STRATFORD GUN CLUB.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 August 1916, Page 6

STRATFORD GUN CLUB.

To the Kditor. Sir,—The vicar of St. Mary's was not very apt in his choice of language in reference to our "shoot" on Wednesday, but that may be charitably put down to th* wile ranee the Cloth. Foi char-

ity's sake, it would be wtll to assume that he has been misled and did not intend to wilfully write an untruth, for in stating that the match is to be held "for patriotic- purposes" lie U juggling with facts. Mr. Colvile is not half as bad as Mr. Hughes, however, whose "supposing" leads him into a pitiable condition. His reference to exploiting the public under the guise af patriotism -is the veriest drivel, but, what is worse, it is absolutely untrue. You will admit, Mr. Editor, that vour correspondents are not endowed with wings. so that the inference must be that they belong to that oilier body who occasionally rush into print. A mere statement of the facts will be sufficient to convince the general public that the executive the Stratford Gun Club has been actuated by motive? far removed from tlioste imputed to them by Messrs Colvile and Hughes. The position it as follows: The prizemoney (£10(1) was guaranteed before any arrangements were made to hold the match; the pay for their own birds, which they carefully guard and take homo or present to friends for pigeon pie, o: dog meat, if they like; the luncheon is paid foi by the club jut of the nomination and acceptance money, £5 each shooter; the proposal to donate the gate money to patriotic purposes was put on the programme at tho last minute, and whether the "gate" amounts to twenty shillings or twenty pounds does not affect the success of the shoot in the slightest, but purely there is nothing wrong in appealing to the public to attend for the sake of the patriotic funds! Seventy nominations are in the hands ;>f the secretary, and there is no meed to chase the "gate" to make the shoot a success; it would not matter to the club if no one rolled up to the showgrounds except the shooters and. the officials. Docs this look like exploiting the public under t/he guise of patriotism! Nc, Mr. Hughes has fallen in badly! Then, as secretary for the Society for the 'Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Mr. Hughes should know that a few years l ago the New Zealand Gun Club Association was successful in a test case brought by his Society. For the purposes of this letter, the ethics of the. "sport" are thus sufficiently dealt with, and now that the Stratford Gun Club has been put before the public in its proper position, all the anti-pigeonitcs can fire off as many paper cartridges as tliey please.—l am, etc.. SECRETARY, STRATFOJtf) GUNi CLUB. ' Stratford, August 25.