RIFLE SHOOTING

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 177, 14 April 1923, Page 19

RIFLE SHOOTING

(By

“Aperture.”)

-The many friends of Sergeant-Major J. Hunter, range warden at Trentham, will regret to hear that he has just passed through a very- serious illness. Ho is now up and improving, but very weak, and it will be some time before he is fit and well again. I am sure all riflemen will join with me in wishing him a speedy recovery. The Marlborough Association next year intends to hold its Easter prize meeting on the Monday and Tuesday instead of Saturday and Monday. An endeavour is also to be made to induce the South Island Rifle Association to arrange for next season’s South Island championship to be competed for in Marlborough. At the Taranaki meeting, in the course of the annual meeting of the association, President Fellingham (Wellington Suburbs), secretary of the New Zealand Rifle Club executive, said it was unfortunate that a change • to Easter would clash with the Hawke’s Bay Association’s meeting, and every endeavour should be made to come tc. some arrangement with that club’s executive. Speaking generally, he considered that the association was apparently singularly unfortunate with regard to trophies for short and long range aggregates, and he gave, a few hints as to how the shortage might be overcome. Later in the evening it was resolved to adhere to F-aster as the date for Uio meeting. A sugjsestion was made at the annual mf,jeting of the Taranaki Association that the first prize in each match should be donated by tho various towns interested in the gathering. President Fellingham intimated that he would undertake to raise £5 in Wellington towards the funds of the association if clubs in the district each raised a similar amount. '

In connection with H. V. Croxton’s decision to offer the B.S.A. Cup for re-competition at the annual meetings of the N.R.A., the cup is handed back on the conditions set out in the following letter addressed to the president of the N.R.A. by Mr. Croxton:—“As there is now no trophy to replace the B.'S.A. Cup, which was von outright by me as a member of the Karori Rifle Club at the last meeting of the Dominion Rifle Association, held at Trentham in March, 1921, I have the honour to inform you that it is my wish to donate the cup to the National Rifle Assoc.ation of New Zealand for competition, subject to the following conditions (1) That the cup shall be known as ‘The Croxton Cup ’ (2) That it shall be competed for at the annual competitions of the association. (3) That it shall not become the property of any winner, and that it shall not be taken out of New Zealand. (4) That it shall be held each year by the winner of the aggregate at present known as the Bisley Aggregate, or of any aggregate for longrange shooting, i.e., shooting at ranges of BQQ yards distance or. more, which may at any time be substituted by the association for the Bisley Aggrogate. (5) That the names of winners shall not be engraved upon the cup, but may be engraved on silver.shields attached to the plinth on which the cup stands. (6) That should a period of two years elapse without any meeting of tho association being conducted or without any competition for the cup being held, or should long-range shooting cease to be included in the association’s programme of competitions, the cup shall revert to myself or to my heirs, executors, or administrators. (7) That the winner of the Risley Aggregate at the first meeting of the National Rifle Association of New Zealand, which was held at Treutham early this month, shajl bo tho holder of the cup for tho current year. In the event of the association’s acceptance of the offer herein contained, I suggest that in order that the conditions may be known to competitors, a copy of this letter, together with a copy of the associat on’s letter of acceptance, be printed each year in the official programme of the association. I trust, if this offer is accepted, that future competitions for the cup may serve to promote an interest in longrange shooting, which has for so many years formed an attractive feature of rifle championship meetings in New .Zealand.” Some season perhaps the Wellington team in the home-and-home match against the other representative district teams of the Dominion will strike a fine day. Last Saturday could hardly have been worse, a northerly gale prevailing and making high scoring impossible. The results will be published when the scores of the various districts are in the hands of W. G. Fellingham, secretary of the N.R.A. A matter of the utmost importance to riflemen in Wellington, if not of Dominion concern, arose at Monday night's meeting of the Wellington Rifle Clubs’ Union. As the matter is of considerable moment to Wellington marksmen, I quote the letter which introduced the subject. It was addressed to the secretary of the Wellington Rifle Clubs’ Union, and signed by th“ area officer. The letter says:—“l should be glad if you would place the Undermentioned proposed scheme before your union., and advise me as early as possible of its decision on the matter. In order that rifle clubs in and around Wellington shall be in the same position as regards rifle ranges as other clubs throughout New Zealand, it has been decided that the Seddon Range, ni Trentham camp will be handed over for the use of rifle clubs on the fol-

lowing conditions:—(a) The Seddon. Range., complete with range fittings and fixtures, including two sheds, will bo passed over to the control of an executive or committee (hereinafter called ‘the committee’), representing all rifle clubs which normally use the Trentham range, (b) The committee will be issued, on free loan, with:—2s targets. 6ft. x. 6ft.; 25 targets, 4ftx 4ft.: 25 targets, 10ft. x. 6ft.; 25 large flags, 25 marking discs, 25 paste pots, 4 telephones, with wire, etc., complete. (c) The range, fixtures, fittings, and all articles passed over to the committee remain the property of the Department and will be maintained in good order and condition by the committee, to the satisfaction of the Department. (d) The Department reserves the right to use tile range on any occasion, on its giving the committee two weeks’ notice oi its intention so to do, but this right shall not be exercised on tlie occasion of any duly advertised meeting of the clubs to be held on tie rang*. (?) The committee shall at once execute rny repairs or other work necessary to keep the range in its present good order and repair, failing which the Department shall call upon the committee to undertake such work, H ich if not completed within one month oi such demand, shall be undertaken. fay the Department at the expense <n the coi.i'.nitteo.. (f) The Department reserves the right to let the area contained in the range for grazing purposes, but the license or lease perm.tting such grazing shall contain provisos that:— 1. Only sheep may be grazed. 2. The licensee will keep the area free and clear of roxious weeds and perform ah the provisions of the Noxious Weeds Act and amendments. 3. Tho licensee will pasture sufficient sheep on area to ensure grass is kept sufficiently short so as not tto interfere with rifle practice. 4. The license© will repair any damage caused by his stock to firing mounds, butts, or drame, or other Departmental property on area, (g) 'Lis arrangement . may .be terminated on either party giving six months’ notice of its intention so to do. in which even; too range, fittings, fixtures, and ah articles passed over .to the committee, snail be returned to the Department in good order and serviceable condition, all losses, damages, or deficiencies therein shall be made good to the Department by the committee. The Department shall take any steps necessary to onsare that the licensee observes these provisions. Tho foregoing provisions are, as a matter of fact, embodied in the current grazing license.” After a short discussion the committee. decided co circulate tho letter among the rifle clubs in Wellington City and suburbs, and to ask each club to invite its members to attend a' special meeting of riflemen on May 2 for tho purpose of considering the proposal’s outlined in tho letter. The union also decided to send a copy of the letter to the New Zealand Rifle Clubs Executive for its information, and to inform the New Zealand Executive of the immediate atcion which the union was taking in the .natter.