OUR OLD RIFLES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 503, 10 May 1909, Page 4

OUR OLD RIFLES.

TURN. UP IN NORTH-WEST INDIA. A BOON FOR BROTHER AFGHAN. A littlo over two years.ago tho Defence Department deemed it advisable to realise on a largo stock of old Snidor and Martini- '■ Henry rifles, which had boon rendered obsoloto by tho importation,of lator-pattorn arms, , \ and had been stored for a number, of years/' in tho Defence Storos in Buckle Street. l Consequent upon this, advertisements were inserted in the local papers calling for puichaso by tenders of tho old rifles, ono provision being that thoy inust go to England, tho idea ,being that.if,they wero soldjndiscriminately they might bo used by turbulent peoples opposed to tho interests of tho Empire. .The purchasor of. tho greater number of t&o rifles V gave .an assurance that thoy were being, sent' to Birmingham, presumably to bo taken to pieces ■ and somo of tho parts used for more modern rifles. 80. this; as it may, tho .fact remains that, tho Government. has received advice that \ twonty-eight of those rifles (bearing the Now Zealand stamp) havo been takon from tho rebel hill-tribes, oh tho north-west frontier of India. It is well-known, that tie Persian Gulf is being continually watched to prevent shiploads of arms-being landed for*the use of thf war-loving Afghan, and tho numerous ;>■. hill-tribes of. tho mountainous frontiers of ■;.• North-western;lndia, who own allegiance to none save their own chiefs. No such arms \ , may v pass through, the well-guarded Kimibaa* Pass, yet riflos that wore sleeping peacefully in Bnckle Street a oouplo of years, ago aro now being used against our own troops'in ..India., Tho rifles wero sold for a 6ong—they V aro Binging to some purpose, now in one of the most important military •strategical .positions in Asia.. In somo quarters it is claimed that there has been a lack of common pro* dcncoi in the disposal of thess arms—that ' ithey might have come in very handy in the 1 . event of .universal military- training being adopted.; ; Many old . riflemen; swear, by tho : Snider rifle as a.most effective,weapon up to 600 yards, and it is argued that those that, .wore disposed of would have boon a greater ;vahie to tho Dominion and tho,Empire than '-, tho paltry sum they, realised, together with, the use., they aro being put to against "our. ; OWn." ... ■■■■.; '. . ..,.:V: . • ....■:■ ...:..-, .'-■ ; ; Tlio above news recalls an incident which. occurred "at Suva during tho oxcrtomont of tho Boer war. Tho white peoplo there had. formed, a company-which had- been Bupplied '-' " \ with 'rifles. After peace was deokircd tho life faded from volunteering in Fiji, and, when a.' year later tho Government caJlod'm the aims, it was found that with few execp. iions the,rifles had been sold.to tho'Samoar ■: [ tebols. :,;:..':•■.