TEAM FOR BISLEY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XCVII, Issue 11224, 23 March 1897, Page 6

TEAM FOR BISLEY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —The Selection Committee, having departed from the path of fair play, have got themselves into extremely bad odour. Corporals Banks and Simpson were unquestionably the two men to represent Canterbury, with Private T. S. Robinson

as emergency. Vhy the first was parsed over passes my comprehension. He is a natiVe of Christchurch ; has hold the North Canterbury chanqiion rifle licit; was champion at Waikari in ISOS ; last year won the gold modal at S&fton with the record score of 102 out of 105, heating Robilliard 101, Wakelin 96 and Simpson 92; and this year, at Auckland, made 543, a score which has never been equalled by a Canterbury man, and again beating Simpson, who finished ninth, Lester twenty-fifth and Wakelin twenty-seventh on the list. It is to bo hoped that Major Sommervillo will pick a team for New Zealand and not from any particular district, thereby avoiding all private piques, jealousies and friendships. We want the best men to go, and it cannot be gainsaid that, on present form. Corporal Banks has jusi; proved himself No. 7 in New Zealand; and as Messrs Lovcday and Holland are rifle club men, then hi's place is fifth in the team. Hoping to see even-handed justice dealt out, —I am, &c., A.M.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —One is puzzled to know on what basis the selection of representatives for Canterbury in the above team has been carried out. Why has ono of the best and most consistent shots in this district been overlooked or ign- red? I refer to Mr W. A. Banks, a member of the Christchurch Reserve Corps, whose shooting during the Rifle Association’s late meeting at Auckland proved him to be better than either of the men chosen. A little bird whispers that jealousy is at the bottom of the affair. If this is so (and there appears to be good grounds for the supposition), a new selection should take place at once on a basis that would give each man a fair chance. The team will go to England to uphold tho honour of this colony against the best shots in the world, and no local jealousies should be allowed to influence the selection in any way. Since writing the above, I learn that a statement is being industriously circulated that Mr Banks cannot shoot from the prone position. This I know to be entirely false. If it were true, not twenty shots have to be fired from that position during the whole Bisley meeting, so that it is evident there is some underhand influence at work to prevent Mr Banks getting a position to which he is justly entitled by his consistent shooting.—l am, etc., OLD SHOT.