LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume II, Issue 120, 10 January 1874, Page 2

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

De AB Sib, —With your permission, I beg to place myself before the public in reference to assertions made by Mr. Bryant, Collector for the Race Fund. Those who are at all acquainted with me, undoubtedly know that I must have had good reasons for not subscribing to that fund, as pub.ic matters generally receive as much support from me as 1 can afford to give. 1 asked Mr. Bryant the reason why there was no pony race this year. His answer was, “if you don’t subscribe, I will post you up!” I then said that, when supplied with the necessary information, 1 would most willingly subscribe. —I am, &c., M. G. Nasmith.

Sir, —At the quarterly inspection of the P.B.M.V. Troop, Hie Officer in Command of the district took occasion to remark on the apathy displayed by the troop in responding to the invitation to fire for choice of representatives at the forthcoming Colonial Prize Firing, and although the days appointed were very inconvenient to most of us, I certainly think that the officers ought to have bestirred themselves a little more in the matter, and tried to induce men to fire, if only for practice, especially taking into consideration that the troop has challenged the Opotiki Troop, (who, if I am rightly informed, are at present the best shots in the North Island) to fire for £5O aside, flattering ourselves that we are a match for them, although why we should do so I cannot tell, as at present there are only four or five decent shots in the troop, (and they propose to fire us with ten men), not but that I think we could raise a decent team, if we had practice, but that is the very thing we do not get, and that is where 1 consider our officers are to blame in not trying to induce men to practice regularly. They say, O, you will have plenty of practice when you meet for a week’s drill, but I say good shots are not made in a week, and woqld suggest that the officers try to organize squads of men for practice these long summer evenings in convenient places, and show an interest in the matter by attending themselves. If something of this kind is not done, I venture to predict that the Opotiki men will beat us ignominiously, and laugh at us for our presumption, leaving us to pay the piper to the time of £5 a man. Hoping this may aid a little in rousing those interested from their present dream of bliss. —I am, &c., Trooper.