Sketcher.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 389, 22 October 1903, Page 2

Sketcher.

—s — r LEGISLATION AGaINST FOOTBALL. sgß*« DISCUSSION that will be ©flflja) strange te football loving ygjnt Australians took place in the Montana (U.S.A.) State Parliament on sth February, ifc was on a bill to prohibit the playing of football. For four hours and forty-two minutes the debate continued. Feeling ran high at times, and the risibilities of the most sedate were provoked, Mr. Dawson, of Lincoln, introduced the bill, The proposed prohibition applied only to institutions supported wholly or in part by the State. Mr- Dawsoa said it was offer d en behalf of humanity, and to prevent casualties, often attended with loss of life, which resulted from fie game. Mr. Biky defended the game, and said it elevated the morals of the players. It required that they abstain from the use of liquor and tobacco and keep regular hours. He offered an amendment making the prohibition apply to minors, who must have the consent of parent or guardian before being permitted to play. Mr. Gardner, of St. Louis county, was surprised at the attacks made upon a clean, wholesome sport by men who never lifted their voices against sparring matches, ' If the author of this measure,' he declared, ' wants to wipa out a clean game like football, why doesn't he include other manly sports and require that ping pong, marbles and the like be substituted ?' Mr. Shepherd, of Buchanan, offered a substitute .that in the prohibition be included ' seven up,' to date from 4th July, 1776. There lurked in that game more danger to the young men than was to be found in football. Mr. Gilleapy, of Boone, where the State University is located, made a strong appeal for the bill. He went back to the days of B'chard the Lion-hearted to show how a man may be possessed of strength

and commit slaughter and yet not become a ruler, because of deficiency in intellect. Mr. Conkl in g, of Ccrroll, did not think it fair to deny to farmers like himself, who knew nothing about football, the right to climb up into the haymow, after a hard day's toil, and enjoy the pleasure of a little game of California jack just because somebody else was opposed to football. Mr. Crisp said he had seen two games of football. In the first one a player's arm was broken. He was told the next game would be played scientifically, and he went to Bee it. He supposed it was so played, as a man was killed, Mr, Newton made an impassioned speech against the bill. The men who are defending it had reached the age when the field of football had no allurements for them, he said, but this did not justify them, old men as they are, in trying to trample out the personal liberties of the young men, Mr. O'JTallon stated that the best colleges had the best football teams, A long list of causes exciting insanity, he said, had been charged against alum, but no such objection was urged agaisst football.

Mr. Terrell, of Maries, defended the bill. He would rather see his boy ride in a oar load of wild Texas steers than belong to a football team, Mr. Beckert said the reason football players were not taken to insane asylums was because they were taken to the cemetery, ' Show me a man,' shouted Mr. Oipson, of Charlton, who defended the bill, ' who has reached prominence who ever played football.' Mr. O'Fallon cited him to President Roosevelt,

•Why, he's an accident,' yelled back Mr. Gipson. Mr. Hildreth thought the man who wanted to stop football onght to be classed with the other freak legislator who wanted to stop kissing, and neither would ever be heard from again in public life.

Mr. Giliespy said Boosevelt might have played football for recreation, but that Gladstone chopped wood for the same reason.

This closed the discussion, Amendments were voted down, and the bill was refused engrossment by a vote cf 70 to 90.—St, Louis 'Globe Democrat.'

FOOTBALL CBOWDS. football crowds, unfortunately, have not a reputation for magnanimity. On tbe contrary, they are generally supposed to be vicious, revengeful, and even brutal on occasions. The outsider, however, s familiar only with their worst side. Football crowds cannot truthfully be er< tolled as models of what crowds ought to be in the matter of behaviour and conduct, bat they are not so black as they are often painted. Let ub take a recent illustration. A Pitched Battle. At the end of last season Grimsby and Stoke met in the Potteries under exceptional circumstances. It was. felt that almost the very existence of the clubs hung on the result of the match. The players felt the J of the struggle as acutely as anybody, and they played in desperate fashion. The game became rough, and before the end several players very nearly came to blows. A portion of the crowd was deeply incensed against the visitors, whom they surrounded and hooted. A player and a spectator came to blows. Afterwards, as the Grimsby players drove in a brake to the station, they were assailed by a portion of the crowd which had remained behind. A pitched battle took place, the weapons used being empty lemonade bottles. Two or three players and several of the crowd were cut about the face. It was a disgraceful occurrence, and was deeply regretted by nine-tenths of the crowd, which had quietly gone home. The matter was inquired into, and the ground was suspended for a fortnight and the Grimsby players for a week,

The Sequel • In October of past English football season the Stoke players bad to go to Grimsby to play a League match. The result of this encountsr was looked forward to in tbe Potteries with some trepidation. It was feared tbat the Grimsby crowd would taks the opportunity of retaliating upon the Stoke players out of resentment for the treatment meted out to the Grimsby players at Stoke. Imagine their surprise, then, when they learned that the Grimsby crowd-had received the Stoke players in an affectionate manner. As soon as the Stoke players entered the field they were cheered, 5 and the crowd, to the occompanimens of a cornet, sang a popular song, the chorus cf ' which runs as follows:

For old times'sake, let not onr enmity live, For old timeß' sake, 6ay you'll forget and forgive; Life's too short to quarrel, hearts too precious to break. Shake hands and let us be friends, for old times' sake. What a splendid spirit the Grimsby crowd displayed! There was one critical period during the game, a Grimsby player and a Stoke player getting as far as to put up their hands in fighting attitude. But again the crowd magnanimously" intervened, and as the two players heard 'For old times'sake" sung by the crowd again they felt heartily ashamed of their exhibition of temper and shook hands, The game then ended in* the .happiest fashion. It will long be remembered by ! those who witnessed it. Stoke Eesponcs. Determined not to be outdone in generosity by the people of Grimsby, the football public of the Potteries arranged a splendid reception for the Grimsby team when they visited Stoke. They engaged a band specially, and, acting according to instructions, the band, as soon as the teams entered the field, began to play the air to the song which had been sung at Grimsby. The crowd took up the chorus and sang it with evident emotion. It was really a very pleasing little incident, and it showed, in conjunction with the othel circumstances narrated, that footbal crowds have a human side.

APPLES-WHO CAN ADD 'Blip A question of some interest has lately been propounded. How many apples did Adam and Eve eat between them on a certain renowned occasion ? Various, scientists, mathematicians, and' others in a position to clear up all donbt on the point have been consulted, and it is the opinion of Borne that Eve 8 and Adam 2, a total of 10 only. Bat if we figure it out differently we shall find that Eve 8 and Adam 8, total 16 Still, upon consideration, we think the above figures are entirely wrong, for if Eve 8 and Adam 82, the total will be 90. Some of the people consulted reason, however, that on the strength of the theory that the ante.' diluvians were a race of giants, probably Eve 81 and Adam 82, total 163. Wrong again, for if Eve 81 and Adam 812, the total was 893. Bat on the whole, perhaps, the following will be found to be the true solution: Eve 814 Adam, and Adam 8124 Eve, 8.938. Still another calculation is: If Eve 814 Adam, Adam 81242/ oblige Eve, total 82,056.