HUTT RIVER BOARD

Evening Post, Volume LXXXV, Issue 57, 8 March 1913, Page 9

HUTT RIVER BOARD

MONTHLY MEETING. The monthly meeting 'of the • Hutt River Board was held on Thursday. There were present : Messrs. Baldwin (chairman), Welch, and Knight. A letter was received from the Hutt Park Committee accepting the offer of the board for 600 yards of top dressing and asking the board for a rebate on that amount. It was decided to grant the committee 50 yards of soil free to replace a number of loads that were supplied and found useless. A ratepayer wrote complaining of the assessment of his land under class ii. He considered he ought to be rated under class iii. or not to be rated at all. The letter was received. , ■ The overseer (Mr. E. Fisher) in 4iis monthly report stated, in reference to new works in the upper district, that the working driving four new piles and reconstruction .of old groyne on the Hayward Land Company's property was completed at a total cost of £44 2s 4d. The erection of No. 6 boom groyne on the« Dew Estate, east side of the river, was completed. Its length is 113 ft and i the total cost £96 Os 7d (estimate £101 14s). Repairs are . shortly to be effected to groyne at Turner's land, after which he would proceed with the erection of 1 a groyne at Dexton's. The overseer recommended the removal of the concrete base of Pitcaithly's cable tower, also of some boulders as the river bed had lately developed a tendency to revert to the east. Improvements had been satisfactorily carried out by W. Strand oh Gear Island. Other improvements there Jre £et to be- effected.." ' J

record at the meeting will be better appreciated. Rflm. Marenzi (Kaitawa) fell away badly. He scored 25 only, and had to be content with eleventh place. But before the match it was generally realised that all James had to do to win was to keep cool and register a reasonably good shoot. James is the' most modest of men. He did not at all relish the limelight, and before the prizegiving ceremony had concluded he hastily disappeared with his club mates. THE KING'S PRIZE. The following is the result (with money prizes shown) of the CHAMPION RIFLE BELT. Prizes value £173' and a Dominion Rifle Association badge to each of the twentyfive highest aggregate scorers. First, tho J' Ballinger " Rifle Champion,, Belt (won outright by Mr. Arthur Ballinger, Petone Rifle Club, and presented by him to tho Rifle Association for.competition), gold medal presented by the Right Hon. the Defence Minister, and gold badge of the association, and £30 ; second, silver star and D.R.A. badge and £15; third, silver star and D.R.Abadge and £10 ; fourth, silver star and D.R.A. badge and £7; eight prizes of £6 each' and D.R.A. badges thirteen ' prizes of £2 each and D.R.'A. badge; twenty-five prizes of £1 each. . . 1 Rflm. F. H. James, Ok'awa, £30 , (468) 4244334250—31 „... . '...,499 2 Rflm. A. J. Cameron, ,Opaki, £15v - (452) 0553553555—41 ... * „..'493 3 Rflm. W. K. Williams, , Ohura, £10 (448) 4535355554-^44 492 4 Rflm. D,. Roots, Patea, £7,(455) ' ■4255055334-36 ... .... „. : ..'491 5 Sergt. -Major Frank, N.Z. Staff. Christchurch, £5 (454) 2344534543 ' -37 ... ... ... 491 6 Rflm. J. Milroy, Nelson, £5 ... 490 7. Rflm. A. M'Murray, Te,'Awamutu, £5 .' 490 8 R&m. W. M'Calmont, Opald, £5 489 9 Rflm. A. Henderson, Sounds, £5 487 10 Pvt. L. Loveday, Woodyille, £5 487 11 Rflm. S. Marenzi, Kaitawa, £6 ... «(86 12 Cpl. Keene, Eketahuna, £5 ... ,486 13 Rflm. Cuthbertson, Tua Marina, £2 483 14 Rflm. Fisher, Suburbs, £2 ... 483 15 Pres. M'Alister, Junee (Aus.), £2 481 16 Rflm. Reynolds, Christchurch, £2 481 17 Rflm. W. Randell, Linton, £2 ... 481 18 Rflm. D. M'lntosh, Opaki, £2 ... 480 i 19 Rflm. A. Govenlock, Linton, £2 480 20 Rflm. D. Guiney, Christchurch, £2 479 21 Rflm. W. Greig, .Upper Hutt, £2 47*8 22 Rflm. T. Goodall. Suburbs, £2 ... 477 23 Sergt. J. Bryden, , Kaiapoi, ' £2 ... 476 24 Rflm. R.King, Opaki ... ... 475 25 Rflm. F. Kells, Waimangaroa, .£2 475 26 Sergt. Swinnard, 10th- Regt.. £1<471 27 Rflm. J. Logan. Blenheim, £1 ... 474 28 Capt. Mace, 11th Regt.. £1 ... 474 29 Capt. Potter, Auckland M.R., £1 474 30 Cpl. Ching, R.N.Z.A., £1 • ... 474 31 Pres. Moselem, Kaeo, £1 ... 473 32 Rflm. Craw, Linton, £1 '. 473 33 Pte. S. Matthews. 7th 1 Regt., £1 473 34 Pres. H. Marshall; Karori, £1 ... 473 35 Rflm. D. Rait, Gisborne, £1 ... 472 36 Rflm. Comrie. Akarana,'£l ... 470 37 Pres. Banks, Okawa, £1 470 38 Rflm. J. PurneU. Wanganui, £1 469 39 Pres. Maingay, Te Aroha, £1 ... 460 40 Rflm. Hulntehaw/Xeterans, £1^ 367

tory one except from the point of view of entries. The weather, too, had been excelknt. At times the competitors had to contend with a gusty wind ; but several "possibles" had been registered at 900 and 1000 yards, and this proved conclusively that New Zealand had material s equal to any other part of the world, and possessed some excellent ehotsj Year after year many men came to the meeting, not with the idea' 6f winning prizes, but to meet old friends and renew old friendships. (Hear, hear.) ' Colonel Collins also said that the association was very much indebted to the Government fov the assistance it gave the meeting. A subsidy of £750 was provided. This, together with the ammunition, meant a grant of £1250. Speaking of the Service matches, ho said that these had been carried under better auspices than previously. They had the assistance of Captain Wallihgford, and the matches were made something better than "spinning jennys"— as they were known in the past. (Laughter.) Next year' it was hoped that there would be a, larger entry. The association was formed for, the promotion of rifle shooting as the national sport of , the Dominion. He hoped that every man would endeaVour to do some snooting with the rifle, ,and that the young men of the country would try and discharge the duty which rested upon them' of doing something for the, defence of the Dominion.' THE PREMIER SPEAKS. The Prime' Minister said he need hardly state that it was with a great deal of pleasure that he complied k with the request to say a word or two with reference'to the championship meeting. In •the first place he thought it was his duty to congratulate Colonel Collinß and those who had worked with him on the cuccess that 'had attended the meeting. Next he wished' to congratulate Rifleman James and other prize-winners upon their Buccesfi. ■ He was quite certain that all the competitors, whether they had been successful Of not, would take the result with equanimity and as sportsmen, for if they were not sportsmen they would not be here. The country owed a deep debt of gratitude to those men who had given their time and energy in connection with rifle-shooting and the defence movement generally. One had not to be very old to remember the time when, in . the words of Kipling, the Empire called for' the young men who ■could ride and shoot. The colonies were not long in responding to- the call and New Zealand waft among the first, and the men, who went from this country gave a very good account of themselves 'in South Africa. That call to be met was due to an extraordinary set of circumstances, but they had to .be prepared for any such emergency, .even though it might not occur in ordinary warfare. Such an emergency might not occur again, but it was the duty of the men of this country to be ready if it came along. He was confident that they would be ready. ' Colonel Collins had. said 'that t\m was his first visit, .to the -ranee. Hejgmid like" to*m£^&^hsMx;lm

various reasons, it would not be his last* (Hear, hear.) He also wished to endorse what Colonel Collins had said with reference to the great value of the Irentham Rifle Rahge. In thtß range they had an asset of national, not merely local, importance, «nd of great national value. He was' confident that this would not be the last successful championship meeting that would bo held here. (Ap plause.) ACTING-MINISTER OF DEFENCE. The Acting'Minigter of Defence (the Hon. R. H. Rhodes) said that like Mr. Massey he wished to congratulate 'Colonel Collins and liis dmcers on* the way ;iu which the meeting had bnen conducted. He aluo congratulated the champion, and the winners of the other matches. He knew that from Colonel Collins's point of view the meeting 'had not been the success it ought to have been, because the entries were only 353 against 600 two years ago, but they 'could not expect to find veteran Bhots amongst tho Territorials for Borne years to come. Such shots were to be found amongst ' the old volunteers and the rifle dubs. He expressed pleasure at the facb that Banks Peninsula (a district in which he had been closely associated with rifle shooting) was represented ab the meeting. He went on to Bay ihat he had read with interest the comments which had been made on the meeting. It had been said that tine shooting was hot being encouraged. Personally he knew -that General Godley took a very great interest in rifle shooting. He asked them to have patience and not> to ' be too hasty in criticism or in judgment. Difficulties nad to be overcome — that fact had to be realised — and when they had been overtaken it would be found that the -Territorials would hold their own in every respect. It was especially pleasing to him to note that the v l'ine clubs had entered freely for the -service matches as well as the other competi* tiohs. It had also been Baid that they devoted too much time to training and not enough to musketry— that 80 per cent, of a soldier's time should- be given to target practice. That' might be so, but it did not mean mere firing at a target. A soldier could hot be made by merely teaching him to shoot. He had to be trained in fire discipline) range-finding, and many 6ther essentials of good shooting. In this way it would be found as\ time wont on that our cadets would become efficient shots.' He referred to the scheme which ' Mrs. Godley was fostering among the c&dete and remarked that it was to be regretted that the musketry instructors had not been able to give the whole Of their time to instruction. A scheme was no# under .consideration for the appointment of one of these instructors to each dig' trict. He would not make a definite statement till General Godley returned but would give an indication that tlte Government would appoint an instructor to each district. They might not have as many Territorials here as they could wish ,to have, but' as long as the Terri» ' torials carried out their musketry practice ih their own districts they wohld have to be satisfied. Let them -be trained in their own districts, and com© to this, meeting as;they gained in skill. Let" this be the Mecca of champions. He hoped to see the Territorial here in increasing numbers in future years. In conclusion 'he' expressed tne' hope that he should see all present" here again next year. The Minister of Defence whose place he was taking would be in. New Zealand next year and; he hoped, would be able to speak to them 5 But he himself hoped to be here as a spectator. At the call of Colonel CoIHAb, cheers were given for Mrs. Massey. A FINAL WORD. Colonel Collins expressed liis thank* to the staff,, who had Assisted him throughout the meeting. Without the assistance of Colonel Hughes. ' Range Superintendent, it would have been im» possible for him to have carried the titeet* ing to a successful issue. They had also a large number of range officers who gavte their services gratuitously. In ho other place in the world was a meeting run like this by the gratuitous service* of officers. Captain Bolton, the statistical officer, and hi&' staff had excelled tlfemselves m getting out prize'lists with great rapidity. Captain Mabin had carried out his duties in the camp to the satisf action and comfort of the. men. The members of the Permanent Force, as markers, under Captain Sandle, had dohe. their work efficiently ahd accurately. Colonel Collins also thanked the press' for full and accurate reports and lot the work done in helping to make this and othe# rifle meetings successful.