THE ROSS RIFLE.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIV, Issue 56, 11 March 1910, Page 3

THE ROSS RIFLE.

CANADIANS AND BISLEY

THE DOMINION'S COMPLAINT

Canadian shooting men are annoyed with the National Rifle Association, which controls the Bisley meeting, and the Dominion may not be represented at the great meeting this year. The following cablegram from Ottawa was published on Saturday morning: — Speaking in the Dominion House of Commons, the Prime Minister, Sir Wilfrid Laurier, expressed himself impressed by Mr Hughes's argument against sending a team to Bisley unless the new rule was withdrawn which declares that no service arm other than Britain's can be used, unless it is in the Rands of the British Rifle Association three months in advance. Mr Hughes suggested that private companies had instigated the rule to discredit the Ross (Canadian) rifle. Anxious to have a little more light on this question, a New Zealand Times reporter sought out on the range the well-known Australian shot, Sergeant McCalley, who has competed both in Canada and at Bisley on several occasions, and asked him for an explanation. Sergeant McCalley knew exactly what the trouble was. The whole thing, he said, was brought about by the admission by the N.R.U. of the B.S.A. aperature sight, which is fitted to the Lee-Enfiield rifle right at the rear of the bolt action, so that it is close up to the eye of the marksman. The mechanism of the Ross rifle is such that a sight cannot be so fitted, and an alteration was made so as to accommodate a sight at the rear of the rifle.

The Ross rifle is manufactured at Quebec, and is a Canadian invention It was offered to the British Government as a superior weapon to tho Lee-Enfield, but was not adopted. The' Government of Canada, however, with its usual commendable zeal for the encouragement of new industries in the Dominion, made the new rifle its regular service arm. It has tho same barrel as the Lee-Enfield, and fires the same .303 cartridge. Its chief distinctive feature is that its bolt pulls straight back, there being no "lift" before the pull as in the British arm. The bolt works backwards and forwards in a cradle, there being two high sides to the breech bed, instead of only one on the left side as in the Lee-Enfield. The long distance sight of the Lee-Enfield, which is now usually replaced by the new aperture sight, does not exist. Canadians thus found that if they Avere to use their national arm at Bisley, they would be under a disadvantage. Marksmen using the Lee-Enfield could, if they so wished, fit an aperture-sight to their weapons, while the only back-sight on the Ross was the ordinary leaf, half-way along the barrel, and much further from the eye than the peep-hole. Some alteration had to be made. The authorities at Bisley were therefore surprised to find that the members of the Canadian team had had fitted to the breech cradle a kind of bridge, passing from one side to the other, over the bolt action, and the back-sight had been brought back from the usual position and placed on this arch. The usual bar of the back-sight was in some cases replaced by a peep-hole bar, whilst the McCalley and other patent sights were also fitted.

Objections to the use of the rifle so fitted were immediately raised, it

being contended that, the weapon did not conform to the Association s rule, which bars any but a service rifle as actually served out for use. The Canadians asserted that five hundred of these rifles had been served out in Canada, and referred the Association to Sir Frederick Borden, Minister, for Defence. Cables were interchanged between the Association and Sir Frederick Borden, who confirmed the statement that the fivo hundred rifles had been issued. "At the same time," said Sergeant. McCalley, "the opinion was pretty generally held that the rifles had been served out only to the team, and that the issue of five hundred was more or less a tale. I had been shooting in Canada immediately before the Bisley meeting, and never saw a single rifle so fitted." Then the Canadians have really very little to complain about? "That's what I think. All the Bisley people want to guard against is the use of a, rifle specially prepared for the meeting, and issued to the members of a particular team. It" a sample is deposited with them three months before the meeting, no one can come in with an entirely new thing, and claim that it is all right because it is just being issued. The tree months' notification of a change is quite fair in my opinion/ What about the theory of the interference of private firms? "There is undoubtedly a good deal of truth in that. Big firms like the B.S-A- are jealous of the manufacture of the Ross rifle in Qanada, and are almost bound to pull what strings they can. Still Canada has no reason'to complain the way it is doing."

unless three stewards or their deputies, who take complete control, are present. One of these must be a steward of the Jockey Club, the second a steward of the Racing Association at whose track the'meeting is to take place, and the third has to b'> elected by the two stewards aforesaid from the members of the Jockey Club. The decision of the three stewards is subject only to an appeal to the collective stewards of the Jockey Club, whose decision is absolutely final.

THE PREMIER RACECOURSE

The largest and mo-;I; important race track in America is that at Belmont Park, which has a width of 150 ft, and therefore allows of as many as thirty horses being started in a race, as 3 under the rules of racing, every horse must have sft of the width of the track to himself. If there should be a. greater number of horses engaged than there is room for under this provision, the number of starters is reduced by lot or by division of the race at the option of the association. Partly because grass does not do well on American racecourses, and partly on account of its inability to stand the desperate rough usage it would receive_ during the numerous days over which a meeting may extend, the tracks are all formed of "dirt" or earth, that is kept carefully harrowed, watered and rolled. The surface thus formed provides excellent going, and, of coTirse, remains sound until 'further orders. And it is just as well it does, for the spring meeting at Belmont Park extends over eighteen consecutive days, Sundays excluded, and fixtures run into ten or twelve days are by no means uncommon. Belmont Park is the scene of the most important ever, b annually decided, namely the Futurity Stakes, run ove ra seven furlong course, the winner of which receives £9000. In order to gain some idea as to the size of the grandstand thereat it need only be mentioned that, whereas the main building at Riccarton will seat about 2000 people, that at Belmont Park provides accommodation for no less than 23,OOC. The overflow of the attendance passes through a big subway under the race track and spreads out into the centre of the grounds. STARTERS AND STARTING. On the subject of starting, Mr Howland had quite a lot to say, and appeared to consider us. very much behind the times in this respect. The average time taken to dispatch a field in the land of the Stars and Stripes is probably no more than one nmrute. Two mounted assistants help to keep the horses in line, and they are walked up to the barrier, stand momentarily, and off they go. There is no trouble, and bad starts are practically unknown. If, however, a starter should get hold of an unruly animal, he must report the matter to the stewards, who may fine or suspend its trainer, and order it a month's schooling ere it is again brought forward. His powers, too, are not nearly limited. as those possessed by starters in this country, for he is at liberty to fine any rider up to the extent of £40 or to suspend him for the remaining days of the meeting. PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES. The racing is watched not only by the stewards, but there are three paid officials, who may be called upon to give evidence if necessary. One of these remains always in the paddock, and takes notice of how each horse is plated, whether his rider carries spurs or whip, and pays attention to all other poinsiis that may be worth watching, whilst the two others are stationed at different spots near the race-track, and keep an eye on the respective positions occupied by the horses during the running of a race, and the manner in which they are being handled. Here, it may be remarked, as showing how cautious the stewards are ere, dealing with any reputed case of fraud, that persons who accuse others of malpractice miist at all times be able %o thoroughly substantiate their statements. The stewards, Mr Howland says, are quite alive to the fact that many men, having backed a loser, promptly jump to the conclusion that it has been pulled. But if they are heard to give expression to such opinions they are at once asked to give proof of their contentions, and unless able to do so they are dealt with in no i uncertain manner. Only this season a trainer openly accused his jockey of having pulled his mount. The stewards thereupon called him before them, and as the only evidence he could give was a bald statement to the effect that he had seen it with his own eyes, and neither of the two paid officials that watched the racing had seen anything wrong, he was severely reprimanded and. fined £40. GAMBLING LEGISLATION. With regard to the recent ligislation passed with the object of doing away with betting—or gambling, if the term be preferred—Mr Howland stated that in reality it had achieved nothing. Betting was carried on just as freely as ever. The only change that had taken place was in respect to the manner in which it was done. Instead of doing business openly, and, if desired, for cash, as previously, the bookmakers were now surrounded with an army of clerks. No money is allowed to pass, but the Jockey Club supplies badges to reputable men who wish to bet, and all they have to do is to approach a layer, make their wager by word of mouth, and one of the clerks will walk away and jot it down quietly, the settling being done off the course. Anyway, as showing what a dire effect the recent legislation has had, it need only be mentioned that at the last autumn meeting of th Belmont Jockey Club 400 bookmakers each paid £11 per day for the privilege of doing business! Neither does the sport appear to have been much affected in other respects, for a leading jockey, named Duggan, enjoyed the following retaining fees during the past season, viz.: First call, £2500; second, £1400; and third, £1000, and the Jockey Club is still in a position to purchase ten to fif-' teen stallions annually and station them at various centres in the States, where their services may be obtained at very moderat fees; this with the object of doing something towards the improvement of the breed of general utility horses. STEEPLECHASE COURSES. Cross-country sport is under the jurisdiction of the National Steeplechase and Hunt Association. The courses are exceedingly stiff, but serious accidents do not often occur, and this, Mr Howland avers, is attributable to (1) the height of the fences which makes for a steadier speed; and (2) the special make-up of the fences employed. No stone walls, log fences, or posts and rails are to be found on American courses. Instead, apart, of course, from the water jumps, the fences are built up with brush and boarded each side t* > a perpendicular height of three feet. !

Perhaps, however, it may be well to note Rule 3, Section VI., on the point, which reads as follows: "In all steeplechase courses, there shall bo at least six fences in every mile. There shall be a water jump at least twelve feet wide, and two feet deep r ;to be guarded by a fence not less than two feet in perpendicular height There shall be on each side at least one jump as follows: Ditch five feet wide and two feet deep, which ditch shall be guarded on the taking-off side by a single rail, and on the landing side there shall be a fence of not less than four feet six inches in perpendicular height, and if of brushwood, or gorse not less than threefeet in width. The minimum perpendicular height of all other jumps shall not be less than four feet six inches,, and the minimum width three feet." DOPING. To so great an extent was the practice of doping horses that were about to race being carried on that a special committee, which included some of the best-known veterinary surgeons,* was set up to go into the matter. The conclusions arrived at were that something like sixty differentforms of dope were being used, and stringent laws were made to deal with. those who so treated their charges. A doped horse usually exhibited certain peculiarities, and it was found that (1) he w-ould not drink; (2) he would not stand on all four loi~s at once; (3) his pulse was affected, and (4) if an electric light was ilashed close to his eye, he would not move. All suspected persons were carefully watched, and if need be their horses were examined, and in this manner the practice had been practically stamped out.

Before leaving Wellington Mr Howland was taken out to Trentham^ with the appearance of which he appeared to be greatly delighted. Hewas immensely interested, too, t» learn about the charges made for entrance, the working of the totalisator, and other details of manage ment.