The farmer and mechanic., 1915-04-27

tion of Rifle Practice.)
Following the action of Congress
at the last session authorizing tl,e
chief of ordnance to issue tree 10 rlie
clubs the Krag rifles stored III the gov
ernment arsenals and 120 cartridges
m he used in the same for each mem
her Of the rifle club, the President ana
his Cabinet are confronted with the
proposition to put the seal OF approval
Of the administration on the training
Of the civilians in the use OF the mil
itarv arm as recommended by the
President in his last message TO Con-
gress This approval or dlsapproNal
will come about through the e1IorlS oI
the national board for promotion OF
rife practice to organize rifle shoot
ing associations in all the government
departments in Washington, such or
carnations necessarily requiring the
approval of the chiefs Of the depart
mentS.
The movement to ISSUE kras rifles
For the training of citizens IN rlHe
shooting explains what is being done
with the krag rifles in storage IN the
government arsenals, which has been
matter of a great dear of newspaper
speculation as to the disposal of the
same since the outbreak OF the Euro
pean war. Ii was the efforts of spec
ulators, influential and otherwise, who
were making the life of the chief of
ordnance misera bic in their efforts to
purchase the krag rifles, which caus-
ed the President to have issued the
order in January forbidGing the sale
of arms to rifle clubs. 1t was not
thought that there was any abuse of
the privilege accorded rifle clubs to
purchase government arms but the
President desired to be in a position
of saying that no arms in any amount
and of any description were being sold
TO anyone. especially krag rifles as
these were being reserved for issue to
government rife clubs under author
itX of the recent new law.
Since this law went into effect last
summer over $50 rifle clubs have been
organized throughout the country. Nc
particular section seems to be leading
in this respect, although these clubs
are more successful in the West where
it is easier to acquire and maintain
ranges in the open. The lack Of range:
in the densely populated Eastern sec
tion of the country is going to mate
rally retard the development of riff.
shooting in the East unless the gov
ernment should construct ranges tina
can be used at 200 and 800 yards nea
the larger cities, after the plans o
protected ranges carried out in Ger
many and other foreign cOuntrie
WHICH pTOSlQe 1Of the DultOlnS
shields to catch all shots which woul
have missed the target. thus maxim
them absolutely safe from stray bul
let's and accidental discharge of tn
rifles. The general staff of the army j
now at work on new code of riff
practice which can be used on sue
ranges and also on open ranges Of tn
national guard where it is impossibl
to get distances beyond 800 yards.
Congress will be asked at the con
ing session to adopt a policy of rang
construction in the United State
Every year that this is put off wi
add TO the difficulties and cost to tt
government of eventually Ncquirin
such ranges and without such range
the government will never obtain ar
adequate returns from it's loaning
citizens of Krag rifles and ammun
ton Such clubs are now being o.
ganized at the rate Of i 5 to 25 a wee
and the offices Of the national rifle a
sociation Of America,-~in whose han,
the government has placed the o
saniZatiOn Of these clubs, are a bu
place. By addressing this associate
at Washington, descriptive print,
matter in regard to the mOveme
may be secured by any citizen who
interested in the matter of rifle trai
ing in this country.