OUR VOLUNTEERS.

Mataura Ensign, 17 December 1910, Page 6

OUR VOLUNTEERS.

RIFLE-SHOOTING MATCH. Among the fixtures of interest to district shooting men is the Gore District Defence Rifle Association's meeting which will take place on the Gore range on January 2 and 3. The first day's shooting comprises one seven-shot 'match at each 200, 300 and •300 yards, and an aggregate match composed of scratch scor"s made at 200, ■jUO and C(io yards. The 300 yds match will be fired at a khaki figure target. The bottom half of the target will lie colored green and the top half grey. One compulsory sightor will be all;,wed. after which the target will he exposed for 00 seconds, during which tin!" competitors will fire seven shot*. The i!v,i;:i mat: h rings w;li be used for conning purposes. On the second d;\\ the lliccrsdale Match (seven .shots at 300 yds) and Tapanui Match (seven shots at oOOyds) will be fired. This will be followed by the championship (10 shots at 600 yds), to which is to be added scratch scores made jn matches 1, 3, 4, 0 and 7. An aggregate match also appears for this day's shoots, scratch scores at 300 and 500 yards counting for same. A sixman a-sidc teams' match will conclude the business of the meeting, conditions being seven shots at 300, 500 and 600 yards. The 300 yds shoot in the morning will count for this, but the 500 and 600 yards ranges will lie taken independently of other matches, and will bowshot under Dominion teams' shooting conditions. The prizes in this match will be a £2 2s trophy presented by the Gore Stock Agents and cash prizes of £1 10s and £l. The champion of the meeting will win Surgeon-Captain Copland's champion cup and a gold medal presented by the- Gore Retailers' Association. The entrance fee for championship and aggregate matches will be 2s each, and for all others Is 6d per match. The prizes will aggregate £5 2s 6d per match, £5 5s for aggregates and £5 for championship. Handicaps will be allowed in all but the championship, aggregate and rapidfiring matches, with the following limits:—2ooyds, 33 ; 300 yds, 33 ; oOOyds, 33 ; and 600 yds, 32. Entries will close with the secretary (Lieutenant Shanks, box 16, Gore) on Wednesday, December 28, from whom all particulars can be obtained.

SOUTHLAND MEETING. The Gore Rifles will bo strongly re- j presented at the Southland Rifle Club's meeting which will take place at Invercargill on Monday and Tuesday, December 26 and 27. The following have intimated their intention 0 ftaking part at the meeting:—Captain Domigan, Lieutenant Shanks, Color-Sergeant Garrick, Sergeants Preece and McDowell, Corporals Cox and MoKenzio, Privates Crawford, Mallon, Thomson, C. Murray and F. Murray. There will be two teams' matches at the meeting, in which the corps intend to take part, viz., champion teams of seven men aside and competition for the Mercantile Challenge Shield, 10 men a-eide. The conditions for each are seven shots at 200, 500 and 600 yards.

It is estimated that the French railway strike has cost the country between £11,000,000 and £12,000,000." Inquiries among large exporters and importers and at the Chamber of Commerce show that about £1,080,000 worth of goods were "hung up'' during the strike between Great Britain a nil France alone. Nothing will please the old folks or your friends better than giving then a pair of nice Spectacles. Send in the old glasses and ask to have a new pair made the same, in best rolled gold. If necessary I will send quotation of cost on receipt of' old glasses—approximately 15s to 25s.—Hugh Neill, D.8.0.A '(London), Qualified Optician, 24!) George Street, Dunedin. °j Horses not resisting the Congo climate, mule- and ass breeding there are to he started, while 12 camels for a stud have just arrived at Zambi, those previously imported having proved of great service. Forty elephants are under training at Api, in the Telle, while at Katanga that difficult matter, the training of zebras, is going on.