THE PROJECTED RIFLE ASSOCIATION IN AUCKLAND.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 18, Issue 1156, 26 October 1871, Page 3

THE PROJECTED RIFLE ASSOCIATION IN AUCKLAND.

[from the daily southern cross.] It is greatly to be desired that the projected " Rifle Association " will not meet .the untimely end that is so often the fate of our local enterprise. Whether rightly or wrongly, our city lias ihe character of being the grave of good intentions. "Whether it is that a. humid and somewhat enerva tingclimate has the effect of relaxing our energies, but in some way our buds of early promise are usually nipped before they are expanded. The new Association has in it apparently the elements of success. It is in the first place in good hands, and next it supplies a want of the time ; and if it fulfils proportionately to our population the duties performed by the Iviile Association of England, its projector's will have reason to look upon the movement with satisfaction. There is one feature, however, in the expressed purpose of the new Association which must be regarded as a defect. It is stated as its "principal object the encouragement of rifle shooting amongst the volun-

teer*." We fully admit the wisdom of .doing everything possible to encourage the enrolment, of our people in the .companies of the citizen soldieiy, and s?t the same time of raising our corps #f organized defenders to the highest point of efficiency. But we question if in any sense it is a wi>e procedure to confine, as is the apparent intention, any encouragement which may be available exclusively to the volunteers. •There are many persons who, from various reasons,are absolutely precluded from em oiling themselves among the volunteers, who nevertheless would be willing to qualify themselves for taking a by no means unimportant part in the defence of the country against foreign aggression. Military esprit de corps may affect to despise this irregular form of practice in the ways of war : still there cannot be a doubt that even .though the entire population should not enrol themselves as volunteers, if the practice of rifle-shooting became general, and the sympathies of the people weie enlisted in favor of a universal familiarity with the use of the rifle, a descent of an. armed force on the coasts of New Zealand would become to be regarded as a very perilous proceeding to the invaders. We do not hesitate to say that it is the duty pf the projectors of this Association to throw its doors open as wide as possible, and lo not only permit, but to encourage civilians of ery kind,, even though not associated with the volunteer force, to take a part in the preparation and in the competition for whatever prizes may be offered. The success of the Rifle Association in England should be the encouragement, and present the model for the movers in this most desirable project. Some time since, when strongly urging the formation of such an association as that which has just been orginated, we directed attention, to the encouragement given to societies and associations in all parts of the world to become affiliated in connection with the English association, and to the invitation issued generally inviting .candidates from all parts of the colonies to send in their names as intending .competitors at Wimbledon. There is no reason why our sharp-shooters should not have aj< clear an and as firm a hand as any others, and it is not too much to hope that we may yet see honorably mentioned among the distinguished marksmen of the empire some of the alumni of our young but hopeful association.