RIFLE SHOOTING.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1710, 29 March 1913, Page 12

RIFLE SHOOTING.

[Br A. A. Qeosge.] HAWKE'S BAY ASSOCIATION, " The Hawk's pay Bifle Association have held their fifth annual meeting, and it will bo admitted by all who topk part that it was a vast improvement pn some pf its'predecessors. In orety detail tlWrp wps plain improvement. The iyqrk in t|ie trenches was spleiidid, and feoj-Ji pfficei's and msa coijperiipd deserve every land flf predit for their work, which was ieng and arduous, but was well c.irripd out in every particular. Oil the field q.lsp "thin range officers and.others carried out their duties in a soldierly maunpr. The \yriter is not at, ono vritlv tho.se who think that, laxity should be allowed, bepape member? of riflo clubs and otqers. aro not under actual service conditions'. I bqliev'o in good discipline, and no naiflby-painby l>usipess. Thb range officers at this meeting were much nearer to discipline than lias been the ease in some, former years, and the effect was a marked improvement, especially on the second dajr. One thing that I wish to specially note was the total, absenoe of t)io dqily press. There, were subjects on the range which would have formed the basis for many interesting columns, but these were qlltlost. The banquet in the evening was algq. nqt-. able foy 'tllo total abseiico of the pressmen,' notwithstanding fhg fact that some speeches were, made pn whiph cicpllput articles might have been based. It was pointed out by one speaker (and I think the idea a capital one) fliat much good oould 'b.s done ljy. amalgamating the whole of the Dominion rifle clt|bs undef one- central control.' I think that this is a grand and wolild_ lend to_ results winch can never bp attained bv individual effort, because individual has some idea of his own which would liot be allowed to appear at all. Quite 1 ' li ' lot of good sens© was. talked during the evening about many things, especially the position c£ the' Territorials.. Rifle clubs at present o.re composed of elderly' and middle-aged n|en w.fia have, I in many cases, been through -tire yolxm'teer ranks; some have been' militiamen-; and other sorts of spldiers, but, in a foiir j years all this class will, no doubt, quit, | and the rifle clubs consist of men who have all (or nearly all) ■ been Terri-torials,-for the simple reason that every'boy will eventually lmvo' gone'thro,ugh the Territorial ranks in the. ordinary, course of events. For that reason encouragement should be .given to Territorials to; learn to "shoot. . Tlio. present system of poing 4° a ■ drill-hall, .laying a riflo on a franje, and loqkiw?. nt'a spot on a bit .'of paper may be all yery well for men who are tho swnt> thing ever.v day, h\it, .'for recruit's, who piilv meet once a week, it is too slow' a. system}' nltogether. I think 'that more actual shoots, ing would v!*st ampunt more good. As a .theory (t is all very 'well,; but theories are in many cases only theories.

Healthy conditions aftiect the nerves and eyesight, ' A Rim' screwed into .a vice would not hit the same spot cvorj' time owing to wind and other weather conI Agree with giving every pinn a tun, but the idea of giving _hiin ammunition to shoot at bottles with (as one speaker suggested) is nonsense. What the citizen army of New Zealand irill be called on to do (if it is ever called on) is not to shoot at bottles _or but to shoot at objects which are taking. all sorts of BnwauHftns not to be struck' by a bullet, and therefore tho nearer the growing soldier can bo trained to actual swvicft conditions the more likely ho will bo to Become a useful factor in of emergency. Addod to "this,' he must hfi trained and compelled to undergo severe and strict discipline—in short, to do exactly wlii\t: he is 'told, apd only to dfl w:h<\t lie thiijks best when he is sent, out to do otitic tiling where for the time being ho is compellpd to. thipk for/himself. Tha remarks of a Territorial officer 011 discipline, and tho*} of tho rifleman, who wants all tho club.s oii« .control, wero undoubtedly the speeches of "tlio eveniugj and worthy pv wid? WiMipity. v Although th?. gathering was not reported. I no doubt that tho Hawkp's Bay Rifle Association survive and prosper. It was gpod onopgh for two -riflemen to, all the. wayi from Australia, and ope pf tlicin annexed the $onp Cup, and other prizes, showing that tho fame of the club is not, cpn.flnfd' to the Dominion. It is pleasant to know that tho mestipg v«l9 8. financial success.