EXIT: THE BULL'S-EYE

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1071, 9 March 1911, Page 6

EXIT: THE BULL'S-EYE

THE GENERAL'S FIAT, AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT. MODERN IDKAS PREVAIL. Colonel K. J. Collin?, Chief Executive Oiiiccr of the D.R.A., who has been officially from the prc?ent meeting on account of his recent lamily bereavement, paid a visit to the camp yesterday, mid, at the alter-dinner paruue of the competitor.-, made an important announcement to the men. Alter expressing his appreciation of the manner in which Lieut.-Colonel Hughes, Acting-Commandant of the /camp, had supervised the meeting, and stating that he proposed to leave the remainder of the programme entirely in that officer's hands - , Lolonel Collins went oil to say that when General Godley visited the range, on Monday, he (the General) had expressed himsejt as being well pleased with everything that was'going on, and had also remarked that 'i'rentham was one of the best ranges which ho had e\er seen. 1 hope," added Colonel Colnils, that it will, in the future, be the best-equipped range." He felt sure that it would be. The association, he went oil to say, had liad a good deal of assistance fronj the Government, and the scheme which ho .had outlined in 1003, wlien no took charge, had now been fully earned out. In the past, the association had been -the sheet-anchor of the volunteer force, which had depended, to a very ilr i 0 1";. u P° n it for encouragement, in future, the association should, in a sense he the keystone of the new Terrilial force. General Godley was a man nnrnll t Prn J' 1 ?'. ilU(1 " le J' m!lst 1)6 l' re " Ph,r J° mcet i" 1 "- He did not i,„ /H sencral was an extremist, and ?r,i ( fP eak ? 1- ) thought that the General would assist theni in every way. Doomed! But, he added, the bull's-eye target was to a great extent doomed. They would have to go in more for matches under service conditions, and so be of assistance in the training of the forces, •nine shooting was looked upon as a species of sport. The men who camo to lientham every year did so, not' only to shoot and make themselves perfect in marksmanship but for the sport itself, to meet old friends, and to renew old friendships. General Godley had been very pleased with the figure targets winch "eio used at 500 and 000 yards, and with the targets in the service matches, and he thought that this class" of target should bo continued. It was quite certain, lie added, that it was only by using tup figure target, and by giving adequate attention to service matches, that th»y could expect to receive assistance fr.im the Government. WHAT OF THE FUTURE? AN INTERVIEW, [Br Echelon.] The above statement, which caused a mild sensation in the camp when delivered by the colonel, is nothing more than an expression of the result—the inevitable result—of the general tendency of military opinion during recent \eait. ■The merits of the case were well tiiresiicd out in Thb Dominion during tho bull s-eye and service shooting controversy which was given publicity in our military notes from week to week last winter. And now, the popular bull's-ey-j target, which shows a black disc on a white ground, is doomed. ' The point now is: What aro we to say to that little army of bull's-eye marksmen who have come to Trentham year after vear, win prizes, cups—some of them belts—and have come to look upon thensport as a very precious thing indeed, to be jealously preserved?

Colonel Collins Interviewed. This aspect 'of the casa was put to Colonel Collins just after he had uttered tho prophecy abovo staled. "The black and white target must i>o," ho said, "and tho whole policy of tho association amended to meet modern ideas in rifle shooting. AVe must carry out our service matches on nroner lines, if wu are to expect monetary'ass'istanco from the Government in the future." i)What about the Championship Bolt?" Well," ho replied, "it will 'be competed for as tho 'Ballinger Belt,' nsiii" the figure target at fixed ranges, but the ■n" i a 1 -"i" 0 Championship itself will bo governed by altogether different, and more exteusivo conditions. The highest honour on tho range, the championsmp gold medal, must now go to th° mau who proves bimsolf to bo the host aH-rpund marksman, botirin the Servico matches, and in the matches at tho figure target over fixed ranges. It might be possible, as a concession to tho old school, to so extend tho period of the meeting that a series ot matches at tho old bull's-eye target could be arranged for. Competitors at these matches, however, would recoivc no monetary concessions. They, would hare i ?i o£ 'h® services of the staff-tho management would already be on the ground-but they would havo lo pay their own expenses. All Territorials at tho meeting however, would be compelled to enter for the service series Wo authodties P >' I>arCd i 0 lUCet 11,0 " ilitw * On Common Ground, ~l T le n> '/.J' 0 " arranged your fixed i 'V'- 1 fas y° u have them now substituting lor tho old bull's-evo the figure target, would that meet the rc.ciuuements ol the military authorities— matclfe's.-' C ° Ul ' iC ' whnt wo Call servicc "Oil, yes," replied Colonel Collins. "Of course, lie continued, "the servico matches will require to be materiallv altered from their present conditions. Tho individual competitions will consist onlv of rapid hriug and snap-shooting events, while the I®'" 8 , matches will be increased, and placed under conditions which will tost I ho qualifications of the competing teams m collective lire, judging distanfos ob' senation of fire, lire discipline and control under command. Here the work T the team commander wilt bo tested, and reckoned up in tho computation of the result. .Matches of tliis kind are boin» made a special iealuro at army rifle meetings at Home. Tho running-man will not oe shown on a white ground, as at present; only the figure itself will anu? r 'n" l' I,nt from uncx Peclod points All this, of course, is merely a rcneril survey of the position The programme foi the next meeting will have to bo gone into very carefully in the meantime, and with regard to the latest ideas governing the conduct of army rifle mcetii]"s at licnie/' \ ° "Well," it was suggested by the interviewer, ' since there were 116 loud complaints about the use of the figure target over fixed ranges at the last Bisley meeting, there is no reason why the popularity of (lie Trentham meeting as a sporting event should lose ground, and the competition for the Ballinger Belt over these ranges not be as keen as over."

A Bright Future, „„", Xn reafon at all >" rppl'cd the Colonel I here were some complaints at Bislev " he pointed out, "but. I don't see any reason to apprehend a decline in the attendance at the meeting. Another factor in j-treugtlieniug interest in the meeting is that Territorials, upon completing their period of service, at tho age of 2G, in the active force, may join rifle clubs! and keep up'their shooting. From tho 1 ages of 30, ride club men will form the second reserve, and thes9 clubs, which should show a big increase in the next few years, will l>e a valuable asset to the forces." From the above conversation, it may be gathered, reading between the lines, that the General Staff at headquarters will, in the future, take an active interest in the control of tho D.R.A. Colonel Collins's years of experience and unquestioned ability as an organiser, marks him as an ofT-cer peculiarly fitted to carry out the developmental work involved in the pending change in the destiny of the big championship meetings at Trentliam. Ono gathers also—the Colonel, in effect, practically said as much—that the national school of musketry required under the new defence scheme, will alto be situated at Trentliam. It is more than probable that the present meeting will be the last to bo conducted by the Dominion Rifle Association as at present constituted, it being generally understood that the association will cease to esist after March 31.