DISTRICT PRIZES.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 14, Issue 1119, 18 January 1870, Page 2

DISTRICT PRIZES.

6. Poverty Bay and Wairoa. 7. Napier. 1. Each District will receive a sum of money to be fired for in proportion to the number of Militia on actual service or training and exercise, Volunteers, Cadets, and Constabulary on the strength on the 31sfc December, 1869 ; and Officers Commanding are to send to the Defence Office, as soon as possible after that date, returns showing the number of men they are entitled to reckon under the above heads. 2. All officers of the Colonial Forces, Militia on actual service or training and exercise, Armed Constabulary, and all members of Volunteer Corps, are eligible to become competitors for the prizes. 3. The Officer Commanding each District will fix a day or days in the months of February and March, for the firing to take place. Where two or more places are named as one district, the senior officer will make the necessary arrangements for the whole. 4. The firing may take place at one or more places within the District, at the discretion of the Commanding Officer. 5. In each District a prize of £10, or a Carbine of: that value, and two prizes of £7 and £5 respectively, will be given to tne three competitors who make the highest scores, nofc being less than 40. ' 6. The remainder of the money apportioned to the District will bo divided, according to their score,, amongst all those (winneis of the prizes included) who make a greater number of marks than 35 at the competitive firing. No competitor, however, is to receive on this account a greater sum than £5 ; bufc should there be a surplus undistributed in any District, it will be available to complete deficiencies, if any, in other places. 7. Competitors will fire at ranges of 400, 500, and 600 yards; five shots at each range, without artificial rest, any position. Highest possible score, 60 marks. 8. The highest scorer abore 40 marks in each Province, will receive the medal of the Province. 9. The returns of this firing must be sent into the Defence Office not later than the 15th May, 1870. Any district negleoting to comply with this clause will not receive the money apportioned to it. - General Rules to be obsebved in Firing FOR THE G-ENEBAX GOVEKNMENT PjJIZES. 1. The long or medium Enfield rifle, the Lancaster rifle, and the breech or muzzle loading carbine, as issued by the General or Provincial Governments, must alone be used. Competitors using the carbine at the 500 and 600 yards ranges will be allowed two marks at the first range, and three marks at the second range. ' 2. The minimum pull of trigger to be six pounds. 3. Ammunition will be provided by the Government. 4. The senior officer on the ground may direct the examination of the arms used by competitors, at any time before, during, or after the firing; and should any arm be found to have been tampered with, or the pull of trigger to be below the minimum, the competitor using such arm will be disqualified, and his score disallowed. 5. In scoring, the value of shots will be — Bull s eye, 4 ; centre, 3 ; outer, 2. i 6. Size of targets :~At 150, 200, 250, . and 300 yards— 6 x 4 feet ; centre, 2 feet , square; bull's eye, 8 inches square. At 400, 500, and 600 yards— 6 x 6 feet; centre, 4 feet square ; bull's eye, 2 feet square. 7. The firing for Government Prizes , should be superintended, if possible, by a Field Officer; and in the absence of any Field Officer, there must be (exclusive of any Medical Officer) at least two Commis- * sioned Officers on the ground. i 8. A list, giving each competitor anumi ber only, will be given to the officer and marker ; another list will be made out with each competitor's name and corresponding number on it, to be kept by the senior offi- ■ cer stationed at the spot where the competitors fire from. i 9. The senior officer present will appoint • one person to call the names of competitors at the place of firing, and another to remain , with the marker near the target. 10. The senior officer present will appoint a marker, who will be under the immediate i supervision of the officer appointed to remain near the target. Markers will receive pay at the rate of ss. per diem, if not in the i employ of the Government. i 11. Each competitor, will fire his whole number of shots in the same day, unless the weather turns out unfavourable, when the senior officer present may at any time, at his discretion, postpone the firing until the next favourable opportunity. 12. Ties shall be decided by Wimbledon Regulations, 1866, section 13. 13. Should any competitor absent himself when his turn comes to fire, he is to forfeit his chance, and a shot is to be fired in the air (which the marker will score as a miss), in order to keep the numbers on the lists correct. . ' ' 14.- Any competitor leaving Jhe ranges without the permission of the CqjnnftfUiding Officer will be disqualified, ■

15. One sighting shot at eafch. range will be allowed, except for the 3rd, 4th, and sth sets Colonial Prizes. ; ',\ ''. . 16. Any shots which touch the ground before hitting the target (ricochets) are to be noted E. in the column, for misses. 17 , T All disputed points are,to be decided by the SSnfor officer present, whose decision will be final. ?•, . 18. A return of the names qfj.all competitors, with the number of marks scored by each, signed.. by the officer who superintended the .firmg 1 and the Adjutant, is to be forwarded by the Officer Oommanding the District, or by the Adjutant, to' the Acting Under Secretary, Defence Department, "Wellington, according to the accompanying form-, as soon as possible after the firing has been concluded. 19. The attention of the Commanding Officers and Adjutants is particularly called to the following rules to prevent accidents: — 2To competitor is to cap or cock his rifle before coming to the spot from which he is to fire. No competitor is to let the cock of his rifle down when an unexploded cap is on the nipple, but to keep it at half-cock. Competitors, before firing, are to take a few paces in front of all lookerson, and to see that no objects are in the line of fire. ITapier, 14th January, 1870. In compliance with the above Rules and Regulations, the Firing .for the Napier and "Wairoa District Prizes will take place as follows, viz :— -The Armed Constabulary, Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4yJ5, 6, 7 and 8 Companies of Militia, the Cavalry, Artillery, and .Rifle Volunteers, afc.Napier, on MONDAY, the 21st February, at 9 o'clock a.m. . Nos. 9, 10, 11 and 12 Companies of Militia, at Waipukurau, on MONDAY, the 28th February, at 9 o'clock a.m. The Armed Constabulary, under SubInspector Newland, and the Wairoa Militia and Volunteers, at Wairoa, on MONDAY, the 7th March, 1870, commencing at 9 o'clock a.m. By order, c. withers; Major & Adjt.