MEDAL SHOOTING

Te Aroha News, Volume XVI, Issue 222053, 20 February 1900, Page 2

MEDAL SHOOTING

Tns Government medals were fired for at Pueroa range on Sa urd y las% the ‘ reps.’ from the T.R.V. wre Sergts. Salmon and W. Maingav, Vo’s Strange rn d Hirst. The whole arrangements were very unsatisfactory, and as a r : fie competi ion was a complete farce—so much so that out of fifteen marksman only two were abh> to complete—nei her targets or mn-le-ers available ti 1 nearly 4 o’clock, then only one target and the markers were eompe itors—o ntrary to regulations. And it was afb r 5 when 'he first range was completed, and there was bare time for the T.R.V. to hurry through the see nd range, the .500 (whore Sergf. W. Maingav made 8 bulls-eyes consecutively, 38 out of 40). to catch the 6 tmin to Te Au>h». At the 700 only two of the V aihi Rifles finished, two firing j n the dark. Tbe Paproa “reps.” did not fire at +he 700, and the two marking did not fire at all.

This competition for medals was notified last March for marksmen of ’9B-99, to be fired on a dav fixed before Fob. 28th, 1900. Owing to the deficient arrangements in Auckland for -ho ring it w m not n tifmd to take place til the 17th. The competitor* themWve* are very over it, as mßny of these present were marksmen of this year, in fact onlv just finished hob- class-firing in order to enable them to fme the marksmen course. The oldest v dun'ears were men who bad complied wi‘h the regulations and were barred from competing owing to the want of proper arrangement l *. There are ’ »vy few in Incements giv°n hyth G -vernnient to one'urugemarirsrnen. Some yearßbnek they instituted the Gnvornmnnt medals, a very great inducement tru’v, when the proceedings wero of the nafuro of those at Pea on Saturdav.

The medals are : One go-d modal for the whole of the Nor'h Island Of c -nrse that includes Wanganui, Nnpior We hrtgton, e‘c. One gold and silver medal for -the whole of the North Island ; and one silver medal for the Auckland District. The honour, o? course, i* great, because the chances of winning are peculiar. Last year tho ’•ogubariou was that each company should fire on t.heir own’range, and yef we had to go to Pa won because of the pcirei'v of S‘aff officer*. No. 2 Battalion is esnerinriy hare in thi* vepnnet. The District Adjutant, In“t’ucfor, e‘c.. cannot. b° spared from Auckland f >r No. 2 Bat'alien, the only <■ no avail-Ho being Adjutant Porritt. Major Kenny having resigned long ago. I* is 2 ypa>\* since the Bnt'ab’on

was gazetted end the coring apuoinfments of acting mnjnr-adju'anf, serg‘- ! Tii jor and The onb- one whoso appointment is recognised is Adjutant Porritt, wh > is a capa’le officer, if on’y ho and ‘he battalion Imd fa : r treatment. which the has not, right from its formation. i