RIFLE CLUBS.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] SIR,—Influenced and encouraged by the success of Dr. Conan Doy-le's miniature rifle club at Hindhead in Surrey, I started on similar lines to form a club in March last in this neigh- bourhood, imagining in my innocence that the thing was as simple as shelling peas, and that I should have the' club in full swing and firing away at the butts in a month or two's time. Four months have passed, and I am practically no nearer the object in view than when I began. The club was formed without any difficulty, upwards of a hundred and fifty names being sent in to me within a few weeks, many kind supporters coming forward offering to provide the funds requisite, to ,pay expenses of renting ground, erect- ing targets, mantlets, and purchasing rifles, &c., which I calculated would cost about 280. I met my first difficulty in finding and obtaining a suitable and safe range at a con- venient distance from headquarters, which is essential for the club's success. I found that the patriotism of property owners did not run to encouraging the art of rifle-shooting when it came to my wanting about a hundred and fifty yards of their land, for which I was prepared to pay a fair rental. However, I at last succeeded in obtaining a most suitable piece of ground, and applied on May 16th, through the National Rifle Association, with which the. club is affiliated, to have the proposed range inspected by the military authorities. After some fortnight's delay an Adjutant of a local Volunteer battalion was deputed to examine and report on the same, which he did on June 2nd, sending in his report on the day following. Nearly a month has gone by, and I have received no reply from the authorities. On the 17th inst. I wrote to the secretary of the National Rifle Association, and also to the officer who inspected the range, asking if they had heard if the range had been passed or not, and received replies from both, dated the 18th inst., that they had not yet had any reply. This is not very encouraging to those who are trying to carry out the recommendation of Lord Salisbury to form rifle clubs through- out the kingdom, and encourage rifle-shooting as a means of strengthening the national defence of our country. I believe that the War Office sent over two officers to Switzerland for the purpose of inquiring into and reporting upon the system adopted in that country, where every village possesses a rifle club. This I understand was done with a view to a similar system being adopted in this country. If this is so, why do not the War Office authorities issue a circular memorandum to guide and assist those who are anxious and willing to form rifle clubs ? At present we are working in the dark, not knowing what is required, and the probability is that any- thing we did would be condemned. It is an easy matter to get a perfectly safe range in a thinly populated country where the natural formation provides a hill as a safe background, but what is most wanted in this country are miniature rifle ranges near towns or suburbs, where the art of rifle-shooting can be taught at short ranges up to a hundred yards. This, I feel convinced, can be done if the authorities will only take the matter in hand with a will. It should not be a difficult matter to make such ranges perfectly safe, but it is of vital importance that the cost of doing so should not be excessive, otherwise few rifle clubs will be formed. It is quite refreshing to read Mr. Rudyard Kipling's able letter in your issue of the 22nd inst., also the account in this month's Strand Magazine of Dr. Conan Doyle's club in Surrey, where rifle-shooting is conducted in so delightful a manner that it makes me long to be at work on my own range.—I am, Birkenhead. Hon. Col. 1st Vol. Batt. Cheshire Regt.
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