ANNUAL RIFLE MEETING.

Colonist, Volume LXII, Issue 15318, 5 March 1920, Page 3

ANNUAL RIFLE MEETING.

OPEN]® YESTEKJJAY.

[Peb United Press Association.] , Trentham, March 4. The Jeremiahs of yesterovo were proved to be false prophets of evil, for, alter midnight, the wind dropped and the threatening rain-clouds were carried away to the eastward. The morning broke fair, though fog hung low on the hills at the back of the range. Hut a bright sun soon disipated-it, and when the competitors, whose numbers reached the 400 mark, with some yet to come, paraded at 8.30 the. prospects were excellent.

Colonel R. J.Collins, chief executive officer, briefily ■ addressed the men, greeting the old hands and welcoming those making their first appearance. He specially congratulated veterans like Colonel' Smith and J. Parslow, whose devotion to the sport over such a long period of years should provide incentives to younger men. Colonel Collins expressed disappointment that the entries were not more numerous, but he felt assured that the reason could be found i:i the fact that the new rifles and barrels promised a. year ago had not yet arrived. He traced briefly the difficulties that always faced the association arising out of this very question, but added that the Defence Department was doing all that was possible to assist the association executive, and he hoped with the arrival, next month, of the longdelayed new rifles he would be .safe in anticipating a much larger meeting n?i t year. Colonel Collins congratulated Sergeant Leslie Loveday, M.M., on winning the King's Prize at Bisley, and his call for three cheers for the present service rifle champion of the Empire was heartily responded to. The men then marched off to the ranges for the first event. In B series the classification practice match was given fine weather throughout. The meeting may be concluded on Wednesday. The light rear breeze held all day, and gave no trouble. When the first match finished at lunch time it was seen that the ex-Bisley champion, Major Walfingi'ord, late chief musketry instructor to the New Zealand forces, had given a taste of his quality by notching 74 out of a possible 80 in 3 tricky practices at 200 yards. Three men, White (Auckland City), Sunnex (Sounds), and Lieutonant Munro (7th Mounted Rifles), made a good showing with 71 each. An unusual contretemps now arose. The prize-list basis on the morning's shooting was almost completed when a dispute upset the even tenor of the executive's way. Several ■.iflemen who are among the first flight as marksmen discovered that, whereas they had not been ailowed spotters, men on the next range had the advantage of these aids, therefore they asked that they be permitted to fire again. The matter was considered by the executive, who decided that re-firing was impracticable, and the objectors accepted the position which had arisen through a misunderstanding by the officer in the trench. The prize list as drawn up therefore held good, as fol- ; lows:— Classification Practice Match (appliea- , tion, 5 shots at 200 yards lying, 20 seconds per shot; 5 at 200, s"seconds per , shot; 10 rapid at 200, prone position, , time 1 minute:—£4, Major J. A. Wallingford, M.C., Staff, Auckland, score 74 ;"£3, Rifleman J. P. White, Auckland, \ 71; £3, Rifleman F. J. Sunnex, Sounds, i 71: £2, Lieutenant J. A. Munro, 7th " Mounted Rifles, 71; £2, Sapper D. Cat- i ley, Post and Telegraph Engineers, Wellington, 70. The following take £1 ; each: —Lieutenant A. J. Green, West- • port, 68; Sergeant 11. E. Hester, Rail- i way Engineers, Wellington; Lieutenant . G B. Williamson, P. and T. Engineers, ] Wellington, 67 each; President W. H. : Moselen, Kaeo; Rifleman V. H. Ross, : Suburbs, Wellington; Lieutenant W. Duncan, Westport, 66 each; Rifleman W. J. Hiney. Kaiapoi; QuartermasterSergeant J. HI. Baird, Hamilton; Rifleman W. G. Franklin, Dannevirke; i Rifleman A. C. Crossan, Karori; Staff- ; Sergeant-Major W. Bates, N.Z. Staff, i Trentham; and Rifleman W. J. Henry, , Christchurch, 65 each; Rifleman W. j. i Morgan, Akarana ; R. H. Hunt, Sub- ! '. urbs ,• J. Bryden, Kaiapoi; C. M. Moss, i j Dunedin ; and E. C. Wallis, Cambridge, j; 61 each; Lieutenant F. H. Sharland, j Nelson; Sergeant F. W. Ching, Wei-j: lington; Staff-Sergeant-Major J. T. R. I Bell, New Plymouth; Rifleman J. Scott, Petonc ; B. Reingan, Gisborne; and A. j jMcFarlane, Kiwi, 63; Rifleman F. Bolton, Opaki; Quartermaster-Sergeant Doran, Oamaru; and Rifleman L. Loveday, Ohura, 62 each. Twenty-one men take prizes of 10s each, with scores running down to 60.

During the afternoon three matches, classification, rapid shooting, and snap shooting, were completed, and from the aggregates in these, adiTid to the quick match and Service Championship matches, to be fired later, will be discovered the service champion for 1920. Following is the result of the classification match, 5 rounds at 200 yards, 5 seconds per shot, and 5 at 500, prone, 20 seconds nor shot:—£4, W. Winslade, Opaki, 39; £3, Captain W. P. Bell, Tauranga. 3d : £3, K. Kyle, Linton, 39; £2, W. H. West, Blenheim, 38; £2, Q.M.S. J. R. Baird, Hamilton Cadets, 38

The following take £1 each:—Cadet E. K. Paul Grain, Auckland, 38; F. J. Cansley, Thames; F. H. James, Napier ; R. Gaughley, Christchurch; J. F. Maidus, Taradale; Lieut. A. J. Green, Westport; R. N. Gordon, Thames; T. Simpson, Feilding; and H. J. Atkinson, Hawke's Bay. 37. Sergt. C. Baker, Whangarei;F. Bolton, Opaki; H. Haimshaw, Christchurch; 3. Liddle, Petonc; T. W. Warburton, Petone ; Sapper E. A. M. Buckman, Wellington; W. Harbour, Oamaru; Cadet A. J. Lambert, Marlborough ; A. G. Devore, Akarana; and J M. Bertram, Karori, 36; L. Catley, Levin; Major A. J. Merrlees, Tauranga ; F. G. Glcdhill, Nelson; Lieut. \V. Duncan, Westport; C, J. Carlson, Dargaville ; Sermt. L. Loveday, Ohura; and S.S.M. J.^R. Heap, Featherston, 35. Twenty men take 10s each, with scores ranging down to 33. Unless otherwise specified the competitors are riflemen.

Snap Shooting, five rounds at 300 yards: £4, Quartermaster-Sergearit Faar, Dunedin 19; £3, Lieutenant A. G. Green, Westport, 17; £3, W. H. Moselen, Raeo, 17; £2, D, J. Quiney, Petonc, 17; £2, E. A. Ballinger, Petone, 17. The following take £1 each:—lt. J. King, Opaki, and H, J. Atkinson, Hawke's Bay, 17; F. H. James, Napier; J. W. Dayman, Wellington; F. J. Soler. Wanganui; J. Kyle, Linton; A. McFa'rlane, Kiwi; Staff-Sergeant-Major J H. Levy, Trentham; J. isaylor, Opaki ; and Major J. A. Wallingford, Auckland, 16; C. E. Hogard, Dannevirke; C. J i\ix, Featherston; Staff-Sergeant-Major S, E. C. Gray, Trentham; H. C. Loveday, Ohura; Captain R. Logan, Trentham ;P. Faden, Timaru ; J. A. Myer, Frankton; Major Merrilees, Tauranga ; F. Crimp, Hawera; Sergeant L. Loveday, Ohura; W. G. Franklin, Dannevirke; C. Clark, Tauranga; W. G. Thompson, Marsden; Captain W. JN. Masefield ' Nelson; R. Caughley, Christchurch; and J. P. White, 15. Twenty men take ten shillings each with scoros down to 14.

Jlapid Shooting, 7 rounds at 500 yards, in 55 seconds: £4, F. J. SoJer, 'Wanganui, 27; £3, W. Fellingham, Suburbs .26; £2 10s 3 Statt-Sergeant-IVSajor L. Jordan,. Trenthdin M.0., 26; £2 10s John Craig, Christchurch, 26; £1. 10s,' 11. F. Wilton, Mauricevilie, 25; £1 10s; L. Lov.eday, Ohura, 25. The i'oJlowing take £1 each: H. V. ■Croxton, Karori, 25; Sevgeant-Major R. Meechan, Trontham : W, O. Franklin/Dannevirke; A. E. Turner Linton; R-' E. Wilton,' liuahine ;-and'D. A. Baliinger, P'etone, 24; F. a. Gledhill, Nelson ;£l, B. CW

ton, Kiwi; J. H. Ross, Suburbs; Captain R,. M. Irvine, Nelson; Major Mernlees, Tauranga; and H. Barlow, Lin ton, 23; J. Bryden, Kaiapoi; Cadet H. King, Masterton; D. J. Quiney, P'etone; R. H. Hunt. Suburbs; C. M. Ross, Dunedin ; H. Marshall, Karon; W. P. Lane, Akarana; A. Govenlock, Linton; M. R. Jarvis, Taradale; Cadet A. J. Lambert, Marlborough; D. M. Mclntosh, Christohurch; McMillan, Marsden; R. A. Wilton, Opaki; and A. Jackson, Petone,, 22. Eighteen men take 10s each and four s;f with scores ranging down ,to 20. Lieutenant Green, of Westport, with 143, heads the aggregate for service series. '. ' '