MARLBOROUGH RIFLE UNION.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLII, Issue 207, 1 September 1908, Page 5

MARLBOROUGH RIFLE UNION.

i / ; jsHMD.' ani>;; cut ■ €c>^t|st^;; ■ '■ ; :■.■•.•■•.' : ' ■. "■■■ ■■ ■ '■: ■ ■/■'&■■'•'( .. - .''..,.. ~, so, a;^: editor, t ;':;.-;-.v- : .:- ---•.''. Sir : jr—As. the account pi "the- M.MJJ.:, meeting and t^i© fiprtTire* for * iiext Saturday' 5 competitions was noi'in'. your valuable issue oi. J^i/ay^ping, I cannot;.sa_yj •■t^t'''l'vain''\sj[)eai{ifli;':; .-fi : CT,-: curately,'hut "I beljeye-I jam,;as;^nef. of the ->id«lega;tes:■ is my authority .for what I am .about to po^nt out. p In the Jirst place, I am tpld that' iriuugularmatches"are fixed fdr Tua Marina, Picton iand yernon ranges. : In' the: two first-mentioned places &n]j two isargets k can be worked, and the latter place .three. The adoption a£ one iejam one target was v>made at the meeting ,on Saturday night, \as was also the time limit, viz., -tine minutes per man. at 200 yards iirii! ten minutes at 500 yards. This without any itim© .allowed, for changing targets would anean four hours and three-qiiartera. The usual, time, for] starting these contests has been two | o'clock in; the fi#ternqori, as it iis impossible to shoot after a quar-ter-past ,five<on .tho Tua Marina range ; at this time of the year (and I think it would be as bad" in Fictori), this allows three and a quarter hours only for three teams, la^iis is six and ahalf minute's per man, and what iibout the team thait last place? ! What chance haye they got with ihe other two? If it were the old way, one man from each te&m on each tar- ; get, every team would liave the same! chance of tho light- To my mind, this scheme one team one target will not work with three teams on two targets for afternoon shooting. I can understand the Committee try- ; ing to save ammunition by arrang- I ing triangular matches, but; if the contests as fired for Saturday next are tried I am afraid no ammunition will be saved, for I think one team will not be able to fire their number ot" shots, and so upset the whole" fixture. The only way out of the difficulty that I can see is for either the Mounteds ;or the B.R.V. seniors to withdraw, or the three senior teams' to turn up on the Tua Marina range at half-past twelve. I know this would be difficult for those men who have to work till one o'clock, but i'.n- ■ less half the men are on the ground • by that time I fail to see how the i match is to come off without much I discontent and dissatisfaction, and , that would have just the opposite effect on rifle shooting to what these contests are intended. In Picton it may be done if the visiting teams take their lunch and picnic on the range. By making arrangements to ' be driven down; straight away after the arrival of the train the shooting could commence at 12.30, but I should aclvise them not to try" the one team one target.'.scheme, but keep to the old way at present. On tha Verhbii range it' will be all right, as each team will have a, targot. And now, Mr. Editor, 1 thank you for allowing me to trespass on yoar valuable space, and trust that my few remarks will not seem presumptuous in the eyes of the Executive.— L am, etc., A SENIOR. Sept. I, 1908.