The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1907-03-06
The Government Has Forty
Seven Organized Clubs
for Rifle Practice.
WORK ALONG THE SAME LINES
THAT is BEING DONE .pY OTHER
NATIONS -lNDU EMENT S
SHOULD BE OFFERED CIVILIAN
RIFLE cLUes-WoRK OF Ma
TIoNAL RIFLE ASSOCIATION.

Washington, Mar. 5.-One only need
know the history of this country, and
understand what military efficiency
means to realize how tremendously i'm
lportant it is that our citizens should
be more or less familiar with modern
arms. Skill with weapons spells
strength with war. 1t is said that a
large percentage of the volunteers in
1.-THE late war had never fired military
/ rifle before entering the service. It
is this class of young men the National
Rifle Association is DESTROYS OF in
Istructing in rife shooting, organizing
them into rife clubs
Experience so far gained in the rife
club movement has shown that these
clubs are help to National Guard en-
llistments, members, in many cases.
joining the guard for the practice in
shooting they thus secure. The great
advantage of the rifle club is that it
offers an open door to the man whose.
pressure of civilian vocations makes it
impossible for him to attend drills aud
camps of instruction.
| Government Clubs.
The United States has forty-seven
organized government clubs with a
membership of about 5000 (nots count
| ing the German-American clubs.) The
| little republic of Switzerland, with its
three and one half millions of popu-
lation, has 1856 clubs, with. mem
bership of 133,4S6. England has go
clubs with a membership of 43.225.
Data concerning the number of clubs
in France, Italy, Spain, Denmark,
Australia, Canada, Brazil and the ar
gentine Republic. countries where
great interest is taken in this matter,
are not available. Switzerland gives its
rife clubs money appropriation of
about $500, 900 annually. With this eX-
penditure 142,7o4 finished markSmen
were turned out in 1905.
Work in England.
The English government gives It's
National Rifle Association free ammu-
milton and much indirect assistance in
renting target facilities, and detailing
regular army officers and men to asr
sist in running the annual matches at
Bisley.
From the King, the Prince of Wales,
and prominent citizens generally,
county and colonial subscriptions,
banks, business houses, etc., are re-
ceived donations for the support of the
National Rife Association of Great
Britain to the extent of from SIS, 900
to $4,000 annually. The association
has a surplus of $4,000 to its credit.
The Dominion of Canada gives a
/ grant:of $4,000 annually to its Nation
.fal Rife Association; Italy appropriates
/ 100000 to her Rife Association an
nually, and France gives even more.
than this to her federation of rife
clubs. The United States appropriates
for the National Rife Association of
Notwithstanding To the National
Board for the Promotion of Rife Prac
tice is annually fiiven $1,000 for the
expense of its members, and FOR the
prizes in the national Matches
+ Inducements Necessary.
The regular army and militia are
well taken care of, but nothing has
ever been done in this country to fos-.
ter civilian rifle clubs except what the
National Rifle Association of America
has done This has been in a very
small way only, owing to the lack Of
funds, the only recourse available be-
/ ing the small annual income from
membership fees and dues. If the
movement toward civfi.an rifle clubs
| is to meet with any measure of sue
cess in the United States 1t would
seem necessary that some inducements
should be offered for citizens to Or
ganize clubs, in the way of arms and
ammunition, permission to use the
government and stage ranges. prizes
and assistance toward the building of
small ranges.
Training of Boys.
| In 1904, in Switzerland, Is, 900 bows
were organized into shooting CORPS
Reckoning according to population If
the Swiss system existed in the United
States, there would be nearly 100000
boys instructed in rife shooting. and
| if shooting clubs existed with us in
similar proportion as in Switzerland,
the membership would attain TO near
" 5000 ,0o0 Switzerland has 1900
commupes (counties), and 2.735
ranges; the United States has, roughly
speaking, 5000 counties and only about
go ranges A bill introduced by Rep
resentative Wiley, of Alabama, eontem-
plates a range for each congressional |
district We have number of states |
that DO not own ranges even for the |
use of their organized militia This de-
feet will, in measure, be corrected |
through the recent act of congress in.
icreasing the annual appropriation for
the militia to s2,000.000, and requiring
the state to use at least % per cent Of |
their allotment for building rife
ranges and practice A state may use
its total allotment for this pupose If /
it sees fit to do So Under this law