19 MAY 1900, Page 3

We recommend all who are interested in the formation of

rifle clubs or the opening of village ranges to procure the leaflets relating to the proposed " Victoria League" reprinted from the East Anglian Daily News of February 17th, 19th, and 20th. No. M. in particular contains a quantity of valuable information about the Swiss system, under which rifle-shooting has become a national pastime. There every village has its rifle range, and under the Federal Law the parish is obliged to provide and keep up the range, while all the arrangements for practice, matches, the military course, are managed by a. Parish Committee. Soldiers shoot their annual course at the village range near their homes, and rifle meetings and matches between villages or cantons are constantly held, in which all classes join, whilst the women and children look on. It, is interesting to know that the ranges seldom exceed three hundred metres (three hundred and twenty-eight yards), the assumption being that if a man can get to know his rifle and shoot straight at this range, he will on occasion make good practice at longer distances. We are glad to learn that representatives of the War Office have recently visited Switzerland with a view to reporting ex- haustively on the Swiss system, in which rifle clubs are a part of the military organisation.