ASSOCIATION.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1425, 27 April 1912, Page 12

ASSOCIATION.

.THE MILITARY DIFFICULTY, [By "Centre-Half."] How Military Training Affects the Game. At last Wednesday's meeting of the Wellington Football Association tho question of military training "interfering with matches" cropped up. Tho Boys' institute Club wrote, stating that their fourth division team could not keep their engagement for to-day owing to tho greater number ot players having to attend parade. It was announced that St. David's Club could not keep their engagement last Saturday owing to the same cause. There were only two absentees from the committee, and the questions before that body was: How should the fact'of a team, having to attend parades bfc doalt with, as far as the championship table was concerned, and also what arrangements coulcl bo madb for future happenings of this

sort? At tho outset it may be said that a motion by Mr. Thompson—"That all matches should bo played at the end of tho season" —was carried, after several amendments had been put. Ono oi these amendments was by Mr. B. L. Salmon. It read: "That the Grounds Committee report on this question at the next meeting." This latter resolution happened to be defeated by one vote. Shall We Have Confusion? Mr. Salmond's idea in moving that amendment was a good one, for to anyone who looks into the future just a little distance can see trouble ahead. Taking the fourth division alone, it means that, at the end of the second round we will be having so many "play ofls" tliat perhaps tho seasin will drag out well past tho closing lime. Mr. Salmon's motion was the moro busi-ness-like one, and should hare been carvied. ' Had the Grounds Committee been

empowered to investigate the whole Question from A to Z, and then brought down their report in a comprehensive manner next Wednesday, something definite would have been attained. At present there are indications that things will get into a muddlo before long. Opening Day and Absent Referees, Not very much can bo said for the opening of 11)12 Association football season. Beyond tho fact that early in tho day it was raining, and this made the grounds slippery, and that the play only fair. But something can be Enid in re-

gard to tho way in which some of tho referees kept their engagements. It is a well-known fact that the Wellington liefcrees' Association . are shorthanded, and that many of their members arc "double banked" .Saturday after Saturday. It is also known that the secretary (Mr. A. F. Newbold) and tho Appointment Board have a hard row to hoo very often. ,But when a man is appointed 'to take charge of a match, is notified of the appointment by letter from the secretary, and then does not put in an appearance, nor even notifies the secretary that ho is unable to attend, it is time that something was done to make him realise his position. Referees and Boys' Matches. A correspondent forwards the following letter, which appears to contain a point that requires attention if the game is to flourish as it should:— "A number of the boys are wonder-

ing what kind of stuff the majority of the members of the Referees' Association are lhado of, as a number of boys' matches had to be postponed on account of no referee turning up. Bovs football is going to be very keen this year judging by present indications. The splitting up of the fifth and sixth class is much appreciated, as it means that there will be three rounds in each division, which ought to sort out the best team. . . . Tho writer would like to suggest through your columns that a sports meeting be held at tho end of the' season for tho boys in the fourth, fifth, aud sixth divisions." Promise of Better Things. Although the wildest stretch of the imagination could not turn the St._ John'sWanderers' match, played at Kelburne Park last Saturday into interesting football, there were occasional flashes of play on each sido which were sufficient to warrant an optimist in predicting that both teams may show romo good football as tho season advances. Several men wero lamentably out of, condition (this applying to both sides), and were quite unablo to

keep up to the pace set by those wlio had taken sufficient interest in the game to get into form. It is difficult to imagine a more distressing spectacle than to see a man unable to keep pace with the game. A shining example of good condition was to be seen in Sliaw, the St. John's centre-half. This player was probably the best trainell man on the field, and it was well for St. John's that this was the case, becauso at times Shaw literally carried the team on his shoulders. A Well-kept Park. Kelburne Park is carrying a perfect sole of grass just now,'and was in beautiful order for last Saturday's piav. This ground had a fairly heavy cricket season, and was showing signs of wear at the close of the summer, but tho caretakei has made tho most of the short space between tho suspension of cricket and the beginning of football, and every credit is due lo him for tho beautiful even turf to be seen to-day . Whilst on the matter of the city reserves, it would ensure tho most l>eing got out of the corporation grounds if an agreement could bo arrived at with tha City Council v,'hereby any sport which docs not use a ground allotted to it for, say, two or three Saturdays running should forfeit the ground, which should go to somo other spoit which would mako use of it. The Soccer Management Committee would not be likely to be penalised in this matter as they are only too anxious to mako use of the grounds allotted to them, but this does not apply to all sports. In past years it has happened that a particular "sport lias been allotted, say, 0110 ground on Newtown Park, and that ground has not been used Saturday after Saturday. This should not bo possible, and a ilefault clause such as suggested would mean that the ground would either bo in' use by tho sport to which it was originally given or else that sport would forfeit its right for the season.

SEEM BIQ TO HUNTER'S EYES. fr WILD RHINOCEROS LOOKS LIKE-A DREADNOUGHT. In tho "American Jfagaziiie" Sir. Stewart Edward White reports his adventures with wild animals in Africa, where he has been on a year's hunt. On this trip ho saw seventy-one lions and killed several. The following is a picture ho gives of the rhinoceros as you seo him in nature. On this particular occasion Mr. White was trying to got some photographs. Ho says: "Nearer and nearer we crept. The great beasts were evidently basking in tlm sun. Tho little pig eyes alone gave any sign of life. Otherwise they exhibited'the complete immobility of 'something done in granite. Probably no other beast impresses one with quite fliis quality. I suppose it is becausc even the little motions nccular to other animals are with the rhinoceros entirely lacking. He is not in tho least of a nervous disposition, so he does not stamp his feet nor change hi.; positioin. It is useless for him to wag his tail j for, in the first place, the tail is absurdly inadequate; and, iu the second place, 'flies are not among his troubles. Flies wouldn't bother you, either, if you had a skin two inches thick. So there they stood, inert nnd solid as two huge brown rock 3, save for tho deep wicked twinkle of their little eyes. "Yes, we were close enough to 'see the whites of their eyes,' if '.hey had had any; ami also to be within the range, of their limited vision. Of course, we were now slulking, and taking advantage of all flu: cover. Those iliiuoceio< looked to mo like two Dreadnought. The African two* horned rhinoceros is a bigger animal, ar.yway, than our circus friend, who generally conies from India. One of llio.se brutes I measured went 5 feet. Uinehos at tho shoulder, and was 111 feet li inches from bow to stern. Compare th''*o dimcoaioM with your own hoight aiid with the l«ofth of a motor-cui'-