ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1542, 11 September 1912, Page 4

ASSOCIATION FOOTBALL.

Sir,—lnto what morass has the management of this good old game fallen in Wellington? That question opens up a wide sphere, but what I most particularly want to emphasise is the mess and muddla and slothful state in. which, our senior selectors have conducted this last effort of theirs in selecting a team to meet Canterbury next Saturday, September 14, at Christchurch. Here we have three gentlemen who were appointed at the beginning of the season to select the senior teams. They have had all the season to think about it and then a fortnight hefore this challenge match is" due, they aTO unable to como to a decision about the personnel of tho team without having to go through the farce of a trial match. Was there ever a more marked display of inefficiency? Tho W.F.A. require all tho money they can get for some time now to carry on their ground scheme. It would help thorn greatly if tho Brown Shield were lodged here for next reason. That is perfectly well known, and yet they sit still anil allow the selectors! (save' the name) to dally away their opportunities as.they have done. Could this team (such as it is) hot have been picked three weeks ago? This would have given the players an opportunity to get fit and also used to one another's way by being brought together for training purposes. -.What opportunity have.they now to do this? It will be. strangß indeed if the team as chosen get away. : It is most amusing to read the footnote at the bottom of the selection—"Players unable- to make the trip oie requested to inform So-and-So immediately." What Gilbattitiri comedy! Compare this command from the,selectors with their own dismal work. And what must be said of their selection? Have they pleased nnvone? Have they satisfied themselves? I make b'dd to say they havo Hot. It is now some time since Cross, as a plnver of rewcsonMive standard, was considered a buck number; yet he is now preferred to younger players equally as good. What a prime, lot the half-backs are! Only .ono of them, Roots, is' worth his -place.

Ono wonders what qualifications a player requires now to get in a representative team. Does anyone (except that maribund I trio, the selectors) say that Kickei-bv and ' Kii-scliberg are ahead of M'Gliule" and Shaw? The pair are not ncarly so good as they were, while tho latter are improving, every day. It is essential to tho game that the players should have a big lot of enthusiasm for tho game, and it is certain that in this respect M'Gliule and Shaw are away in front of the two chosen over their heads. Kirschlicrg himself would bo the first man to admit this. Tho same complaint is applicable to tho forwards. The selectors prefer old "hasbeens" to rising young players, who hove energy and enthusiasm added to their Undoubted abilities as players. Nobody will be more surprised than the players themselves if they win. On paper it looks a forlorn hope. This hope might-, easily have been turned to victory, if the players had been given the opportunity to train and get fit. The conduct of tho selectors deserves the severest condemnation that is possible. They lmve displayed a "masterly inactivity" which should not 1» lost sight of in future Apologising for encroaching on your valuable spaco to this extent,—l am. etc DISGUSTED,

ITINERANT OCULISTS. Sir,—ln reference to the report of Mr J. A. Youngs speech in Parliament, which appeared in Monday's Dciurxiox untler the heading "Itinerant Oculists," I would bo pleased if you would allow me a small space in your valuable columns to express my sympathy with Mr. Young in this matter. I think it is high time that the Government took steps to remove these quacks out of the road of innocent people, who are being imposed upon daily. In pretty well every small town in the country, it is quite a common occurrence for people to consult me about their eves after they have fallen into tho hands'of these monsters, and had their eyes put into a critical condition, that has taken me nil my time to get right again. The heavy price these unqualified men charge the innocent public is not the worst evil. When you consider that a permanently injured eye is a thing that no money caii regain. Therefore I consider it is tho duty of all members of tho House of Beprcsentatives to voice tho opinion of Mr. J. A. Young, . and exert themselves to bring about an action that will safeguard the general public and prevent them from falling into the hands of these charlatans who tamper with a scientific business that requires years of study and tho utmost caro before ono is competent to handle tlio human eye.—l am, etc., P. H. O'DONNELE, D.S.O.A.

SHOP ASSISTANTS' HOURS. Sir,—Will you kindly • bring under tho notice of your readers tho -slackness of the Labour. Department inspectors in sorao of the North Wand country towns. Having had occasion some months ago and again lately to visit Hawora and several other towns, I noticed tho town mentioned the worst offender in reference to tile 9 p.m. closing on the late night. From October 1 to March .11 (ho closing hour is 9.30 p.m., the assistants being kepttill then, and the remainder of tho year they close at !) p.m. Why is it that in Dnnedin, Christchurch. ami other large towns the assistants have to bo off the premises «t' 9 o'clock, or the proprietor stands a very good chance of being fined. There seems to be something very loose in the system of inspecting in these small towns; tho Shopkeepers' Associations seem to make the laws to suit themselves, and make rules accordingly. Surely 52 hours per week is a fair thing for any assistant to bo behind any counter. —I am, etc., ' '~•■: A FAIR THING.