ARTILLERYMEN STUCK UP.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 992, 6 December 1910, Page 4

ARTILLERYMEN STUCK UP.

STRANGE REASON GIVEN. : (By Telegraph—Press Association.) ■'■.'■ Christchurch, December '5. An extraordinary position has arisen in. regard to carrying out the annual classfiring of the Lyttolton Navnls, at present in camp at Fort Jervois, Ripa Island. Iu accordance with the custom which lms obtained for years past, the men have, been btisily preparing to carry out their annual class-firing. It had l)een arranged that firing should he started this morning, and be continued till Friday next, and for the past nine months the men hove been preparing for the work.- Captain Richardson,. Director of Artillery, has also been in camp with the company making arrangements and instructing the officers and men. • .

On Saturday evening, to the surprise of .everybody, an order came from the officer commanding the district, stating that no firing was to lie done, while the' warships H.M.S. Powerful and 11.11.5. Cambrian were lying at anchor in the harbour. As the-warships will not- fcc leaving until Friday, this order means that the whole of. the members of the company will he put to great inconvenience in carrying out their annual firing. The angles of the line of fire have been taken by the officers, and show that the Powerful and Cambrian are well clear of the danger zone, and will not be inter' fefed with in any way. .The whole affair is most unfortunate, and is regarded.with the greatest indignation and disappoint, meut by the men, who have been working with the object of trying to beat their splendid shooting of last year, when the company won the coast defence challenge cup and shield. The "Press" has been informed'-that neither Vice-Admiral Sir Richard Poore nor the captain of H.M.S. Powerful had been approached in connection with the firing. They state that they know e» thing whatever about the matter. [There is no special regulations relating to n-arships whfch may be in port ; when fort firing takes place. All that is essential is that the arc of fire should be clear of shipping, and in this respect both warships and merchantmen are on the 'same footing.]