(To the Editor).

Horowhenua Chronicle, 28 April 1914, Page 2

(To the Editor).

Sir, - A statement in report of the Union runs: —"Our repro^ntali ves, I much regret to say, were a 'total failure,' chiefly owing to the lamentable lack of judgment on the part of the sole seizor say this without fear of cont as it is a well-known fncv that our •enior players last. year, individually considered, were better than for many seasons past." Now T presume "I" in the above statement means the secretary; and the secretary is Mr liroughton. In the statement quoted, Mr - Broughton has made a bold assertion, and one that is not borne out by facts. T might remark that to attack me in the annual report read at the TTorowhenua Association meeting, where 1 had 110 chance to defemimyself (not being a delegate), is unfair and \mj sportsmanlike. As for the "total failure," what are the facts?

which Mr has been very careful to leave out of the report. Playing against TJangitikei, TTorowhenua won by 2 points, 13—11: against Manawatu, lost bv C> points, 19—13; against the Xatives, lost by 1 point, 7---fi: against Marlborough, lost by fi points, 11—5: against "Wellington won by 2 points, 13 11 : ngninst Manawatu, drawn, 12 all. Does that look like a f 'total failure?" T claim that the record here shown "is well up to that of any of the teams picked by my predecessors. A gain st. Manawatu, Horowhenua,after lea dine by 8 to uTT in tilefirst spell (Manawatu being outclassed both back and forward) fell to pieces for half an hour, when Manawatu ran up their big As for the match against <ht» Maoris, after putting up one of the finest pmos seep ou the Levin ground, our team were only beaten by a "fluke"—n potted "•oal in the last minute of the 'rame. It was no disgrace to be beaten by such a strong team as Marlborough, who had a fine set of forwards. T may also state that in not one instance did T sneceel in getting the team I picked tc play, owing to players beii> unable to get away. Mr Brought '.mi knew this thoroughly well. 'Regarding Mr Procter's st drivent that there were men selected to play who should not have been, he knows quite well that there al. ways have and always will be men on the line who are as good _ as some of those who are playing. But that there were better I absolutely deny, and challeape Mr Procter to prove it.- o)in»ng •" Mr Pose's statement tint the selector did not travel last season, one wonders if Mr Pose knew what he was talking about air! whether the remark is the result of a bad memory or ignorance. During the season T visited Otaki twice, Manakau twjee, Foxton twice, and Shannon once. Besides a? there were four teams playing at times in Levin, I quite failed to see the necessity for iurthfi' travelling. Mr Broughton and Mr Procter knew these facts (or did they also forget) regardim.'- travelling, but they apparently failed to challenge the statement made by Mr Pose. -Yours, etc.,

E. T. SM7TII,