allotted £38 lis. 6d., of. which', £27 2s. 6d. was open to tho general publio for competition, and £11 9s. to volunteers only. Control of tho local grant was vested in Lieut.-Colonel W. G. Duthio, commanding the Wellington Rifle Battalion. The secre-. tary of tho Riflo Association, before drawing up the programme of events for the riflemeeting to be held on .November 9, approached Lieut.-Colonel Duthio with reference to the grant, as he desired to have some definite basis upon which to estimate the various prizes., He was informed by his commanding officer that, pending a more equitable settlement as regards tho date of tho meeting, he would 1 withhold the money., ; A special meeting of the executive was held last night to consider the question. Lieut.-Colonel Duthie. presided, arid explained tho position.. It was his duty, he. said, ,to ; consider the equity duo to the whole district before he handed over their share of tho Government grant. If the Association held its meeting on November 9, no less than -'seven companies, who were sending representatives to the Military Tournament at Palmerston North on that date, would bo debarred from competing for the .Government prize-money. . Further; the meeting, if held in November, came too soon after the opening. of tho shooting season, and the younger men would not have had sufficient opportunities for getting into form. He considered that this would bo a.hardship. On tho other hand, if the meeting were held on January 22, only one company would be affected— and that not materially —and with the intervening piacticc, tho shooting would be of a higher standard!'. lie declared, most emphatically, that whether the-Association held to its present intention as regards : .the date,or not, he certainly.would not hand over, tho money for competition on November 9. Mr. S. F. M'Lean raisod the, question of tho commanding officer's control -of tho money. Ho understood that, the executive had a -say in tho matter. Lieut.-Colonel Duthio replied that ho had absolute control of the money. ' . v , Mr. M'Lean then contended that those ■corps who wero competing at Palmerston for. prize-money had up right to expect that the Association should alter its decision in-order' that they might compete at Trentham also.. Lieut.-Colonel Duthio said that any'corps which went to the troublo of training t-eama for the Military Tournament was entitled to credit, and was, moreover, carrying out the ideas of the Defence authorities. Ho could not see why theso corps should be penalised. Q.M.-Sergt. Madoley was proceeding to violently assail tho action of a certain corps, Tho City Rifles ■ Lieut.-Colonel Duthio: "No names, pleasol" Q.M.-Sergt. Madoley: "I say, and I don't care who knows it, that the City Rifles-— Lieut.-Colonel Duthie.: " 1.,. said .' no names.' If you won't respect ray ruling, I'll, put you out." ; Col.-Scrgt. Bolton (Secretary) intervened at this stage, and Mr. Madoley sat, down. Tho Secretary demonstrated, by rough estimates, tho financial aspect of, tho ; disputed dates. If they held to their present decision, the result would bo a financial loss. If, on tho contrary, they agreed to postpone the dato, a credit balance was'assured, and, all things considered, ho honestly thought that the Association would bo furthering its best interests by adopting tho later dato. Aftor somo" passages," it was finally decided to adhero to tho November fixturo, and to d,o without tho. Government money.