CENTENNIAL RIFLE MATCHES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXX, Issue 8557, 10 August 1888, Page 6

CENTENNIAL RIFLE MATCHES.

IMPORTANT TO NEW ZEALAND MARKSMEN. Lieutenant-Colonel Mahon, of the Third Auckland Battalion, who will be remembered by Canterbury riflemen as the officer in command of the camp at the New Zealand Rifle Association’s meeting at Hillsborough last year, paid a flying visit to Christchurch yesterday on his way home from Victoria. A representative of the Lyttelton Times, mindful of pleasant memories of his acquaintance with the gallant and genial officer on that occasion, foregathered with him, and got some information on a subject of interest to marksmen in this Colony—to wit, the Centennial Rifle Meeting, to be held at Melbourne in November next. Colonel Mahon, when in Melbourne, met a kindred spirit in Major Kelly, the Secretary of the Victorian Rifle Association, who informed him that the Association would gladly welcome a team or teams from this Colony, and gave him details of the programme for the approaching competition. THE PROGRAMME. No less a sum than £4OOO is to he given in prizes, of which ,£1350 is open for competition by New Zealand Volunteers. There are a number of matches open to members of any branch of the Naval and Military forces of the Australasian Colonies, and to ships’ companies, seamen or marines of any man-of-war of any nation in port when the matches are fired. The first of these matches is the Queen’s Prize of .£3OO, the entrance fee for which is 10s. Next is the Centennial Match, of seven shot s each at 500, 600 and 700 yards, middle class targets to be used at the last rang-e. There are eighty-one prizes of a total value of .£3OO, and the entrance fee is 10s. The Victoria, Rapid Firing, Sargood Cup, Middle Range and Unknown Distance matches have been thrown open in the same manner as the Centennial Match and the Queen’s Prize. The ranges in the Victoria Match are 500 and 600 yards, and there are sixty-nine prizes of a value of £l5O. In the Middle Range Match there are ninety-one prizes, value altogether .£2OO, and in the Rapid Firing Match sixty-nine, value £l5O. The prizes in the Unknown Distance Match amount to £l5O. The All-comers Match has ninety-one prizes, value £2OO. The prize for the Revolver Match has been increased from £25 to £SO. A prize of £l5O is offered in the Intercolonial Skirmishing Match, open to teams of twenty. One of its conditions is that all skirmishing will be done at the doubles. The principal among the other matches is the Intercolonial, open to teams of ten representing the Australian Colonies. The prize is £SO, and the ranges 30Qyds, 500yds, and 600yds. Colonel Mahon is anxious that two or threo teams should he sent to Melbourne from New Zealand, and that these teams should be thoroughly representative of all parts of the Colony. “I am convinced,” he said, “ that our marksmen would give a good account of themselves in Victoria. The average shooting at our Rifle Association meeting is superior to that over there, though our men fired with Sniders and the Victorians with improved Martinis. Of course, our men will have to fire with Martinis at Melbourne, but Major Kelly told me that he would have no difficulty in getting Martinis for them when they get there, and if they go there early enough, they may have them in time to practice with them a little. The gathering will bo a great one, and it would be a thousand pities for New Zealand to be unrepresented.” AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND VOLUNTEERS. “ Did you see much of the Victorian Volunteers, Colonel ?” asked our representative after Colonel Mahon had told all he knew anent the Centennial rifle matches, “Well, 1 did see something,” was the answer, “and I may say at once that I think that, for discipline and efficiency, ours are at least their equals. Though I am the Commander of another battalion, I must say that I have long thought the First Canterbury the premier battalion of New Zealand, and what I saw in Australia makes me regard it as the premier battalion of the Colonies. You have some good officers in Canterbury, and no mistake. At the same time I must say that General Whitmore has, in my opinion, done great things for the Volunteer force of New Zealand, and it is owing to him in no small degree that they are as efficient as they are.”