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Southland Times, Issue 1587, 4 June 1872, Page 3

Sib,— ln your issue of 31sfc ulfc., a letter appears, aigued "Ensign Schmidt," Riverton Rifle Volunteers, which, if allowed to pass uncontradicted, would have a tendency to mislead the public. To my mind, " Rifle," who haa been good enough to act as special reporter, has given a more truthful account of the match, Riverton v. Invercargill, on 24th May, than that furnished by Ensign Schmidt. Not being present at the " proposed agreement" to finish the match at 500 yards, I cannot offer an opinion, but this I will say, and challenge any of the gentlemen present to refute it : — On comparing score 3, Ensign Schmidt proposed that 1 should take my team's vote as to whether they would fire off the 600 yards' range to determine the match on tha following morning. To this all parties wera agreeable, in proof of which a majority of their team met mine as arranged, 6 of the respective teams having decided to complete the match at the 600 yarda' range, the result being, on tho whole, 7 points in favor of Invercargill. With regard to the 3 points so graciously conceded to us for the " benefit of the doubt," I maintain we were perfectly "entitled to them, as proved, by tho scores of a neutral party who kept tally on tho range. Ensign Schmidt, lam sure, will agree with m c when I suggest that a possible error might arise on his side, he being scorer and competitor at the same time. The latter part of hi 3 letter contains a considerable amount of bombast. If he would study the Volunteer Regulations, he would find that neither he nor I had tho privilege of " authorising" our teams to " shoot," and that both of us are bound to " recognise" the match as finished on the 25th. — I am, &c, Neil Fbbqvsov, f Edsign LR.V • Invercargill, 3rd Juno, 1872.