THE FOOTBALL HOLIDAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 164, 2 July 1908, Page 3

THE FOOTBALL HOLIDAY.

) ■*■ : WHO IS INCORRECT? I .Mr. I'. Skoglund, secretary of the j lai-imak-i Rugby Union, writes as fol- | ."Wi:—ln your issue of this morning ap- | P-'ars a letter from Mr. H. ti. Carman, 'president of the Elthani Tradesmen's AsI stating that 1 was "absolutelv j mceiTeef in stating that the Klthaiii | I riulesmen's Association had refused to | oiscrvo a holiday oil the dav of the ! I'i-iCsh football maleh. and that whoi cv< r had supplied the chairman of the Rugby Union with the information had no authority for making such a statement. It was f who supplied Mr. Humphries with the information, and I did

f on tire authority of a letter received from Mr. Hardy, the Tradesmen's Association secretary. He says, inter alia, in reply ( u my circular:— "The representatives of this Assoeialinn on tl u . executive, of the T.I'.U.A. will support your request, providing von will obtain a guarantee from the New I'lymouth tradesmen (who are not in the Provincial Association) that the.will also observe the holiday, providing Hie other provineial towns'do. Unless this is done, you will find that Ihe other towns on (he line will not close up to allow New Plymouth shopkeepers an opportunity to do an exceptionally heavy

trade at pur expense." I In iiil.li'tif.ii to the above. I received I from Mr. Hardy a telephone message I ' co the morning you puliH-hed the fact I that N'ew I'lvmnuth trad-oicuplc were j not closing till i.:m. (.: :he ■•lfcet Unit ! unless I could arrange v,:'.!i Ihe New | I'lymouth people loei.be at 1 o'clock, it j was very doubtful if Kliham would close lat all. Mr. Carman's letter would lead people to believe that my statement to Mr. Humphries was made in an en-

deavor to coerce the New Plymouth people into observing the holiday. That this was not the ease your readers may judge from the letter and message I received from Mr. Hardy. I had already, before the decision of the New Plymouth people was made, received replies from Stratford, Inglwood, and Waitar.i that these towns would close. Eltlnun was the only town standing out.