A SHOOTING MATCH. AUCKLAND, August 11.

Otago Witness, Issue 2840, 19 August 1908, Page 29

A SHOOTING MATCH. AUCKLAND, August 11.

! The Imperial law prevents an armed party landing from foreign warships. For , this reason -the Cabinet refused permission for holding a rifle match between i the fleet shootist* and the Auckland Volun- ! teers. After much negotiation the difficulty was overcome, and the Prime Minister has decided to waive the regulations in view of the unusual nature of tho case, and the match will h« held on Thursday. MELBOURNE. August- 11. The interpretation put by the Prime Minister of NeAv Zealand upon the Imperial regulations in reference to landing parties of arnwd men, and Sir J. &■ I Ward's application of those regulations to the American fleet teams in rifle competitions, are. by no means shared by Federal Ministers. They do not interpret the Imperial regulations in any such sense. The- rifle competitions arranged to take plate between the Australian and American teams during the fleet's visit to Australia will not be hampered by technicalities. The Prime Minister, interviewed at Ballarat, said: "I know oi" nothing in the regulations which would prevent rifle I competitions taking place. I am, however, looking into the whole question." The Minister of Defence 16 even more specific than the Prime Minister. When questioned on the subject he said : "I am quite satisfied that any desire in which the authorities here are in union with the Admiral of the American fleet will not be hampered by any regulation of any description. With regard to our shooting competitions, you may rest assured that there will not be a hitch caused by any technicalities in connectinn with the regulations ss far as the

Defence Department is concerned. Permission to land teams with their rifles will require to be given by the GovernorGeneral, but I do not anticipate any hitoh."