FIFTY YEARS AGO

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22754, 14 June 1937, Page 6

FIFTY YEARS AGO

RIFLES FOR VOLUNTEERS The old Snider rifles which were used by the volunteer forces half a century ago inere not considered the best •weapons obtainable and there were many who would have liked the defence forces to be better armed. The following is from the New Zealand Herald of June 14, 1887: "Mr. Firth's generous gift of 15 Martini-Henry rifles and ammunition to the volunteers of Auckland as prizes to be shot for, should be the means of opening the eyes of the Government to the fact that our armed preparation is rot what it is thought to be. These rifles not being allowed in competition against our Sniders, the winners will have to- form themselves into a club and fire occasionally for a sweepstake or for honour, as they please. The comparative scoring of Martini-Henry rifles against our Sniders will demonstrate the fact that our defenders would be at an enormous disadvantage against an invader armed with the Martini-Henrv, or a better rifle, as he certainly would be. Whenever volunteer troops have gained the advantage of regulars it has almost invariably been owing to the volunteers being armed with a superior •weapon, and having the skill to use it, as witness the first American war for independence. It is high time the Government incurred the further expense of arming our defenders with as good or a better weapon than the one likely to be brought against them. The present expenditure of thousands of pounds a rear, for defence purposes is useless so long as these inferior weapons are to be used."