Volunteer News.

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Volume II, Issue 59, 10 September 1891, Page 7

Volunteer News.

[Contributions to this column are invited. All communications should bo addressed to “ Torpedo,” and reach this office not later than Tuesday in each week. Notes from country corps will be specially acceptable.]

GOVERNMENT INSPECTION PARADES. Sept. 22—Victoria Rifles, City Guards Newton Rifles. ~ 23—Auckland Engineers, Royal Irish Rifles. RANGE TIME TABLE. Sept. 12—Victoria Rifles, City Guards, Newton Rifles, Royal Irish Rifles. „ 19—Auckland and Ponsonby Navals, “A” Battery and Engineers. „ 26—Victoria Rifles, City Guards, Newton Rifles, Royal Irish Rifles.

I learn that Mr. J. H. Bower of Timaru entered for some of the events at the Edinburgh Rifle Association’s meeting, and pulled off the second prize in the All-comers match, 200 yards kneeling, with 23, two inners and three bulls. The winner was Chaplain Cameron, who made the possible 25. - The Auckland Navals had a splendid muster on the occasion of their monthly inspection last Friday. Lieut.-Commander Parker and Lieuts. Smith and Little were present, with between 70 and 80 rank and file., Lieut. Grant, of the Staff, put the men through battalion drill, after which the company had a march out, headed by the Garrison Band. The idea of sending a team of riflemen to New South Wales is being taken, up very warmly by volunteers generally. There was a

very large attendance present at a meeting in the DriU Shed last Thursday evening, when Major Skinner was voted to the chair, the principal business being the election of a secretary and treasurer. Mr. E. H. Montgomery was appointed secretary, and Major Skinner treasurer. Major Anderson, of the Engineers, and Lieut.-Commander Parker, of the Auckland Navals, who undertook a canvass amongst the business people of the city, reported that they had met with considerable success. , The first match of a series of three, the grand aggregate to decide five representatives, came off at the Mount Eden Rifle Range on Saturday afternoon. The ranges for this match were 200, 300, and 500 yards, and some brilliant shooting was made, especially by Private McCarthy, of the Victoria Rifles, who made 96 out of the possible 105. There are 20 competitors who have paid up the necessary entrance fee of £l, but doubtless some of these will drop out before the final match takes place. The A Battery, who have ten competitors engaged, have agreed to give up their range day —the 19th inst. —to enable the second match to proceed, and the final is to be fired during the following week. The Government have announced their intention to give £IOO per annum for the use of a rifle range for the Auckland Volunteers, if a suitable one can be found. Gunner McCallum is loud in his praises as to the kind manner in which he was treated by Lieut. Eales and others on the other side, and says the New Zealanders are certain to be well received everywhere. The New South Wales people are. perhaps, not so liberal as they might have been with their shooting programmes, inasmuch as New Zealand Volunteers will be debarred from a chance of winning the Queen’s prize, as they are not eligible for the first match of £650. They may compete, however, in maches Nos. 2,3, 4,5, 6 and 10, and when the New South Wales firing is over, they will be able to compete for the Victorian Association matches, the programme of which is expected to arrive by the next boat; then, if they are at all successful—and I am very sanguine—they will be able to attend the South Australian meeting at Adelaide. As an instance of what may be expected from our reps, when they visit Australia, McCallum, of the A Battery, fired in an AllComers match for the choice of representatives in New South Wales, against a large number of competitors, and came in second. Major Sommerville and Lieut. Foster have inspected the sites offered in the Upper Hutt for a permanent rifle range, and have decided on one at the Silver Stream, if the Government grant £250 to put it in order, and if not the Major is of opinion that peripatetic meetings will have to continue, and the next annual meeting would in that case probably be held in Auckland. The Auckland Volunteers made a wise selection for their secretary to the proposed shooting team, in Mr. E. H. Montgomery, as he was the first to advocate the proposed visit. He thoroughly understands the matter, and in all probability he will accompany the team. The Auckland Martini-Henry Rifle Club, held their monthly competition at Mount Eden, on Saturday, in two classes, “A” and “B” when the following scores were recorded :—

CLASS A. Name 200yds. 500yds 600yds Tl. McCarthy, Victoria Rifles 33 33 30 96 Taylor, “ A ” Battery . 31 30 28 89 Spmley, Ponsonby Navals Nutt, Royal Irish . 28 32 30 32 29 22 87 86 Greenshields, “ A ” Battery 30 28 27 85 Tobin, Royal Irish 27 31 26 84 McCallum, “A” Battery 26 33 23 82 ■Webster, * ‘ A ” Battery 33 23 23 79 Moore, “A” Battery 31 21 26 78 Doughty, “ A ” Battery Hazard, “A” Battery 29 27 22 78 27 29 20 76 T. Fairs, Victoria Rifles 26 21 25 72 Scull, Victoria Rifles 30 29 13 72 J. B. Fairs, M.H.R.C. Osborne, City Guards 23 28 20 71 31 26 14 JJ71 Soall, City Guards 28 20 19 67 Major Skinner, Staff 32 13 17 62 Graham. Ponsonby Navals 24 17 16 57 Atwell, M.H.R.C. 29 13 11 53 151 under inners, for 19 men. Average 76 1-19. CLASS B. 1445 Browne, “ A ” Battery 28 31 17 76 Preston 31 28 15 74 Robinson, M.H.R.C. ... • ... 22 28 13 63 Head, “ A ” Battery Orr, “ A ” Battery 28 15 17 60 22 23 13 58 Adams,M.H.R.C. 20 22 14 56 Traves. M.H.R.C. 29 10 15 54 Kearsley, “A” Battery ... 25 Magpies for 7 men. Average 63. retired 441