RIFLE SHOOTING

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXV, Issue 10713, 27 February 1913, Page 5

RIFLE SHOOTING

THE TBENTHAJI MEETING

(By Telegraph.—trass Association.) • TRKNTHAM, Last Night.

The Dominion liiile Association's annual meeting opens to-morrow morning at 9 o'clock, and is expected'to continue until iFriday week. So far, the prospects for a successful meeting are good, b.oth as regards weather conditions and attendance. At present there are some 360 entries, and by to-morrow there will probably be another twenty entries. In any ea.se, the attendance of shcotists will be fifty above that of last meeting. This, of course, is small compared with tht> record attendance tivo years ago, when close upon 600 men. assembled, but the altered military conditions have necessarily, for a'time at least, brought- about a reduction in the number of visiting riflemen. -The abolition of Volunteer corps has something to do 'with this stat e of things, for many -of those corps assisted promising marksmen to go to Trenthani to uphold the honour of their corps. There being no Volunteer corps now, the funds formerly; available for assisting shootists have ceased to exist; hence : a ' considerable shortage oF visiting,riflemen compared with former meetings. A large number of men are in camp to-night, and when firing commences to-morrow *at 9 a.m., the bulk of the entrants will 'be present. The service matches, loop hole, rapid shooting and snap-shooting will then bo -started, and for these thare are some 300 entries.

Entries for the teams matches are likely to be extensiye. Formerly teams had to consist of twelve men, which caused a good deal of dissatisfaction. This year six men will constitute n team, wheh has possibly stimulated competition.

To-day there were nearly >. forty earns men at practice. /