Volunteer and Rifle Notes

Southland Times, Issue 19482, 9 December 1904, Page 2 (Supplement)

Volunteer and Rifle Notes

Captain Saundera, W.M.R., has been appointed acting-Adjutant of No. 2 Batt. OtagO Mounted RegTt., in succession to Cap*. Hazlett, resigned. The Colac Bay Rifles .numbering over 60 rank and file, went -under canvas on Thursday night * on the school reserve. ' Colonel Robin and Lieut.-Col. Deuderson will pay" a visit of inspection to the camp. At church parade on Sunday, the corps had the valuable assistance of the Orepuki Band. With a view to finishing the competition for Capt. Mackenzie's medal before the expiration of the 5 ear, "the Oreti Bides fire the second stage of the 200 yards- range on the i-Jth inut, beginning . at 6 p.m. ; this is owing to ihe fact that the programme for December mokes provision principally for long rango shooting and seeing, that practice for Boxing Day is likel> 1 to be in request this is a wise proceeding. Sergt. R. Duthic, late Bluff Guards, is now residing in town, and although not desirous of 'continuing active association ■with, -volunteering, has shown, by ConneCtl» s Kiaiself with the Rifle Clud, that ride shooting still has attractions for him. 'He has attended regularly the Association's weekly shoots, and his services will be of considerable value to the Rifle Club in their coming engagements. It is felt that the organised v-ork of the newly-formed Grasmere Range Association will be a distinct gain, in so far as the conduct of. operations nnd preser- ' vatlon oi . property are concerned.' The management has now had two trials, at both of which there were more than average attendances, and the fact of there being a system in operation with a body of control strong enough to wield its authority impartially, should conduce to still smoother running of the .rango machinery, when the affairs are consolidated. The old custom of corps having srecified targets, although not abolished, is now modified by reason of competitors being squadded as they come on the range, no objection being made, however, to members of any one corps firing together, provided other targets are not standing idle. The telephone between' the Urine point and marker is muck appreciated, but liable to -be over-ÜBdd.. The labours of caretaker:, : Cooper are /abundantly evident in ; the . well .kept ap?/ proaches and full supply of targets, and the . resulting effects - on the tempers and scores of shooters should he observable, j The handbook of rules issued by the committee states that the senior officer on the range assumes the position of range officer but may delegate part of his authority to others, also mat the lee ; for challenged shots is Is. Bluff Guards were to. have fued a match with Oreti Rifles Saturday team at the port on Saturday, but although the team went downfhe steady rain prevonted the match. The match will probably be fired at Grasmere next Saturday. Mr A. R. Wills added another to hi3 already long list vof tropMes last week, ,when he won, from scratch 1 , the Kifie Club's competition. Under service con- " drtions he got 45 at 500 yards, which ia quite up to Trentham possibilities. The dates fixed by district orders for Southland corps engaged In the Sargood competitions are :— Bluff Guards, |7.th Deo. : Oreti Rifles, 14th Dec. ; OropuM Rifles, 21st Dec. ; Capt* McKay and Stafl-Sergt.-Major Kneo- will be supervisors. Talking, of; firings > I should ?.» glad if secretaries .; would- furnish me by, say, Saturday ' night, with reports of their shoots. There has been a good attendance of town corps at , Grasmere recently • and the writer would be only too pleased to publish their reports were the scores aent in.' • The Awarua Rifles were to have attended church service -at First Church on Sunday, but their new uniforms not having come to hand; the parade was postponed. .'.•■■"..■■■■■- One of the most important volunteer fixtures of the year is at hand, viz., the annual /inspection of arms and other Government property on issue to corps, for which purpose the armourers will "be in attendance at the Garrison Hall from 9th to' 15th. inst., arid any article notthen produced, will be debited against capitation. This being a contingency not at all to the liking of corps' commanders, it,t!s to be hoped that members will lighten 1 their storeman's labours by having 1 their, accoutrements at' hla disposal when required. , After five months' residence. in Dunedin under the- care of an eye specialist, Col.Sergt. Lyall returned to town last week and received a 1 warm welcome from brother non. corns, and members of his corps- TO^Ue the loss of an eye i9 deplorable, the Col.-Segt, hopes to prosecute his shooting and .ompany duties with increased yijgour once he is fit for Ttjoric, which, will be' about- the beginning of toe" year. After a considerable interval the Murihiku Mounted j Rifles under Lieut. Wilson, are very much alive, and intend taking every, available means to revive interest in the corps. Class-firing is now well under way and parade delinquents will receive the attention of the O.C. so induce their attendance by force should persuasion; have no effect. After .last week's parade "of the Mataura troops, a goudet match, 10 shots at 000 yards, was fired in the hall with the following, result :t— - : .

The Rifle Club held a competition on (Wednesday, over 500 and 600 yards,: for a trophy presented iby the " club". ;--A large number of members were ,. present and although the light. was trying some good scores . were put-up. _ : The -highest scorers were :— • - '•■'"• --' "'''-. '•' '" ' -".•'

•On iPriday the Central School Cadets complain » competition for a medal p&aeniss by a well-known volunteer. Conditions, twio atiots at 100 and. 2oo yards, highest . 3C9T& a-t each ran'ge to . count. A largo nunKbi» of boys took part'.' The best rainge scora was Cadet Anderson's 29 at 100 yards, his diagram) reading ,9525555;, an excellent performance considering the • shooting was at Bisleyjtar« :gets :— _ . ....- . -■• " . .'■ ■*; ;■'-■'

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Sergt. A. N. MacGibbon 5354554555-46 Sergt. Jno. Mitchell 2243342235-30 Trooper Angus Cameron 4555555545—41} Trooper A. T. Barry 4482455554—41 Trooper A. J. Shanks 8352443558—37 Trooper A. jPryde 3224002523—23 The two highest scores are distinctly creditable.

500 600 Hp. Tl. Willsl 7:. 4>5 88 0 ...83. Hay 42 34 5 ... 81 GiH_feron' mm 41. 84 3 ... *I% Duthie „; s* se a — .7© Morrison ... 87 34 3 ._ Tik Keast ...33 28 12 .. 76 Xee ... 41 31 — - -. 72 tCockroft ... 83 88 -~ ... 71 Murphy ... 21 38 14 ... 68 IKelly ... 82 24 9 ... 65

.100 200- Tl Corporal Dalton .... 23 21 .-44 'Cadet Uniuhart . - 22 . 20 .7 42" Sergt, Porter ... 20 1© r - "**•& Cadet Anderson ; k .. 29 18 , .742 Sorpl. Mcßobie „72i7 IT Bugler, Wilson* y ... 22 18 ../ 85 Cadet Hamilton 7 ... 19 15* ... 34 Cadet Hinton ' A .Ax 22 BZj SQ