CORRESPONDENCE.

Manawatu Herald, 29 October 1889, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

We are mt responsible for the statements or opinions of correspondents. I 10 THE EDITOR OF THE MAXAWATP HERALD i • Sib, — In your article" of the 22nd inst, ; you asfc, how is f would encourage outdooi' ' gameS"tttrdugh the Boards ■?. I admit that we cannot expect them to rlo much in, this direction except in an in■direct way. The Boards might, however, let it bo understood by the schoolmaster.-:, that they should as far a« possible encourage cricket and football, etc., by their '^vttt nee sometimes on tlie * ground, Good « 'results are only possible in education where | .here is entire confidence between master ' and pupil. How can this be better attained i than by mixing with the boyn at their | games? Can We' not remember, how as: toys we looked with awe and respect upon ! the man who made his century at cricket; -r-to know him. was to be honoured among ones fellows. The captain of the first elevan was always one, for whom the younger boys would have done anything. It ia that f«eliug of love and respect towards their teachers which causes children to make their best efforts. :It is not partly , within the scope of the Fathers of our , Byateiu. (the. Boards) to.encQurage this between, masters. and pupils? is a "physical basis of life" an well a» an educational one, is it not in the 'sphere of the Boards to ace that the standards of both are high. Must their " basis of physical life " stop at seeing that children have bo many cubic feet of air per head? I deplore with you that we are sacrificing " the manliness of our children" by neglecting the encouragement of outdoor sports. Cricket, doesn't "catch on" here, except in the large centres! And in our country towns, we miis the merry laughter, and joyous shouts of the English villiage green. By way of parenthesis and in reply to your joke about schoolmistresses playing, I have myself with pleasure seen one — who at the time was a pupil teacher and is now an assistant — playing with her brothers at cricket and playing as well as they did. Was she any the worse for this? Football, however, in New Zealand, bids , fair to become our. national game — and ere long we shall beat the best team England oan put upon the ground. What finer game could be imagined for boys and young men ? To see a fast game at football (take for instance the last match be-, tween Wellington and Auckland) played by thirty picked men, all with the bloom of ' youth, in good health, straining to their utmost to win, is one of the sights of the . day. Where can unselfishness and. the art of keeping one's temper be better taught ? ;■ Where is there more "esprit de corpB?" The footballer who for self glorification plays a selfish game, is not for a moraeni tolerated in the best team. I agree with yon in thinking that perhaps parents are' most to blame in the apathy thown by colonials to outdoor games. T( make the start T shall bo glad to give as .t prize £10 to the' 'school eleven in Rangi tikei, Manawatu, or Horowhenua, whicl .-., : 'wins the most matches, at cricket agains , ; other . State schools during, the comini ""' rammer, £5 to go to the schoolmaster, am £5 to be distributed amongst the boye The only stipulations I would make ar that the schoolmasters must take an aotiv •; cf*rt >n assisting,; if not in playing (all th JapiiQtit they, play and that a •P»»t 7 Mhools compete. 5 -■;■<■ n,>., • ■■■ I«n,<fcq., M ; N ■ '"'..,■' JAMKB G. WtLSOK. •iih'-h 1 ■■■■■■ ■ ■^^^^mitmmmm