THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF VILLAGE RIFLE CLUBS.
[To THE EDITOR 07 THE "SPECTATOR."] Sin,—Last autumn I wrote a letter, which you kindly inserted, showing how easy it was to form a rifle club in Switzerland. Perhaps you will kindly insert another showing how difficult it is to form one in England. Last year we started our club, and got a miniature range. It was so very safe a place that no objection could be raised ; but it was safe because sunken, and therefore very marshy. We found it so wet that this year our secretary tried to get a fresh range close by on higher land. The land belongs to the War Office. Before April 12th the D.A.A.G. of Musketry had inspected the pro- posed site and had approved of it, and the tenant-farmer's consent had been obtained. On April 12th our secretary wrote to the Royal Engineers Office of the garrison town close by for consent to the transfer, stating the two facts mentioned above. I may perhaps say that his word would certainly be taken, so that it is fair to say that the Royal Engineers Office knew that the site was suitable and that the tenant raised no objections. On April 19th the application was acknowledged. On May 2nd a map was sent that the site might be marked on it ; and on May 3rd our secretary returned it marked. On May 10th he received an acknowledgment of the receipt of the map, with a request for a written consent on the part of the tenant-farmer. This was sent at once. On May 18th a letter came from the local Royal Engineers Office stating that an application had been made to the War Office. On May 23rd a letter came asking what would be done were a valuable bullock shot by accident ; with a question also as to access to the range. This was answered at once, On May 30th a letter came similar to that of May 18th. And there we remain ! The club is at a standstill. I may add that our old range was far too wet; we cannot encounter the risks of chills a second year. There may be some slight errors in the above dates ; but the secretary tells me that in all essentials the above are the facts.—I am, Sir, &c.,
W. LARDRN.
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