FOR TRENTHAM.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 750, 24 February 1910, Page 8

FOR TRENTHAM.

AUSTRALIAN:RIFLE TEAM. -INTEEVrBW. WITH'MANAGEE.: , ; . It. is fourteen. y«ars_. since a. representative Australian rifle (team took, part in. a'New Zealand' competition. The team which" arrived by the..Warrimoo yesterday from New Sjputh.Wales.to,compete at,,the Trentham, meeting "next month' includes some, redoubtable shots, who' have' made their reputation ;at Bisley 'and in : less famous matches. "It' is the best team we could put in the field at the present time," observed its manager,... Lieutenant Dakin,, to, a Dominion,,representative who interviewed,him on,arrival. Included are, • two'members,of (the team-which 'visited-, (this, country (fourteen years agfrr-M. . S.' .Tessimond and' J( J.,; Mathiso'n. It often' happens., that the best men .for.' a . competition are' unable"to (get'.away .for an, extended journey .just' when . tneir:'ser-" vices, are required. .The'' Now South, 'Wales' Eifle Association has escaped this disadvantage in selecting (the present team for' New Zoiland. "We have got ;onr best, men .with ,us," says; lieutenant Dakin.'"' :■' (( j..' . ((... „. Evidently "the(, team was(.:.considered' (strong enough: to" defy, superstitiohj .'for there are just thirteen' official members. Therd," are; also.',.five "extra" -.' members, who (will; be .used as (required,.-and the manager,: who will not shoot at Trentham,; 'though:he has been a shooting man since 1887-.. Lieutenant Dakin.. belongs: ..to ,the First Australian, Infantry, Eegiment, Sydney. .' He '.has been secretary. of.' the New South. (Wales; 1 Eifle'(Association for the last six ' years, and a member of. its cij.uncil;' since about,. 1900.., He. began shooting'in', the Old Country. The.whole, 'of -. the team, he "states,' will, enter' for every match in which they: are eligible to shoot, which is practically' every match in the programme..... .... On their arrival yesterday, the visitors were met by Captain Mabih, representing the' New Zealand Eifle Association, ana welcomed to (the Dominion. The following, telegram .was. ; . received, by Lieutenant Dakin" from Sir , Joseph.- Ward,, who ; was . absentwith ~- Lord Kitchener .'in . ; Christchurch"l extend to. yonrself and the ( members of your team a!hearty-', welcome to 'New Zealand, and with you a pleasant stay in the Dominion."' From' Colonel Collins, who was also'( in , tho ' south with' Lord Kitchener, ,a ; similar messagd of welcome was .'received:-'. "So ,;i " far," - said ' Lieutenant Dakin, "I, am more than' pleased with tho ' treatment I have already .received ;at the .hands'of the ; Dominion.'Eifle: Association,, though I have; only been here a few hours."

■ Records of: the Team.- • .;TheX following (notes ((on ' the (personnel. and v 'past .performances of the team were ;furnished-'. to,."'our' representative: 'by (Lieutenant'• Dakin:— ; ' ; A. Cutler (Bathurst' Eifle Club), win-;ner-of the King's Prize at the Victorian .rifle . meeting in" : 1903, ■ \vitii the record score of the world—32s—^which still remains unbeaten. (Cutler was also winner (of the King's (Prize at the.-1909 meeting of- tho Queensland: Eifle Association','■ and grimier 'of very 'many ■ other important .matches.: He ,nas been selected- by the .council , of. the" New. South Wales Eifle '.Association' to. gb.'-'to'.Bisley,', with ~ the team, without; taking part m-the test which'other-.competitors have had to undergo. - ;(' •: ; ■ ... ■;S' , ,A..Ke(ford (Bathurst Eifle"Club); . A .prominent . shot .for 'a 'number' of •• years part..'...;";,,..:' (Sydney' Tramway" -Eiie ' ~-..R) •i''. &B.'-been' shooting,, very( well • and consistently, for' a - number' of ' years ' past.-; ('■■W.-'A. Jacobs, (Albu'ry-Eifle Cliit>)lCiyitaner of. many important Pitches''-at" both'the New South Wales - and .Victoria. Rifle Associations: Meetings during'the last ten' years, and' ono of - the .most - consistentshots 1 in-the State.""" -, 'W; H. - Cutler" (Australiah Eifle :Eegiment) .''-Winner:, of .the (King's Prize _ of.- the 'New.. - .South' Wales' Kifle - Association in 1903 and. -1907, - also winner - of many "other .important matches. A v member n of ■ the' ' Commonwealth': Bisley i p'Vij J907, and winnc-r of the -'Prince. -of: Wales match. - He' was unable :to .take part.;in _ the Bisley., test,, of-: the ...present ;2 WI I HK VP.,■.ss ar;raji sements. ; • M.,! S.^rTe^mondj•(Lithgriw, Eifle .Club). MemtevOl' theirNow.-Soutl!' "Wales' team, which visited' New Zealand. 14' years a^o : 3™; a "riportant matches during the last 15 , years. .. •JF. G. Harrison (E-andwick Eifle Club)., .One of the most consistent, shots in New .South Wales during' the 1 past 'five • years. , iSergt.-Major: Bilton : (instructional staff),, Stato° m ° shots (in- the :

WH, Ppfritt; (Parram'attaßifle"Club) v ,Winner,; of trophy at : the .1909,. meeting,, of .'the New ' South'/Wales" ;Rifle ; Asswiation.' Took a, high .place 'in •the recent, Bisley;test, but was not quite successful in:getting-into the team." ■~ G.-Fisher (Sydney.iißifle Club). 'Selected' to go to Bisley this year,' and a' consistent' 'Snot. tor many years. w. ■ ' ■'riFu Et Jf? gsh ?? e s Rifle' . The oldest shooting member >of : tno team. * Dunng'the past twelve months sh ooHng^ 611 ' • f?? 1 ! 6 *■ v knniarit' (NoHh- Sydney-Rifle ,ylu°). -Member o£ the New South Wales ;team which. visited''New' Zealan'd,'twentyfour ago. \ Winner of the ' QueenV .pnarot the' New' South Wales Rifle" Associatiqifin 1900; member of'the Common,wealth; Bisley team-of 1903,'rand''winner ,of 'many •• other;.' important;. events.' A member of-:the .council of the New' South' »yales. Kme_Association,, and one of the and consistent shots in tne btate. 1 \* ' •. i ;

: 0; B. Boyd (Mnrwillumbah RMe Club).' • '!?. J°, P. .Bisley. this year,-', owing ;to his brilliant '.score in the, test'at'Randwick, when he 'headed' the list out of a :large number .of- competitors. " He has : been shooting only for four or five years, .during i which he;-has; done some r remarkably good work. ' ; . • ; The following are /'extra" members — Armourer-Sergeant H. Motton (Austral Regiment). Represented Queensat Bisley. -..Winner- of At the" -.New: , South .Wales, Rifle Association in 1905, and winper^of. many,;other important matches 'j S. .Rhodes.- -(Australian'r Rifle -Regiment). , . . t - »; .r

i .Corporal_R.yj. Hiroii;(First'Australian' Regiment). » ...... Corporal 'Maguire- -.(Irish: Rifle Beri--ment). . ... ,■ ~. ■■ ' . ; W. Maguire, (North Sydney, Eifle Club). . ; .'. v , ''The Visitops'-Programme. The visitors,. who are -staying at' the Occidental Hotel, may go out to Trentham to-day for then-first practice. Certainlv they will go out I .to-'morrow, and'again on Saturday, returning to : the city in the evening. On' Monday they will probably go into camp at Trentham. ''I am very sorry," said Lieutenant Dakin, "that the dates of, the.. Greytown | and Chrlstchurch -meetings, being: rather close- to the Trent ham.'iueetin'g, we'shall.'be unable to' take! part in them. r : : The team.' has, no intention of touring the Dominion. It may.go.to, Rotorua and ArUokland on the way home, but.that will /depend principally. on. how-; the" steamers the 'meeting. . The .New, South Wales Rifle Association^, it. is stated,, is perfectly satisfied that the'team should give a good account ; of : itself at Trentham. "One privilege • which: 'we,. appreciate very : highly,"' said' Lieutenant Pakini' "is the permission to use aperture sights and private rifles, which, I understand,' has, not- ' been allowed hitherto in' New Zealand.': I '-' V'i.... Rifle Shooting in New South Wales. , "Aperture sights,'which, ■ w'ere'./.ihtro-:' duced into- New- South Wales in: 1909, have practically; revolutionised" rifle l shooting there," observed the, manager,-'' Tint it remains to be seen whether'they, will prove: •to - be of anj" great value in service matches. :So (far,s the results, in service matches have been fairly good,. but.'the aperture'sights have not, 1 been long enough in ■ use '. to .enable. 'us to. form ■> a , definite 'opinion on this point., : One result has been; that old: shots; whose-shooting'.had been' only moderate for years; have come to.the front , and -shown remarkable! form since- of the aperture sights.".'. ' :■ • The Now South- Wales Association isjust noTV. considering the advisableness of introducing the new targets, into the ordinary 'matches, and ,at the saine '-time 'adding raor6 ; ':servi6e matches to its already long list ."Rifle -shooting, is going ahead-in New. South Wales'tit a very. grOat rate," said Lieutenant Dhkin, "and at the present tinio , there'are" between 250 and 300 rifle clubs, with a" total memberthip of between 18,000 iind 20,000. The numl)tr/has','pr6bably ; quadrupled in the lost £w' years."- ■. -ii '-," "