TRAINING TOMMY TO SHOOT. The State takes up the Task.

Free Lance, Volume II, Issue 85, 15 February 1902, Page 8

TRAINING TOMMY TO SHOOT. The State takes up the Task.

THE shooting men of the colony aie highly pleased that the Government have resumed control of the annual prize-firing meetings It was too steep a contract for the New Zealand Rifle Association to "nixrse the baby," but, although afflicted with chronic weakness of the chest, it struggled gamely through many years— since 1885, in fact— to do its duty. And, now that the Government are at last impressed with the sweet reasonableness of doing their proper share m training our citizen soldiers to shoot, the inducement to shoot straight is made stronger than ever For the forthcoming prize - firing meeting, ,£950 is offered m prize money, and £210 m trophies Besides this, the maikbman who is pool is not now handicapped out of the race * » * Instead of facing entiance fees amounting to £3 7s 6d as before, he finds he can compete m all matches by paying £2 Is while of course there is no ten shillings membeiship fee to pay Moie than this he has no longer to pay 9s a hundred loimds foi his ammunition, for it also is free So, too. sighting shots aie free instead of costing a shilling apiece Another boon to the marksmen is that register-keepers are provided foi them by the Government, which relieves them of the fatigue duty of scoring for their mates after finishing their own turn at the targets To expect a man to shoot well after doing his "turns" of scoring under a broiling sun, when he ought to be resting until he falls m foi the next range, is expecting rather too much On the whole, the changed conditions will tend to give rifle practice at the butts a great stimulus from end to end of the colony

Until the present war in South Africa broke out, the volunteer organisation seemed to be tolerated rather than encouraged. As for prize-firing competitions, they came to be regarded in high places as being merely cheap gambles for pothunters, and requests for assistance were usually received with a cold stare and a curt refusal. The war has changed all that. Everyone sings the praises of the volunteer soldier now, and it is esteemed a public duty to help him to be proficient in the exercises to which he cheerfully gives up his time and a good deal of his small change And, certainly, if the volunteers are to be encouraged at all, the wisest policy is to popularise a spirit of emulation in. shooting straght The young men who spend their leisure at the rifle range will make sterling citizens in other respects.