FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1922. A RIFLE CLUB GRIEVANCE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 13 October 1922, Page 4

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1922. A RIFLE CLUB GRIEVANCE.

The members of the Hawera; Rifle Club ) have what appear to be sound grounds for a grievance over the treatment which has been extended to Rifleman Roots, the winner of the .Championship Belt at thte last great gathering of rifle, shots'early this year. Rifleman Roots is regarded as one of the finest sportsmen in tlio Dominion^ and his victory was most enthusiastically reI eeived. It has been tlie custom for .years past for the Government -to send the Belt winner to' Bisley or to the National Rifle Association meeting held. in New South Wales. This meeting opens to-day, but although the Hawera Rifle ,• Club made representations through the proper channels Rifleman Roots has not had the usual honour^ conferred upon him,' and he is an -ab/ sentee from' the :i New, South. Wales gathering. The usual procedure is for the president of the Dominion Rifle Association Executive to request Cabinet to\make a grant for sending the' Belt winner to Bisley or to the Australian meeting. The Hawera Club's request was, however, not given effect to, and from the correspondence .which has passed between the club, the president of the Dominion Association, the De-

fence Minister, and Mr E. Dixon, <M.P. it appears that the president of the Do minion Association did not make as strong representations to the Ministei as he might have done. The Hawera Kifle Club is naturally very annoyed at the position and they are thinking of having the matter enquired into to find out the reason for Rifleman Boots not having extended to him a privilege which he so richly deserved. We hope that the club, which desires to thank Mr Dixon for the efforts which he made on behalf of the Belt winnerj will continue % to .press for a full explanation and . that .it will' urge that Bifleman Boots be treated in the manner worthy of the country which he would represent with honour and no little distinction at any gathering of riflemen in the Empire. If the Minister has refusecl a request on the ground of economy he has not said so. A letter on the matter sent by^ Sir B. Heaton Bhodes (Minister of Defence) to Mr Dixon, dated October 5, stated: "As no communication on the subject reached me from the president of the Dominion Bifle Association, I asked him what action he proposed to take in the matter, and he said that he had already replied to the Hawera Club regretting that the executive could not see its way to make 'a recommendation to me on the subject." The president's letter to the Hawera Club stated: "I regret exceedinly that I cannot ask the Government for a grant to send the present New Zealand champion to Sydney. . . Briefly the position is that under present conditions the Government have informed us that j this year they cannot give any cajsti grant to the National Rifle Association. In the circumstances I. 3.0 not think we are justified in pressing for cash grants this year." The portions of the correspondence here quoted j seem to provide sufficient ground for the Hawera Bifle Club following the * matter up. It appears that it was the president of the Dominion Bifle Association, and not the Minister of Defence, who was unwilling to act, and the Hawera Club is entitled to a much clearer explanation than it has so far received.