RIFLE SHOOTING

Evening Post, Volume CII, Issue 113, 9 November 1921, Page 9

RIFLE SHOOTING

ELIMINATION OF D.R.Ai MEETINQ

THE COST ANALYSED.

Representatives of the New Zealand Rifle . Clubs' Executive waited on1 the Minister of Defence yesterday in. reference to his decision, on the score of economy, not to hold the D.R.A. meeting this year. Mr. R. A. Wright (Wellington Suburbs) introduced the deputation, which, he said, hoped to show the Minister, that his estimate of the cost of the meeting;(£6ooo) was excessive. The deputation explained that the dcci-" sion of the Minister not to hold the D.R;A. meeting this season had been received with' the utmost consternation. The association had been led to believe that the meeting woold be held as usual, and arrangements, had been made —incidentally the Gordon Highlanders Match was to have been fired in New Zealand instead of Australia this year. It had been stated that the meeting would cost, the Government £6000, but last year the cost was £4701. In this amount was included £1100 for railway fares which did not affect the issue; it would cost the country • nothing, as it was purely a transference from one Department to another. Ammunition waa put at £2000, but it must be borne in mind that Mark VI. ammunition was used.: Territorials used Mark ,VII. ammunition, and ' the Mark VI. reserve was being used up by the. rifle clubs, so that no cash gran* was needed from the Government for ammunition. . These twe amounts,'.deducted from' the. £4701, left only £1600. This ■'■was, reducible by a ' further £100 for, among other things, the £4701 total contained; pay and travelling allowances of military staff officers engaged at the meeting. Here again there was no'expense to the country involved, for those irien had to be paid whether they were at jrenthani or not.' The real, cost to the country would therefore be £1500. , ■The Minister of Defence said he hid to cut, down, far-more important items than the D.R.A. meeting—the camps had been abandoned-for the year. The.dcci-, sion was not his alone, for, knowing the deputations that it would cause, he had placed the matter before Cabinet. It was true arrangements had been> made in connection with the meeting, but that was before the instructions to ciat down expenditure were issued"; The allowance for railway fares .had been described as purely & book transaction, but the amount was a charge on his Department, and that was what he bad to consider. ■ Mr. H. Marshall (president of the Rifle Clubs' Executive): " But it is not a losa to the* country." •■•, ■'■-•■ Sir Heaton:, "But I have te_ look to the charges to my Department." > If the ammunition spoken of was not used this year it would be available later. If the deputation wished the matter placed before the Cabinet again, he- would do so. Should the Minister of Finance give him. the money, he would be glad to assist the sport in every way. possible. ;. Finally, the deputation decided to anproach the Minister of Finance. The following members of Parliament were present at the meeting wis the Minister of Defence:—Messrs. W. H. Field (Otaki), T. E. Y. Seddon (Westland). F. F. Hockly (Rotorua). R. P. Be-llavd (Raglan), A. Harris (Waitemata), J. M. Dickson (Chalmers), G. R. Sykes (Masterton), J. T. Horn (Wakatipu), T. W. Rhodes (Thames), and J. A. .Nauh (Palmerston North).