THAT DIMINISHED ENTRY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1690, 5 March 1913, Page 8

THAT DIMINISHED ENTRY.

ITS PROS & CONS. j THRASHED OL'T IN THE CAMP. (From Our Special Reporter.) The statement made by Major-Genera} Godley-(Officer Commanding the New Zea*-' land forces) to a Christchurch interviewer with regard -o the publicly-exprcstcd opinion by Colonel Collins that the decline in" the numb:-r of entries for the Trentham rifle meeting was ,<lue to tne lack of encouragement to rifle shooting was the subject oi' a good deal, oi tree comment on the range yesterday. _ With regard to two particular points— that it was not desired that the Jei ntorials should go to Trentham' in large numbers,' and that Trentham shoukl attract quality .not quantity—and /the General'iH expressed regret that the shortage of officer?) had made it difficult for him to arrange for the Ilytlie musketry experts to lw freed from area duties and clerical work, and devoto more time to practical duties, opinion on the mounds was crnite unanimous. "Our point is this," said an experienced rifts coach and veteran marksman of an older dav, ['that the muskchV course laid down for tho Territorials is not" calculated'to foster a .sporting interest in riflo shooting. It is this sporting interest that lias built up the rifle club movement.

Yhat do we find? Territorial recruits toil" put straight on to figure target pracico! Everybody agrees—even the Imperal officers—that elementary instruction n musketry begins with practice at the mll'p-eye over fixed rangas. I "would keep ;lie Territorial recruit at bull's-eye prac;ice for a year at least, and give Inra a ;portiug interest in rifle shooting. If .we Jon't, then in a few. years' time we will | i>e unable to find new blood for our rifle dubs. „ „ ~ "Now, with regard to flie General s remark about Captains Wallingford, Hose, Henderson, ar.d Purdom, does he seriously ask us to believe that'for the sake of clerical work that could bo. ■ done by n youth' in an offico at 355. a week, _ the expart services of a man like Captain. Wallingfoi'd aro to be lost to the country?" One speaker concluded_ with a remark that tho Gener.il did not appear to appreciate the' seriousness of the position. It would,require, he said, the appointment of only three offioers in order to free Captains Wallingford, Henderson, and Ro=e for musketry instructional duty. Could not three suitable men be found?