CORRESPONDENCE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XV, Issue 110, 8 May 1880, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE.

To the Editor o*f the 'Evening Mail.' Sir, — In your issue of Wednesday there was a clipping from the Tablet, in wbich attention was drawn to the manifest of the missijnary ship " John Williams," declaring that a considerable portion of her cargo was made up with barrels of beer and cases of spirits. The Tablet was only following the Advocate and Freeman's Journal. All Roman Catholic periodicals in thus dilating upon the iniquitous practices of the Protestant grog selling Missionaries: The report was circulated owing to the insertion of another vessel's manifest to the mission ship. The shipping reporter inserted a correction the following day, but, we presume, those who wrote so severely did not see the correction. Hoping this will rernore any falsa impx*essions and prevent the spreading of absolute falsehood. I am, &c, John Beckeniiam. To the Editojr of the "Evening Mail." Sir,— Will you kindly allow me to make a few remarks on the game of football as played iv Nelson, occasioned by my reading in Thursday^ issue of your paper " Footballer's " letter and your comments thereon ? . " Footballer " says that tho "Nelson newspapers take no notice whatever " of football. The papers have indeed said very little about football during the last two or three seasons, and I think there are good reasons for the players to congratulate themselves that such has been the case. One reason is that the less said about the play of mos!; of the Nelson footballers tho better. Another, that rery often there has not been more thau seven or eight players on the ground, and one could hardly expect any paper to give a good account of a " well-contested game " of four a-side. Thia year, however, the Nelson Club has made a really good start, and players seem as if they really meant to attend practice, but I think tbat they bave very little right to grumble at either the Nelson papers or the Nelson public for not at ence patronising a game which has for the last two or three years been almost entirely neglected by the players themselves. Most of the accidents which have occurred at football have been caused by unfair play, and the newspapers have made the worst of the cases, generally, I think, because the game looks much rougher than it really is, and so it is put down by those who do not understand ifc as brutal. Anyone who may see the match to be played on Saturday next between the Nelson and College Clubs will be couvinced, I think, that there is more of skill and smartness than brutality in the game. As regards " Footballer's " shins beiug "so badly abraded," I think you must have been mistaken, as I am informed that «' hacking " has been out of date for some time, and that " getting shinned " at football is quite a mistaken notion. — I am, &c, A Cricketer.