NEW ZEALAND RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

Evening Star, Issue 7187, 15 April 1887, Page 4

NEW ZEALAND RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

The following memorandum of a proposal which Captain M'Credie intends to lay before the Council of the New Zealand Rifle Association has been forwarded to the 'Evening Post':—"ln view of future meetings of the Mew Zealand Rifle Association being carried out with a superior description of rifle to that now in use, and the fact that one description only is to be used by all competitors, I consider the time has arrived when the Council of the Association should consider the advisability of raising the standard of rifle shooting in this Colony, and secure for itself as. early as possible a permanent site on which to carry on its operations. In order to do this, a much greater amount of public interest must be created, and inducements held out to competitors of a more substantial character. There cannot be any doubt but that the high value of the prize or prizes offered in every description of competition gives to it a prominence and creates a large amount of public interest which, with prizes of small value, no matter how numerous, would sink into insignificance. It is, therefore, with the knowledge of this fact that I venture to lay before the Council the following seheme -.—That in addition to the usual programme of matches (the aggregate excepted); a champion match should be fired in two stages; 1 say for the first at 200, 500, and 600 yards, and for the second at 800,' 900, and 1,000 yards—ten shots at each distance; the highest aggregate ejghty jn the preceding matches to (

compote in the first stage, of which the forty highest aggregates (the scores made in the first stage being added to the previous aggregates) compete in the second or final stage for the championship. A minor set of prizes might be given for the first stage, but the prizes for the champion match of the two stages should amount to the sum of LI 000, divisible as follows:—First, LSOO and the championship of New Zealand, gold star, and champion belt; second, L 250 and silver belt; third, HSO and gold badge ; fourth, LIOO and silver badge. I have said that the prizes for the championship should be decided by the aggregate score made in the two stages; but the question is one which the Council should carefully consider, as very good reasons might be given for taking the aggregate of the whole series of matches. At present, however, I am of opinion that the prizes should be given principally for long range shooting. It also would,. I think, create a greater amount of interest in the championship, starting, as it would, the competitors on a more equal footing. Greater interest would also be taken by competitors in obtaining a place, first in the eighty and secondly in the forty. The greatest argument I have anticipated against this course is that it would be likely to favor those who could procure an extended range in their own district on which to practise, but I hope to show further on that such would not be the case. I come now to the subject of ways and means, and the benefit the Association would be likely to derive. It is now quite clear that with the Government subsidy, the entrance fees, sighting shots, and sale of privileges, based upon an attendance of 250 competitors, the usual programme can be carried out. The aggregate prizes, therefore, amounting to Ll6O, could be made available for the champion match. Then, lam confident that the attendance of competitors would be very largely inareased—l should say, for the first year, not less than from 400 tp SQO ; This would give a further sum of something like LSOO, and with an extra entrance fee of LI j the total sum required, including necessary additional expenses, would be made up. But there are other sources from which the Association could derive a considerable amount of revenue, one of which would be from the system I am about to suggest for the practice of competitors at long ranges. It is essential that provision should be made for practice at long ranges. I therefore suggest that a set of targets, say, eight in number, and placed echelon of twos, enabling competitors to fire from one platform, at each of the following ranges—7oo, 800, 900, and 1,000 yards—be erected, and that they be open for practice during the meeting on the following conditions:— For every five rounds fired at any range there should be a pharge of one shilling, and a small Tprize of say two guineas could be given at the close of each day's shooting for the highest score at each range with five shots. These practice targets, I hold, would do away with the idea that competitors who might be able to practice at long ranges in their own districts would have an advantage over those who might be less fortunate, for it will at once be admitted that seven or eight days' practice to good shots at long ranges would be quite enough to place them on an equal footing. Great benefit would also be felt by competitors being enabled to fill up the great amount of spare time which but too frequently mars the pleasure of these meetings. There are also many other sources from which increased receipts oould be derived, such as higher prices for privileges, and an entrance fee from the public on the clay of the champion match. In conclusion, I am of opinion that should the Council of the Association undertake to establish this annual championship it would have the effect of raising the shooting in this Colony to a very much higher standard; and I believe if the more wealthy portion of the population were appealed to they would become either annual or life members, which | would very soon enable the Association to procure a central and permanent site on which to carry out its operations."