THE COLONIAL PRIZE FIRING.

Evening Star, Issue 4095, 11 April 1876, Page 4

THE COLONIAL PRIZE FIRING.

The * Thames Advertiser ’ has an article on the late rifle competition and its lessons, in which it says ;— *• The rifle competition just concluded should have the effect of convincing the Defence Minister that the system hitherto pursued, of selecting as representatives only those who have scored a given number of points in competitive firing, does not result in bringing the best marksmen to the front. In order to make this plan successful, it would be necessary for all circumstances and conditions to be coincident. The ranges must be all equally good as regards position and light : but this is impossible. That which may be considered a good score at one set of butts would be inferior at another. One squad may shoot during high wind and . rain, another in a calm, and the state of the atmosphere, as affecting light, essentially differing in both cases. The Weapons should also be of one class, and of the same excellence, but it is not so. The Auckland men, in competing with the medium, labored under the greatest disadvantage ; the Thames were better off, possessing both long and medium; but the Otago men, who had the long Snider rifle served out to them some months before the competition took place, were favored above all others. There is as great a difference between the efficiency of the long and medium Snider as there is between the long and medium Enfield. In Otago, whesre the men had acquired proficiency in the use of the best weapon, a larger number qualified, and the coveted belt again went South. This conclusively proves the system of selection to be faulty, and the necessity of resorting to some other for selecting representatives, and the subject is one which in all fairness should receive the attention of the committee who are appointed to investigate these matters. It is suggested that instead of basing a selection upon scoring a fixed number of points, each district should be allowed to send a certain number of men who, in competition, make the highest aggregate scores, under regulations. The number of representatives from each district to be decreed according to the strength of the companies, the muster at drill and parade, regular attendance, and the general efficiency of the corps. Some such system would produce the result for which these belts and monetary prizes are voted by the Government, namely, to encourage the Volunteer movement ; but at present we understand the status of the Volunteers in the South is not what it should be. Instead of giving an example to the rest of the Colony by their strength and soldierly efficiency, they have degenerated to something like rifle clubs under Government patronage; and it is to a district, whose skeleton companies should have long since disbanded (if our information be correct) that the highest prizes awarded by the Government have gone.”