NEW ZEALAND RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XIII, Issue 279, 2 December 1878, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

A meeting of members of the Association in Nelson was held at the Nelson Hotel on Saturday evening for the purpose of electing a Local Committee and Secretary, as required by the Association rule£. -The meeting-was well attended, notwithstanding ;the unfavorable state of the weather. <; MajSr ££(&'presided. The other commissioned' officers present were Major Jones (Oj:ago Volunteers), Surgeon L. Boor, Captains Bunny and Gully, Lieuts. Adams, Ashcroft, and Hammond. The non-commissioned officers and men of the various corps were well represented, and several non-Volunteer members of the Association attended. The following members were nominated for the Local Committee:— Majors Jones and Pitt, Surgeon Boor, Captains Bunny, Gully, and M'Rae, Lieuta. Paynter, Weat, and Hammond, Sergeant-Major Harkness, and Mr J. T. Catley. A ballot was taken for the five members of Committee, and resulted in the election of Majors Pitt and Jones, Capt3. Bunny and Gully, and Surgeon Boor. Capt. Bunny was then elected Hon. Local Secretary to the Committee, which office he kindly undertook; and \ Iramediateljr commenced collecting the current "year'a subscriptions from the members present. Several matters connected with the Association and the forthcoming meeting at Nelson in February were discussed; and the meeting closed with a vote^of thanks to tha Chairman. . During the discussion one non-Volunteer member stated that he had what is termed an '• Express" rifle, the bullet fired from; which corera aspace of six inches in its disc upon the target when struck.' The other members were unanimously of opinion that express provision should he made iuthe conditions of the various matches for preventing that description of rifle being used at the competition. A considerable number of members from the various Volunteer corps have already joined the) Association, which is however open to others besides Volunteers. The annual subscription for Volunteers !is 10s 6d, and for non-Vplunteere .£1 la. Anyone subscribing j£S Ss^ or giving a prize of the value of £10 !0s is entitled to life membership. We understand that the Local Committee will be happy to take the names of those intending to join. Nelson has been permanently fixed upon' by the Association rules as the place for fche annual meeting, and we hope to see many persons here besides, the Volunteers become members, as it is certainly in the interests of Nelson that the Association should be well supported here. At the meeting in February next, members will assemble from all parts of the colony, and as arrangements have been made with the Union Steam Shipping Company for the conveyance of members of the Association from any port called at by the Company's steamers, to Nelson and back, to attend the annual meeting, at single farea . (saloon or foreeabin); for the double journey, there will probably be a large gathering. No doubt excursion steamers will belaid on by the Company, and many persons (other than members of the Association)* from various places in New Zealand will b£ induced to make a pleasure trip to Nelson, the re- i suit of which must prove beneficial to the town. Members of the Wangariui cavalry have expressed their intention of bringing their troop horses with them to the meeting, provided they can obtain a suitable steamer, and |t is beJievedthat some of the Hawera Light Horse will also attend with their horses, as a cavalry tournament will be provided for in the programme. The Association's printed jrules' and regulations for -the forthcoming meeting are v not • yet quite ready for distribution, but a copy can be. seen by. all interested at Mr Stanton's warehouse in Trafalgar-street. ;