RIFLE SHOOTING

Evening Post, Volume CIII, Issue 57, 9 March 1922, Page 8

RIFLE SHOOTING

CADETS AND TERRITORIALS

THE CENTRAL COMMAND

MEETING.

Times are hard and rifle meetings cost money, but in the eyes of the Defence Department their continuance is important, and, though the annual Central Command Meeting at Trentham this year was launched in the face of considerable financial difficulties, the efforts _of the officers of the Department have made possible the carrying out of an efficient and useful series of competitions, which commenced to-day. Last year the competitions were held at Wanganui, where there /were 584 entries arid 4SO actual competitors. This year the entries total 398, comprising 100 Territorials, 160 Senior Cadets over the age of 17 years, ; 121 under 17, and 17 " all-comers," the latter entry being distinctly'disappointing. The smaller entry has, no doubt, been due to the narrowing of the competitions to the t>est shots of cjompanies, whereas ; Last year any member of a company was able to take part. Even so, the entries this year are not large when the great area 6f the command, running up from Wellington to New Plymouth, Taumarunui and Napier, is considered. Next year the meeting will be restricted to those who have qualified as marksmen. This, it is hoped, will offer an inducement to Territorials and Cadets not merely to shoot, but to shoot well. The trip—per fi;ee railway pass—will still be in the nature of a holiday, but those who take it must have shot during the year to deserve it.

'The following are the officers in charge of the meeting:—Chief Executive OfficeT, Lieutenant-Colonel J. H. Whyte, D.SiO., D.C.M., N.Z.S.C.; committee, Major F. A. Wood, M.C., Captains D. E. Bremner, M.C., I. ;K. Jennings, D.5.0., and 0. H. Mead, D.5.0.; secretary, the ,Hon. Lieutenant A. J. King; treasurer, Captain-S. V. Trask. Individual matches, grouping, apphca-

tion, snap-shooting, and running figu%! are being fired to-day on the Allen and Collins ranges. The Allen range, in charge of Major F. P. Henderson, is divided |into( two portions, for Cadets under and over seventeen years of age, who are firing with .22 and .303 rifles respectively, at 25 yards range; while the Territorials are on the Collins range, under the direction of Major Wood, firing !at ranges of *froni 200 to 600 yards. , The teams' competition will be commenced to-morrow, and the .trophies will be' presented by Major-General Sir Edward W.'C! Chaytoron ifatiirday afternoon. ■'■■■'.

A handsome sterling silver cup has been, presented to the Central Military 'Command, by Messrs. W. M., Bannatyne and Co., Limited, on behalf of Messrs. John Dewar and Sons; Limited, 1 of Perth/ Scotland. The cup is for competition! at Command Rifle Meetings, the first of which is being held at Trentham this week, and is to be held from year to year. It has been allocated to the "Territorials Match No. 1," a contest under service conditions, consisting of first, 7 rounds at 200 yards, with allowance of 20 seconds per shot, and, second; ten rounds at 200 yards snapshooting at a head and shoulders disappearing target. . . . '