FEDERAL RIFLE MEETING.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10624, 20 March 1896, Page 2

FEDERAL RIFLE MEETING.

(Pen United Pbkss Association.)

Oamabu, March 19,

To-day was «et aside for the Federal Match, but 'at first it appeared donbtfal whether it would come ofi owing to lame of the Australians threatening not to go on unless better quality amniuuitipn was procured thin that in use. Better counsels, however, prevailed, and teams from the four colonies' coofc part. Last night the council waa approached as to the inclusion of Wakelin, tae champion, in the team owing to the conditions of the match providing that the position ba prone, Wakolin won the Belt firing oil his bank, and having to make the chaugei many Ne* ZeaUndeH had misgivings as to the result. Interviewed, Wakelin h»d no anxiety, and declared he had recently practised the prone position, an the chance that hemight have to fire in tho match. At 945 a m the men formed into position, Qaeousland being on two targets on the extrem? left, New Zealand separated from them by three or fonr targets. Ihen came Victoria, a similar distance away, with New South Wales firing on two targets on the extreme right. Check markers were placed m the butts and check scorers at the facing point.. No challenge of shots was allowed. Major Byroa captained the Queeuslanderg, MajorboinmerviltetheNew Zealanders, Lieutenant Keating the New Soiith Welshman, *nd Major Humby tne Victorians. The weather was fine, with a leaden-coloured sky,' which threatened rain, but none fell. The wind was light in the morning bat changeable, coming m all directions, and at times tairfy puzzling some of the mailmen. In the afternoon the wind, which had been chiefly from the nor'-east, cboppud round to the south, and freshened as the lunger ranges were being fired at. At A^?m %*? T' * i6rge Immber of misses. At 300yd8 the shooting of the tesMs was fairly good, except on the part of the New Zealanders, a l ell n Oifr frOm the JamP- f°f which Wakelin and A. Ballmger were chiefly respon ß ible, both the champioii and ex-bhampion appearing to be quite out of form, With the range finished, the Queenslanders led New South Wales by one point, while Victoria was only seven points .behind the leader, white New Zealand were 21 to the ; bad, aud there was a good deal of .grumbling at Wakelia not having withdrawn trom the team. At 500 yds there was an improvement m the shooting, and the Victorians, keeping well on the spot, recovered most of tbe .ost ground, and, having passed New South Wales, were second, one point behind Queens°M*n wh°w°aP d «P »* the range with a total I nt i V, lctom> 8391 New South Wales, 824 ; New Zealand, 821. Thus New Zealand had pined two on the leading team, but fell back rom Vißbona, though they shot up to within thrte of fche New South Welshmen. At 600 yds the New South.Welshmen got on a rattling nae score, and, wiping off the 18 deficit at the completion of the lasc range, went on with a ; It S'JT from Qa«ensland. Victoria began = ?!. Siro^' *Dd weie' ll PoiQts behind New boutn Wales (seven behind Queensland) riand only one point in front of the New Zealand team, which had gained 11 points on Queens- j land and 18 on Victoria; bat New Sooth Wales had increased its lead of three from New Zealand to 18, Going beck w , 700y?nnnthe tbMs were:-New South Wales, 1222; Queensland, 1218; Victoria, 1211; and New Zealand 1210. As the New j Zealanders were gradually crawling up great interest was taken in their shooting, and the public, many of whom were present, it being the holE-holiday, crowded round their firing point. The New Boaih Wales men, who were the first to finish at 600jds, seeing a probability of a change in the weather, got back to 700jds as soon as possible, and had a little the best of the weather. Those Whs fired in the first aquad had considerable advantage, as1 before the second squad went down the wind h*d become very treacherous. When four msn from each team had finished at 700 yds it was seen that . Victoria had inado a compkta burst, the squad only putting on 94, while the New South Wales squad was 128, New Zsaland 140, and Queens-\ laud 146. Thus Queensland had wised her total to 1364, audNew Zealand shot ap even with New South Wales wit!al3so, Victoria hopelessly in the rear with 1505. The nexo four men of the leading team scored 121, while New Zealand gained two points on them and was second, 12 points behind snd 13 points ahead of Now South Wales,'and 51 off Victoria. The totals at this time were—Queensland, U95; New Zealand. 14-73; New South Wales, 14S0 ; Victoria, 1422. There were now two man of each team to fire 10 shots to oomplete the match, and notwithstanding tbat New Zealand was still 12 points to the bad there were Hot s few who thought it within the bounds of possibility that they might yet win. Doughty and Ross were the two New Zealsnders who were to ■ pull tbe colony through, if. possible; but it was not to be, as in jWinterfofd and M'Pherson, the Hub two of the Qaeenfllanders, they met deoidedly more than their match. New South Wales were first to finish,' with a grand total of 1512, and it oouid be seen they hsd no chance, and so it was with Naw Zealand, as while Daoghfcy Was only getting on poor hits and Ross missing, the two Queenslanders were shooting on in grand style and finished up with 34 and 35 respectively. Thus Queensland wound up with 1554, and won the match. New Zealand narrowly escaped the barren honour of second plsce. Ross missed five of his shots, and it was only with his eighth 'shot, which w«4 an outer, that he put the issue beyond doubt arid then got a bull. The last two QueenslAndeM scored 69 to the New .Zealanders 46, Victoria 68, and New Wales 56. The Victorian team, which had promised so well early in the match, brbke down badly at the long ranges and finished a bad list. To Corporal Bradley of the wipiiihg team belongs thd oredifc of putting on tha magnificent eoore of 179 points out of a possible 200, which must be pretty near the record for the distances. Liautdnant-Commaoder Kirk, of the New Zealand team, was uhxS highest with 163, and Majar Hutchison (Queensland) third with 162. At the conclusion of tlie match Major Sommerville warmly congratulated the Queenelanders on their well-earaed victory, and called for three cheers, which were heartily responded to. Majbr Byron, replying, testified to tho excellent arr&hgeraeiits for tlie match and the fairness with which It wss carried out. There were no complaints about the ammunition, and in fact ,fche eicsllent shooting wan proof positive that it was of excellent quality. The following is the result :—

Federal Match.—3oo, 500, 600, and 700 yards; 10 shots at each. Open to teams of ]0 men nominated respectively by rifle associations of New South "Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, West Australia, .Tasmania* and New. Zealaud. b'ona fide members nf the defence force, and swora in under the Dsfence Act of the oniony to which ,they belong. . Throe teams to shout or no.match. Priasn : Intercolonial Challftnge Cup (presented in IRS7 by John M'Gregor), to be held for one year by tbe'wiumug colony, and a gold m«dal (presented by the Pederftl. Council of theßi fie Associations of Abstralasia) to the captain and each member of the vrinniugteam; the cup to beheld from year to year by the captain ; also,'a silver cup (presented by the New Zea'and Government). QUEENSLAND TBAM. 300 500 . 600 700 ri ' _ , . yds. • yds. yds, yds. . Tl. Covtf. Bradley ... 43 47 45 4J — 17S Major Hutchinson ... 42 44 40 iltj — )62 Vol. Manuel... ... 42 42 4« 36 — IWI Lieut. MTherson..... 42 40 41 35 — 15S Corp. Garjcett ... 42 44 S!) 33 — 148 Kergt, Moodie ... 41 48 37 23 -H7 Vol. Hauiley 41 4B 3li 29 — 152 Corp. Wmterford ... 41 39 S3 34 - 147 Col.-sergt. Grant ... 39 41 41 30 — Jsl Vol. Creasa ...: .;'. 39 39 3(i 30 — IEO Totftla ... ... «2 428 378 336 .1551 NEW ZEALAND TRAM. Sergt.Wakelin.Oh'ch 33 44 29 39-145 Bomb. Howe, VV'ton 40 47 31 34—.155 j Lieut. • coin. Kirk, Prtone 39 48 43 33-163 0.P.0. Williams, W'n 43 43 4< 23-168 Corp. Simpson, Kaia- , r Poi ""A „•■ t> - 4l 39 33 ' 33 - 146 Lieut. Dodds, Port Chalmers 39 ,42 47 2!) -157 Lieut. Jack, Dunedin 41 ■41 43 33 — IES Sergeant Doughty, Auckland 40 43 38 2t — '148 Lieut. Ross, Napier.., 39 43 44 19 — 145 Vol. A. Balliuger, Wellington ... 36 40 34 34 — 144 Totals ... ... tin t3O 389 309 1519 NEW SOUTH WALES TEAM '■ Lieiit. Keating ~; 40 41 40 33 - 151 Oapt Cork ... ... 43 45 42 HO - ]K0 Sub-heiit. Stephens 39 40 40 3? — ljti Corp. Jl'Oalley „. 44 41 40 Hi) - IBS Bomb. Kitrnan ... 38 3S 3« 23 — 135 Vol. Pratt ... ._ 43 .3D 4(i 27 - 155 \ol. Mathesdn- ;.. 38 44 it 34 -■ llil) Vo}- Hicks 42 44 4« •21 - 153 A'Ol. Vernon ... ... -41 42 38 iS — J47 Vol. Le Maitre ... 43 3D 2S 2a — 13a Totals 411 413 393 290 1512 VICTORIAN TEAM. WJIIS :.. ... 44 •48 40 27 - 15-1-Vol. Water 43 42 43 24 - 15a Capt. White 43 42 2S 1« — 132 ! Bergt. Hawker ... 43 47 37 32 - ir-lt ! Vol. Todd ... 41 48 37 21 -MS Vol. Macdonald ... 41 47 41 31 — ICO • Staff-sergt. Webster 30 3!) si -jo — 14s! Sergt. Boss 39 42 43 2? — 1!H , Oapt..Slonna.„■■■„. 37 42 33 37 -'149 Vol. Randels 35 39 36 28 — 3j3 Totals ...■ .:. 405 434 372 279 1490 Previous winners of the Intercolonial Cnx!leugo Cup: — 1888 (February), New South Wales, ÜB3; -1888 (Dftferaher), Tasmania. 1787; 1889, -Victoria, 1792; 1890, lapsed; 1891, South 'Australia, 16H ; 1892, Victoria, 1568; 1893, Victoria, 1419; 189*. Victoria, 1558; 1895, Queensland, 155*. In 1893 tho conditions were altered irad tho rramber of shoto rsdnoed. - At 5 p.m. tho Nursery Mutch was fired, 50 competitor* taking part. Little or no intferest was taken in the match, arid at its conclusion the men returned to town. The following is the prize list:—

Jfit GANADIAK GLUB WHISKS

Nursery Match.—Tea Bhots at 500 yds. 1 Smith, Oamaru, £7 .' 48 Corporal Allport, Nelson, £6 47 M-Hattie, Wairar»pa, JES 47 Major ByroD, Queensland, £4 43' Corporal Rowcll, Ni-hon. £i „ _ ... 46 Volunteer Shanks, Gore, £2 „. 45 Gunner Lsnderson, Thames, £2 45 Seymour (Woodvilln), M'Diarmid (Oanmii), Serguant Shanks (Gore), 45 each; G. Love« Jay (Woodville), Johnston (Southland), Coloursergeant Kobson (N^piei), Volunteer Fox (Christchurch), 44 each ; Moore (Petone), Fraser (Wyudham), Ilastie fOamaru), 4S each ; Probert (Oamaru), Licutenan'. Stonehatn (Duncdic), Willougbby (Petom-), Wills (Soiithlana), Morrison (Marton), Uobyn (J'o'-t Victoria), 42 each j Kelling (Hawera), Uslie (Oiunaru), Home (Woodville), Bunny (Petone), 41 cacli: Gray (Marton), 40, £1 each. Counted out: FrecUic, Wardle, .M'Hutchisonj Allen, Webster, De Pfijfchet; The Teams Match a>:rl Brouza Medal Untch will be fired in the iunnii:,g and the remaining matches in the aftermv.ra.