CORRESPONDENCE.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume II, Issue 115, 20 December 1873, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

[Our columns are open for free discussion ; but we do not hold ourselves responsible for the opinions of our Correspondents.]

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir, —I have this day seen in your issue of Ist November a paragraph referring to the contemplated Rifle Match between thia place and Poverty Bay.

As my name appears in connection with the matter, I would wish to explain my share in the transaction.

On my way across to Poverty Bay some months ago, I was requested by certain members of the B.P.V.C. to convey a challenge to the Poverty Bay men to fire a friendly match. As I am rather fond of a little sport myself I willingly consented to do so.

The terms of the challenge were rather vague as regarded the amount— if any—to be fired for, but in the course of conversation I was led to believe that the B.P.V.C. did not care to risk much money on the event, their principal object being sport. On my arrival at Poverty Bay, I took steps to make the challenge known to the different Volunteer Corps in that district. Captain Hardy of the P.B.M.R.V. at once accepted the challenge on behalf of his Troop and I repeated to him what I had heard from the challenging team. He made no difficulty whatever about money but expressed his regret th*t the two teams could not meet and exchange toasts over the dinner table—the losing party of course to pay the shot. This however being impossible he was quite willing to fire for the ammunition only and signified the same to the Secretary of the 8.P.V.C.; much to his astonishment and my disgust an answer was returned to the effect that the Opotiki team did not consider it worth their while to fire for so paltry a thing as the price of the ammunition to be expended. J am glad to find from your columns that this has put the Poverty Bay men on their mettle and that they have in turn become the challenging party, the stakes now to be £5O a side, and although I am a Bay of Plenty man myself I sincerely hope that the Poverty Bay team will succeed in keeping up its reputation, it being quite evident that their principal object is sport while in this place the primary consideration is money. I write somewhat warmly on this matter as I have a strong objection to being made a fool of; nature has been sufficiently bountiful in that respect without any foreign aid.—l am &c.,

Leonard Simpson. Opotiki, sth December, 1873.

to the editor. Sir, —In reference to the letter in your columns of the Ist November, in which you state that Captain Hardy was instructed to forward a challenge to the Bay of Plenty Volunteer Cavalry to fire a match for £5O, within the six months subject to conditions to be agreed on. I now ask you has Captain Hardy posted his letter, or what has become of it, as it has not yet found its way to Opotiki ? And if this is really the desire of P.B.M.R.V’s to fire us for the aforesaid sum. I have the honor to inform you that the B.P.V.C. will accept the challenge if they will be good enough to communicate with us at once. Amd in the same letter you state that the B.P.V.C. sent, through Captain Simpson, a challenge to fire the P.B.M.R.V’s. I beg to contradict this statement; as I wrote the letter to Captain Simpson while in Opotiki, I ought to know the contents of it. I simply requested him to try and get up a Firing Match with or-

or A.C. on the Poverty Bay side, and with Snider carbines. lam certain I did not refer to any particular corps. Although the P.B.M.R.V’s forwarded a challenge to fire the B.P.V.C. for the cost of the ammunition expended at the match. And in answer to your challenge Mr. Dette was instructed to answer you as he did, that the stakes were too small for the corps to take an interest in. And for this so very flippant decision (as you call it) you state that we are looking at it in a pecuniary light. I beg to differ with you on this particular point. You must take into consideration that Opotiki is a farming settlement, and your challenge was received when we were all busy setting our crops

in. Otherwise we should have fired for the mere love of the sport. But on Captain Simpson’s departure for Poverty Bay I gave him to understand verbally that we were not particular to any sum between £lO and £2O, and to fire in a team of ten. Some months after your letter was received to fire for the cost of ammunition expended nt the match, which was quite foreign to our suggestions. —Yours, &c., John F. Connelly, Sub.-Lieut. B.P.V.C. Opotiki, 11th December, 1873.