THE NEW ZEALAND RIFLE ASSOCIATION CHAMPIONSHIPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10365, 13 February 1897, Page 5

THE NEW ZEALAND RIFLE ASSOCIATION CHAMPIONSHIPS.

The annual Rifle Association Championships will be commenced at the North Shore—adjoining the Takapuna Racecourse —on Monday next, at half-past two o'clock in the afternoon, and will continue throughout the remainder of the week. The opening ceremony will be conducted by the Hon. T. Thompson, Minister for Defenco, who will address a few words to the competitors, and Mrs. Boardman, wife of the Mayor of Auckland, will fire the first shot, after which the ranges will be declared open, and shooting will be proceeded with. His Worship the Mayor of Auckland, and members of the City Council, and the Mayor of Devonport and members of the Dovonport Borough Council have been invited to attend the opening ceremony. The work on the trenches has been more difficult than was at first anticipated, and Major Sommerville, who has been most indefatigable in his efforts, has been compelled to increase the working staff considerably in order to have everything ready to commence the meeting at half-past, two the deviation from the original time, 11 a.m., having been caused by the difficulties thrown in the way through the rainfall of the past two or three days. It is understood that over two hundred competitors will compete, and the visitors from the various centres include the majority of the most prominent shootists of the day, including several ex-champions. Competitors will tall in on their respective squadding posts at 2 p.m. for the Nelson Match, 200 yds range, and markers will fall in at the target trench at 9.30 a.m. sharp. Captain Lomax will be the range officer for the day. During the competitions, masters of vessels and persons in boats are requested to keep in mid-channel while passing the Narrow Neck, where the targets are placed. The canteen will be attended to by Mr. P. Quinlan, and arrangements will be made to-day for the catering. This evening Major Sommerville, Major Collins, and the staff officers will leave for North Shore, and will remain at the Masonic Hotel during the meeting.