SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1126, 13 May 1911, Page 3

SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

Sir,—l see (hat the Public Schools , l/nion si ill persists in its amazing altitude regarding the application of the Jlarist Brothers' boys lo bo allowed lo enter leanis for its competitions. Since, the mailer first came before the Schools' union I have sought in vain for a singlo solid reason advanced by that body in defence of tlm attitude it has laken up. ; Perhaps the reason can be found in tho' refusal to admit the press to the meeting., !' e '<l'last Friday night, when one membui ti)lr. JUsenzip) said that "too niudrpublicity had alrauly been given to Ihe mtitler! Too much publicity, indeed! To ■• my mind not nearly enough publicity hasbeen given to it, and I would like to see. the sportsmanlike qualities of our assistant teachers published in every paper in(he Dominion. Why are the W.I'.S.U. atraid of publicity anyhow? Why did certain members object- to their names' , being published amongst the "noes" in (he report of their first meeting? '. On : what grounds do they justify their extraordinary attitude on this matter? Theso are pertinent questions-, and the public* is entitled to an answer to them. The.' mover of tho motion that the, press lx> excluded :'jom the meeting (the same Mr.» .MMCenzie) gave as his reason therefor\ that "if any member said anything he should not have said there would bo no harm done if the press were not there to record it." Splendid argument! ;Jlr., Jl'Kcnzie's pitiless logic' almost appals me! No harm done, forsooth! • Of what were tho Schools' Union nfraid? -Perhaps they were nfraid that if the press had been admitted the public would have l got to know the real reason (if any) why these boys were excluded. Those men; were entrusted by the Wellington Rugby' Union with (ho duly of encouraging school Rugby. How well they have performed that duty is evidenced by the fact rliat at the present .time there are more boys playing "sneec-r" in Hie schools Ihnn there are playim,' Rugby. The Welling-,, ton Kugby Unßm Committee attended the last meeting of the Schools' -.Union in' a body, offered to assist them in the work, offered to scud members of. its commitlce to sit on the Schools' Union and act with, them. But these dog-in-the-manger "sports" will have none of it—they might lose their free passes to the Park on Saturday afternoon;. They won't run school Rugby decently themselves, nor will they allow anyone else to at-tempt-to do so. Tho W.R.U.. which gives Vμ members of the Schools' Union.passes (for boys and masteis), footballs, representative caps and grants of money, uiado strong representations in favour of theMarist boys being admitted. Tho thanks expressed by the Schools' Union to the.. Rugby Union for these favours was tho complete ignoring of the latter body's re-' quest—a request backed up by every decent lover of fair play in tho community; nun these are the men who are moulding the characters of tho future, citizens of this Dominion.

In "inclusion, I would like to congratulate 31 r. Darroch on (lie spiritprl stand ho took up. but I hone thai' fnr the sake of Rugby football nr.d school £poit Ecner-iHy he will reonside? his resignation. The, Wellington Public Schools' Union has not; so many sports amongst its numbers tint it can afford to lose n man like him.—l am, etc.,

GEORGE HOWE,