A CHAMPION SHOT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 772, 22 March 1910, Page 8

A CHAMPION SHOT.

RIFLEMAN HALLIDAY HONOURED. HON. J. A. MILLAR ON DEFENCE. NEW ZEALAND AND THE MOTHERLAND. Members of -tihe Karon Rifle Cttttb did honour to their club-mate Rifleman George .Halliday, winner of the rifle ohampionship at .the recent Treniihom meeting, by entertaining him at dinner at the Hotel Windsor last evening. Tlie chair was occupied by Mr. W. H. Field, M.P., patron of the .club, who was'supported by the guest of the evening, also the. Hon. J. A. Millar, and Colonel Codlins. A number of the competitors at the recent meeting were also present Apologies for non-at-tendance were received from the Premier, and from Messrs. J. P. Luke M.P., and T. M. Wilford, Mi\, Colonel Bauchop, Major Hislop, Captain Turner, and Captain M'Diarmid.

Ie Rifle Shooting Should be Fostered, °> The chairman, in proposing the toast =£ of the health of Mr. Haffiday, remarked re that Mr. Halliday was not only a id champion rifle shot, but a champion •n good fellow. (Applause.) The speaker Jβ- *, e . at °*J° refer to.the good fellow'o f"Pe xisf M2>tween the members of ■" the Karon Club and to.the fight pu e up .by Mr. H. Marshall, another Kat -ft"JJo*,-,^ o*,-,0*,-,0* , -, Continuing,. Mr., Field said "; the time had arrived when some more il vT > T? Jme, Sr should k horded to e nflo . I sh ° ts - (fear, hear.) He had re- | ceiitly forwarded to the Minister for " Defence a statement. as to what was >e done in New South Wales towards the encouragement of rifle clubs His v wae all in favol,r of New y South Wales as compared. with New e l ,?° Mo clubs itt New Zea- • ?»*■«"* been neglected ,j m the defence system. The rifle-club t nwwaneirt xm the cheapest, form of • defence and quite efficient, and it r ltd a IhSi H ih °* only 1. would h mMe Tenement they : clubs n 6 m ° Te + C l ubs ?* strOT S°r . clubs. The greatest'.enthusiasm prevailed .amongst rifle clubmen and tie to fh« In* 2£* courage rifle clubs » would s,m+5 ,m +f f new «S"k«w» Tv-hic£ '■ the encouragement which *■ te tlf« J° r ' f , "*)- Reverting to the guest of the evening. Mr. Field ' said he did not W« , .he was glad of his win iTso f£ oL -§ aTO !t a f J Bs *- thc i rifl Waa glad he had sta* to fetW 8"W am ™ from ettmg himself go. A man had to attend strictly to u his physical condition and hold kmselfweinn hand. When Restarted shooting in the Woodville Rifles he had the limit, and then he could not win. (Laughter.) His advice to young and some old shots was not to worry Go down determined to' do your best. In the qualifying 200 yards shoot he had though at one g time that he had bad luck, but, as a matter of fact, it was good luck. He finished. • outside of the first place, and this saved him. the anxiety which fell to the

lot ot the first-placed : men Capt Hall proposed the toast of Parliament. The present Parliament was one which thought Imperially and acted Imperially. Capt. Hall went on to refer to the Dreadnought gift, and to the universal military training of our youths. An effective scheme of : defencewas needed in the Dominion— one which the volunteers could practise and learn' for the, benefit' of the country Ihere was. a good deal to thank the Government for; During the past three years more assistance had been given to volunteers and rifle clubs thau nerore. The' Government wished to create a national spirit, and endeavour .to make rifle shooting a national sport A national spirit was- necessary to enable this to be done, and it was to rifle clubs and volunteers that the Government looked for this spirit. He thought it was; time New Zealand sant another team to Bisley. It was,now five yeai;s since New, Zealand was represented at tne big meeting. Colonel.Collins could, he believed, pick a' team out of the nrst nity which would be as strong as any which had ever left these shores. ITie Australians and Canadians would be represented at Bisley this year, and a further incentive to send a team v-as the fact that New Zealand were the winners of the last Empire Match, and this was to be fired for again at Bisley We should, urged Capt. Hall, be there to defend the title. If the Government could.not see its way to send a team to Bisley it might at least send the champion shot to Bisley each year. This would _ be a further incentive to men to strive to reach the topmost mark in shooting. (Hear, hear.)

What Now Zealand Is Prepared to Do. The Hon. J. A. Millar, in reply, expressed regret at the absence of his chief, the Minister for Defence, who wasau fait with the defence of the country, whilst he (the speaker) was mixed up more with steam-engines (Laughter.). He realised to the full what Captain Hall said when he remarked that the present Parliament was Imperialistic. The , Government had been blamed in some quarter* for presenting that; Dreadnought, but there were times when one should act, not hesitate. (Hear, hear.) The Mother Country was too proud to ask for assistance, but she accepted it gratefully. (Hear, hear.) The people of England were carrying a load of 17s. per head for defence, whilst at the! time New Zeaalnd presented the Dreadnought we were only paying Is. per head, and now we were only paying 4s. per head. If the occasion arose again to-morrow, the Government would take exactly the same action in regard to the Dreadnought as it took last ttmo (Applause.) The gift had had a' greater effect than we realised to-day. Referring to internal defence, the speaker said the Government had a report from the greatest military authority in the Empire, and this report would demand the earliest consideration of the Government. Before receiving this report the Government had introduced a scheme of what might be termed modified compulsory service, which would bβnefit the youth of- the Dominion. He thought that in a few years they would find 'that the majority of the adult population of the woula be trained in the' use of the rifle—a most necessary thing. With thousands of men given the opportunity of training, no doubt in a fow years we would have an efficient' citizen army. He wanted to be in the position that if the Mother Land got into trouble we could say to her: "Send your troops where you like—we , can look after ourselves," leaving the Old Country free to dispose of her'troops without having to look after New Zealand. He thought the Government fully realised the advantage to bo gained from supporting rifle shooting in New Zealand. He felt confident he was voicing the opinion of Cabinet in saying that they were desirous of promoting rifle shooting in New Zealand. Mr. Field also replied to the toast.

A National Sport. President H. 8,. Marshall proposed the toast of tho Dominion Riflo Association, and paid a tribute to the excellent arrangements of tho executive The speaker went on, to oongratukto.

the executive on keeping service matches out of the championship. Bull s-eye target shooting was becoming a national sport—such sport would not be fostered if the men have to go in for service matches for the championship, Colonel Collins remarked that Rifleman Halliday was not only the champion nile shot of the Dominion, but ho had assisted in the winning of the Gordon Highlander competition and the Jimpire match. Rifle shooting was becoming more popular every day, and was rapidly developing into a national sport. Riile shooting was skill and not luck. If the luck clement entered more into the championship they would not have the competitors that came along. Lieut. Roach responded on behalf of the working staff of the association. Other toasts honoured were "The Volunteers," proposed by President Hobbs, and responded to by Captain Mabin and Lieut. Skelley; "Our Sport (Rifle shooting) and its Supporters," Mr. G. Halliday, responded to by Captains Hall and Keif, Messrs. C. Odlin, A. Ballinger, W. H. Field, and E. Jackson; "The Ladies," and "The Presß."

During the evening songs, etc., were given by Messrs. D. Kenny, D. Twohill, Henderson, V. R. Meredith, J. Burns, and Baker.