NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Te Aroha News, Volume XXVII, Issue 4389, 23 March 1909, Page 2

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

The New Zealand Bisley, as the great annual meeting of marksmen at Trentham is called, is now over, and the championship decided. The question of the value of such shooting

Trentham Rifle Meeting

meetings is one that is often freely discussed. Some there are who argue

that from a jmilitary point of view the kind of shooting indulged in at Trentham is absolutely useless, alleging that as an enemy does not stand still at a known distance to be potted at leisure, target shooting is useless. Others, again, attached too high a value to mere marksmanship, saying that a nation of good shots need fear no foe. That is an exaggeration on the pro side. Although as soldiers the crack shots may be no better men than the medium or indifferent shots, yet they would in actual war provide a very useful corps of sharpshooters. The man who cannot shoot without an orthoptic and a wind gauge is, however, of little practical value, but the Trentham series embrace some very utilitarian service matches, affording an excellent training in purely military shooting. The chief value of Trentham, we consider, lies in the fact that it is a powerful factor in sustaining our system of volunteer companies and rifle clubs. This alone would render the meeting well worth its cost. The improvement of markmanship all over the Dominion may be regarded as a very valuable addition to the total value received.