THE COLONIAL FIRING AT WANGANUI. [FROM OUR SPECIAL REPORTER.] Saturday, April 6,

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 145, 13 March 1886, Page 3

THE COLONIAL FIRING AT WANGANUI. [FROM OUR SPECIAL REPORTER .] Saturday, April 6,

The conclusion of the firing for the Rifle aad Carbine Belts this afternoon was a sight well worth witnessing, and will not soon be forgotten by those who were present. There were upwards of 1,000 civilians present, and the whole of the representatives remained on the ground till the battle was over. The first stage match for carbines was taken first, and commenced about three o'clock. Auckland's chances were very poor indeed—Ross, oi Napier, having a lead of 22 points, and McKenzie, of Wellington, 13 points on Webster, while Parslow was 3 points behind his comrade The result was a surprise to some, although it did not affect the result of the Belt. The following are the aggregates of the twenty who fired for the Carbine Championship :—: — Lieut Ross. Napier Artillery 485 Gun. Webster, Auckland Artillery .. .. 475 Sergt. Kuchen, Wellington Artillery.. „ 468 P.O. Lioyd, Wanganui Navais 467 Corpl. Parslow, Auckland Artillery .. .. 467 Gun. Bunting. Napier Artillery.. „ . 463 Corpl. McKenyAe, Wellington Artillery .. 46i Sergt Perry, Alexandra Cavalry .. ..462 P.O. Turner, Wanganui Navais 460 Bugler Gill, Thaineß Navais 458 Gun. Driver, Port Chalmers Artillery .. 458 Sergt. Webb, Wellington Artillery .. .. 40l Sorgt. Gray. Wellington Artillery .. .. 451 Seaman Floyd, Thames Nava>s 451 Seaman P. Weir, Thames Navais .. .. 451 Gnn. Moore, Queenstown Artillery .. .. 418 Gun. Williams, Napier Ariillery .. ..417 P.O. Stitt. Wanganui Navais 414 P.O. Johns, Thnmes Navala 4 in Gun. Barnes, Port Chalmers Artillery .. 429 Lieutenant Rosa being the highest aggregate takes the Carbine Bolt, New Zealand Kiflo Associatioa gold star, and £10; Gunner Webster takes the New Zealand Rjllo Association silver stur and £20 ; Sergeant Kuchen, the Now Zealand Rille Association silver star and £10 • Petty Officer Lloyd, £7 10s; and Corporal Parslow, £2 10p.

Tno Rifle Championship. Immediately after four o'clock tho concluding stage of the Rifle Belt commenced, and tho excitement grow intense. Auckland had a better show here, Lee being only eight points behind the first man, and Cooper, the fifth man, thirteen points behind. It did not require long to tell that Auckland was out of this belt. Tho following is ths result of tho rifle chatnship: Sergt. Remington, Wanganui Rifles .. .. 443 Capt Acheson, Riverton Rifles dl 3 Foster, Wanganui ±\2 Uownie, Thames . . . . 434 Cooper, A\ickland \ 434 Lee, Auckland \ 430 Taylor, Auckland 424 Lucas, Thp mea i 22 Sergt. Chuck. Blenheim Rifles .. . ." 421 Pt. GibliD, Stoke Rifles, Nelson 421 Hay. Auckland .... 418 Griffiths .. .. ;, ,' us Maddock, Blenheim . \\ 417 Mann \ Greer . . . " " j.12 Pt. McMeikan, Waikari Riflas, Otago ' ' 111 Matthews, Maaterton . . . . 410 Sorgt. Moosoman, Wanganni City Rifles ' ' 410 Howell 409 Fredericks, Dunedin " .^2 Remington takes the rifle belt, N.Z.R.A. gold star and £40 ; Acheson the N.Z.R.A. silver star and £20 ; Foster, the N.Z.R.A. silver star and £10 ; Downie, £7 10s ; and Cooper, £2 10s Uownie .being the hiKhest scorer at tho final stago, wins the Rifle Challenge Cup

Present and Previous Champions. The previous Champions for the present Carbine Belt have only competed for three years. Ross, Napier, the present champion, won it in 1884; Parslow, Auckland, 1885; and Ross a^ain in 1886. Prior to that, Thames held the old belt five years, and Gordon kept it as his own property by winning it two successive years. The following are the Champions for the laat nineteen years :— 1873, Lieutenant gpakins, Thames : 1874, Gaptain Hamlin, Waiuku (uncle to Barriball, who competed

this year) ; 1875, Lieutenant Skinner, Auck lani; 1876. Corporal Willocks, Clutha; 1877, Lieutenant Paynter, Nelson; 1879 Corporal Ballinger, ' Wellington; 1880, Sergeant Okey,' Taranaki; 1881 Lieutenant Paynter, Nelson ; 1882, Corporal Hutchinson, North Dunedin ; 1883, Sergeant Kennedy, South District; 1884, Volunteer Churton, Wanganui, 1885 ; Lieutenant Lucas, Thames ; Remington, Wa.nganui.

Statistics and Results The number of competitors firing at the meeting was 137 rifles, 71 carbines : total, 208 ; of which number 21 won prizes varying from £1 to £67. The amount won by riflemen _ were £403 ; carbines, £351. The highest amounts won individually were: —Boss, ISiapier, £67; Remington, Wanganui, £46; Webster, Auckland, £45 ; Achoson, Riverton, £28 : Downie, Thames, £22 10s ; Poster, Wanganui, £21 ; Floyd, Wanganui, £17 10s ; Kuchen, Wellington, £17 ; E. Mooseman, Wanganui, £16 j Craig, Wanganui, £14 : A. Amodst, £13 ; P. Weir, Thames, £12 ; J. Thomas, £11. C, Howell (Taranaki), Purnoll (Wanganui), Mahoney (Wanganui), Lee (Auckland), Matthews (Masterton), Foster (Port Chalmers), £10 each. The amounts won by districts are : -Wanganui £207 10s ; Auckland, £128 ; Napier, £48 • Thames, £80 103 ; Wellington, £60 ; South land, £40 ; Port Chalmers, £28 ; Taranki, £27 ; Blenheim, £27 ; Nelson, £11 ; Timaru, £S j Marton, £7 ; Waverley, £5 ; Lyttelton, jLo.

Auckland's Shai'e of the Prizes. The amounts won by the Auckland and Thames representatives are as follow: —Gunner Webster, Artillery, £45, and N.ZR.A.. silver star badge; Volunteer Dovvnie, Thames Rangers, £22 10s, and N.Z 11.A. badge and Rifle Challenge Cup ; Corporal Thomas, Thames Rangers, £12; Seaman Weir, Thames Navals, £12 ; Sergeant Lee, Victoria Rifles, £10 and N Z.R.A. badge ; lieutenant Coopor, Victoria Rifles, £9 10s and N.Z.R.A. badge; Seaman Gill, Thames Navals, £9 ; Gunner Parslow, Artillery, £7 10s and N.Z.R.A. badge; Seaman Moulden, Navals, £7; Colour-Sergeant Buchanan, Gordon Rifles, £7 ; Seaman Hennessy, Thames Navals, C 7 ; Seaman Thorburn, Thames Navals, £6; Sergeant Hay, City Guards, £5; Gunner Payne, Artillery, £4; Volunteer Taylor, Gordon Rifles, £4; Lieutenant Moore, Navals, £3; P.O. Moore, Navals, £3; Sergeant Rose, Victoria Rifles, £3 ; Lieutenant Fairs, Gordon Rifles, £3; C.P.O. Johns, Thames Navals, £3; Volunteer Handley, Victoria Rifles, £2 ; Sergeant Little, Hobson Rifles, £2; Volunteer McDonald, Hobson Rifles, £2 ; Captain Lucas, Thames Rangers, £2; Volunteer Stirling, City Guards, £1, and bracelet, value £3 ; Sergeant Soall, City Guards, £1 ; Volunteer Buckley, Gordon Rifles, £1; Lieutenant Leigh, Gordon Rifles, £1 ; Volunteer Hawke, Thames Rangers, £1; Seaman Brownlow, Thames Volunteers, £1 ; Lieutenant Smith, Navals, £1 ; Corporal Doughty, Artillery, £1 : Gunner Woclley, Artillery, Cl; Trooper Barribull, Waiuku, £1. Total: £204 10s. The amounts won by each corps are : — Auckland Artillery, £5S IO3; Thames Navals, £38 ; Thames Hangers, £37 10s ; Victoria Rifles, £24 10s; Gordon Rifles, £16 ; Auckland Navals, £14; Hobson Rifles, £S; City Guards, £7; Waiuku Cavalry, £1. The total is £204 10s.

Close of the Meeting. Wangakui, April S. The teams' match finished as follows :— Wangamii Rifles, first prize, £50 .. .. 522 Thames Navals, second, £30 .. . 521 Wellington Guards. £20 500 River con Rifles, £12 103 49S Olutha Rifles. £710 a 496 Taranaki Rifleß. £5 489 Auckland City Guards, third -177 Auckland Artillery 477 Hobson Rifles .. .. 475 Gordon Kiflea .. £65 Victoria Rifles . 460 Auckland Navals .. 435 At the close of the teams match this afternoon the twenty highest aggregates in matches Nos. 3, 6, and 9 fired off for the Union Company's Cup. Lieut. Ross, of Napier, winning with 275 ; Gunner Webster, Auckland, 271, second; Sergt. Kuchen, Wellington, 266, third; Capt. Somrnerville, Wanganui, 262, fourth. This completed the meeting, and the Volunteers being paraded, Major Noake read camp orders, expressing gratification at the success of the meeting, and giving praise to the various ofEcei's whose exertions had contributed to that result. His experience of this meeting was that it should be made a sine qtca non that at all future competitions the range should be from north to south. He suggested for the consideration of the Committee whether it would be advisable to offer a few prizes to be competed for under conditions which would as nearly as possible be met with in active warfare. The competitors were entertained at luncheon at the camp this afternoon by the Wanganui citizens. About 160 sat down. The Mayor presided, supported on his right by Sergeant Remington, the rifle champion, and on his left by Lieutenant Ross, the carbine champion. The whole affair passed off mosl pleasantly, the company returning to town at five o'clock, when the prizes were distributed by Mrs Spurdle, the Mayoress. Romington and Ros3 were loudly cheered on receiving tho bolts. In concluding the meeting it may be said that the volunteers who have been firing for years" state that it is one of the most ?uccissful meetings ever held by the Association