CORRESPONDENCE. RIFLE-SHOOTING.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5181, 21 September 1927, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

RIFLE-SHOOTING.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—l read with great interest the “Rifle-Shooting” notes in Monday’s issue of this paper. It can be seen that there are a number of promising lads in our Cadet companies who if taken in hand, may become frontrankers in the sport of rifle-shooting. These lads will later' be drafted into the Territorials and issued with the Service rifle. They will be put through a course of musketry, but with such large numbers of men to train, the keenest of instructors: cannot give as much time as they would wish to each individual, ft naturally follows that a. certain percentage o£ these men, owing to backwardness, will take up most of the limited time at the instructor’s disposal. There is also a certain percentage who are keen on shooting, but owing to lack of facilities give it up when they have completed their period of training in the • Territorials, and so let pass bj r one of the most useful and cleanest of sports—that of rifle-shoot-ing. Some of theise lads may be coming champions; who knows? The difficulty can bo overcome by the formation of rifle clubs, which, if run on the proper lines, can be of very great help to our Territorial system in the' form of a finishing school in so far as the use; of the rifle is concerned. The experienced members of rifle, clubs- are ever willing to get hold of young shots and /each them the fine points and then, bring them but by the spirit of competition. It is not necessary to wait till a lad has served his period of Territorial training before he can join a rifle club: he can be; an honorary member of a club whilst serving as a Cadet or a Territorial. It therefore follows that as a trained shot he would be of great assistance to bis Cadet or Territorial unit. No parent need ever be afraid to allo-w a son to become a member of a rifle club, because there is no sport which calls for cleaner living than rifle-shooting. It seems a great pity to me that this sport, which flourished in Paeroa prior to the war, has been allowed to slip back. Can it not be revived ? It should not be a difficult matter to get range; facilities, and as regards coaching, we have in our midst a man who knows the rifle and rifleshooting from A to z , and would. I am sure, be only too willing to impart his knowledge to those who wished to take advantage of it. He has a record which is second to none in theDominion. A sport which trains a man for the defence of his country, should he at any time be needed, should commend itself as well worthy of the support of all. who can help it along. INTERESTED.