New Guinea’S

Plea

For The .303 Rifle

OVER 30 years ago, when the interna tional panjandrums arranged the terms under which Australia should take over and administer New Guinea, it was provided that a register should be kept of all firearms held by pivate persons in the Territory, and it was further pro vided that the British .303 rifle should not in any circumstances be kept by any New Guinea civilian.

This, over the years, has been a real hardship. For certain purposes —notably, crocodile shooting—the .303 has advan tages over most other rifles. Appeals have been made to high authority to allow the introduction of the rifle in special cir cumstances; but the .303 still is tabu.

The system of maintaining a strict register of all firearms, especially rifles, in the Territory is more necessary now than ever; but there does not seem to be any reason for the ban on the .303. If someone in a high place would abolish it, his name would be blessed by a score or two of men in the wilder parts of New Guinea, to whom a first-class rifle is an important part of life.