MILITARY NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1168, 1 July 1911, Page 10

MILITARY NOTES.

I SPORT WITH THE RIFLE, i TUIO NEW D.R.A. i [Edited By Echelon.] I i As every rillemnn in New Zealand i knows, the last shot of the championship .' rille meeting at Trenthain in March last killcd Hie Government subsidised bull's- , eye match stone dead. 11 was announced - then that in the interval between Hie ' meetings of Kill and 11112, the General " Stall' at headquarters would give the mat--1 i'er of recognising the D.R.A. very carc- - ful attention, with the idea of placing I its competitions upon such a basis as would ensure lo rille matches conducted under service conditions their proper place and importance on Hie programme ' as tests of excellence in musketry. Proposals have since been dratted, and discussed at a General 'stall' conference which look place recently. The deliberations of the conference resulted in a new system being evolved for the control of rifle ' shooting in New Zealand, and a new pro- '. gramme of events—details of which ore to bo published later—have been mapped 1 out. Generally speaking the new D.R.A. scheme provides for a New Zealand Association, with district and group rille ', as-ociations in each military district. . These subsidiary associations are lo be i termed io encourage members of the Defence Forces to become efficient in t'ho use of the rille and to promote rihVshooling generally as a necessary element \ in (ho defence of the Empire. llis Excellency the Governor will be i patron of the iiowly-constilutci! Dominion lfillo Association, Villi the Minister for Defence as vice-patron; the Commnndant (Mnjor-Gcncral A. J. Godley, C.R.) will be president, and the Adjutant-General ■ (Colonel W. A. Robin, C.8.), Director of Training (Colonel E. S. Heard), and Director of Military Operations (Lieutonaht- . Colonel J. T. Burnolt-Stuart), will be vice-presidents, and ex-officio members cf the council. The council will consist of an-executive officer (Colonel R.'J. Collins, C.M.G.), and ten members, the latter comprising two officers from each district nominated by the officer commanding the dMriet, and two officers elected by the commandant. This council will Ik formed to promote and conduct all Dcminion rifie competitions, and its decision will be available in any question in connection with rille-shooiing which may be referred to it by any other rifle association. The executive Officer and tho Director of Military training will draw up a prolamine of events and submit it (o the council. In each military district' a committee has to be appointed to manage Hie District Rille Association; (his committee will be charged also with the conduct of all rifie-shool'ing other than that laid down by military regulations, i Money grants from the defence vole will only be math- for rifie shooting of a strictly military character, conducive to the training of (he force. In uo way will (he regulations interfere with local Rille Associations or inler-regiment or inter-company matches, which may bo carried out provided they do not entail any expense on Hie Defence Department. This, naturally, means a very considerable change in the character of the programme of the -Dominion Rille Association's annual meeting at Trentham. The now programme will probably allow lour days for service matches anil three days for fixed-target competitions. There will, jn all likelihood, be three series— (coins' matches of a purely service char-,y.-ter, individual service 'matches, and nxed-larget matches, including bull's-eve competitions. These matches will l;e open to all members of tho New Zealand military forces, nml will be carried out under strict military discipline; in those matches which are of a purely military character the competitors will* have to wear the uniform in everv detail, and (ho matches will bo fired "by the book." teams matches will include snap shooting, rapid shooting, and shoo|ing af : figure, disappearing, and moving targets; there will be one special match, to bo known as the Islington competition, for a cup presented by his Excellency the bovernor to be carried out, on the lines oi t lie Evelyn Wood competition—tho team competing has to inarch clcvci miles and finish up with an attack on figure targets, placed at various disanees on the range. There is also lo do a hold-firing competition, in which disappearing sectional targets at unknown distances will be used. A noveltv will ho provided in the form of a superiority of ire competition, (ho details of which* aro being worked out. Individual scrvico ma cues will comprise snap-shooting, attack and observation of fire, moving targets, running man, and rapid slnotiii" Another series will be fired at first aii'd second-class iigiiro-targcte, at all ranges up o and including SCOyds., and ai the hull s-eyo target at SOO, 900. and lOOOvds. the championship will he decided aftho asL-nained range, so that this series will be practically the same as the compelilion m the last few years for the Dominion championship. The authorities, it is understood, reccrise toot the formation of district or tfi-oup rifle associations will be the outcome or the holding of the Dominion mooting annually, and it is hoped to establish some co-ordination anion" lhom and to give shape to some plan of emulation and competition between (hem so ns to arrange for the best team from each district being sent (o the annual meeting, free of cost, other teams Ivinsallowed to attend at their own cost free railway passes being granted as at present. This, if is suggested, would tend (o induce (he men of the Territorial Forces (a practice (o become good shots, and thereby improve (heir effectiveness as riflemen for the defence of their country. A revision of (he conditions of the other matches and the rules which govern them is. of course, necessary, in order to enable the meeting to be carried out in strict conformity with military regulations. This is now being done.