THE BISLEY MEETING.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 71, 26 March 1910, Page 14

THE BISLEY MEETING.

* •PROTEST AGAINST FIGURE TARGET. SPECIAL EMPIRE MATCH. (From Our Own Correspondent.) LONDON, 11th February. The members of the National Rifl> Association have been discussing matters relative to the next Bisley meeif ing. A special meeting of the Association was held at the Royal United Service Institution on Saturday concerning the recent decision to uee the figure target afc the next Bisley meeting in all individual competitions. Mr. T G. Armstrong moved: "That tho members of the National Rifle Association, in special general meeting duly assembled, do request the council to restrict the partial adoption of the figure target to the year 1910, and do declare it to be purely experimentalthat the members request the council to obtain prior to 31st August, 1910, the. opinion of competitors at the annual Bisley meeting of 1910, and also of all members on the register on 14th July, as to the adoption of the figure target as proposed." In seconding the motion, Colonel Keith said that Bisley was not a military camp. "It was a meeting inaugurated mainly by men who had taken up rifle shooting as a sport, and they carried on the meeting practically at their own expense. They were asked now to adopt a new scheme — give up the bull's eye target and take to the P r £ k"'B et ' which could net be used at all for competitions in which everybody could be put on a fair level, feurely the members of the associationshould have some voice as to how they should manage their own, affairs." /t j^n- 60me disc «ssion, the chairman (Lord Cheylesmore) said that he did not think rt was the province of the association to criticise the War Office nor could the War Office act as dictator to the association. He adhered to all that he had said, last yeai as to their keeping up the use of the bull's eye target at Bisley. It had been stated that the War Ofl&ce was doing all that it could to obstruct the methods of the Association. But that was absolutely untrue. A meeting had been held between the- council and the War Ofiice officials, and certain points of administration such as the pooling of ammunition, etc., had been considered. Sub-: sequently, the War Ofiice appointed a small committee to go into all the questions. It was decided by the council that, as a concession to the War Office, they would introduce these figure targets at the 500 yards ranges. That was aIJ that was arranged. It was considered by the council to be a very small innovation. He assured them that it was not their intention to carry out the whole of the scheme outlined in the circular of two years ago. Ha maintained that the association had done, and was still doiag, an immenseamount of good work for the War Office. The resolutions were carried, with 26 dissentients. MARKSMEN OF EMPIRE. On Monday the National Rifle Association held its usual winter general meeting. Lord Cheylesmore, who presided, said that an outstanding feature of the summer's programme would be the Empire match betweeD the Mother Country and the Dominions, for which Australia is sending a strong representative team. The match last took place in 1907, when a British team visited Australia, and it is hoped that next July most of the leading Dominions will be able to put some of their best marksmen in the field. The selection of the British contingent is in the experienced hands of Colonel the Hon. T. F. Freemantle. The days set apart for the shooting will most probaoly be those which immediately precede the opening of Bisley Prize Meeting — Friday and Saturday, Ist and 2nd July — and the overseas teams, who will be reiafoTced by men of the Malay States Guides, and members of the Singapore Rifle Association, will remain to participate in the principal individual competitions. NEW CADET COMPETITIONS. After enumerating some of the change* which have been decided upon in tho general arrangements for the meeting, Lord Cheylesmore made the interesting announcement that Colonel Schumacher, of Johannesburg, who for some years has presented prizes for the Empire Day Challenge, Cup, has now decided to give prizes to be shot for on Empire Day by cadets and boys of the Empire. The council of the N.R.A. have accordingly arranged two competitions — one for cadets under eighteen years of age, and a junior competition for boys under fifteen, with tne following prize-lists :— • Senior competition, a challenge cup, silver and bronze medals, and £100 in money; junior competition, a challenge cup, silver and bronze medals, and £75 in money. The conditions of the competitions are being drafted, and will in. due course be circulated for the information of those interested. In regard to rifle clubs, the chairman expressed gratification at their satisfactoiv growth in numbers. There are now affiliated to the association 1897 clubs, with a total membership of 122,463. He also mentioned that an invitation has been extended to members of the N.R.A. to take part in an entente cordiale match and other competitions in France next June.