The Waikato Times.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 927, 1 June 1878, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

Enual and exact justice to all men, Of whatever *tf.te or persuasion, religious or political. Here »liall tlie I'ross the Puoplk's right, maintain, ITnawed by influence and uubabed by jjain. "~ Saturday" june i, i»7B. Thk Bank of New Zealand li.a^ notified its employes fcli.it anyone o^ them injured by football p'«Ayi»|? and incapacitated from work will be dismissed. So runs* a telegram w'lich is going the round of the Pioss <i>i f l ns it, do< a nt< t-Ho '

I commencement of the i'ootba 1 season is suggestive of refleofciou. 'Hie^Jiank, as m a measure the of a large section of the sroocball playing youth of the colony, ,ijas probably considered that it owed J|ei daty; of making so stringent a H&tila|i<j|i as much to its employes j^to itplf and doserves the Hianks of tlVt> community for having so forcibly di^wn- attention to the matter. The example is one which might with advantage be followed by other similar institutions and large firms, iv che colony. It will be observe! that the prohibition is not against playing at football. There is no penalty attached to that. A young man may engage m the game as much as he likes, but he must run the risk of the consequences of thereby incapacitating himself from work. If such a rulo wirj made general by the banks and large firms a. pressuro would be 'brought to bear upon football clubs which would bring about a my much needed reform m the rules of the game Last year we were called upon to notice even among the residents of this district, one fatal and several severe accidents resulting from the rough and reckless way m which this game is played. In many other parts of the colony accidents of a very severe character were numerous, till football became a terror to parents and others. Attempts trere made to induce a revision of the rules so as to render the game plujed m the colony leas rough and dangerous, but nothing was practically done m. the matter. Young men of Hie stuff of which football players are made were little likely to be lea into a revision of their rules with the object of avoiding personal danger. Some proljably thought the risk to life and limb gave a zest to the game which it would not otherwise hare possessed, and others again may , have thought that to have moderated the risk m play would have hot no the appearance of want of manliness. Whatever the reason, no practical result was arrived; at, and the game as now played is; as dangerous as ever. Our young friends, however, if the movement m the Bank of New Zealand is to become general on the part of employers will be brought to a proper and temperate consideration of the case, and it is well that they should be" so. We are not of those who, because footbill is under any circumstances a rough, thongh not uecessarily a dangerous pastime, would have it abandoned. All that we wish is to see eliminated from it that unnecessary tendency to savage encounters of bruto strength, which would appear to be inseparable from the game when played b}' j men under strict Rugby Rules, The game need lose none of its true manliness if something of its extreme roughness be taken away. And this, we take it, will bo the result of the action of the Bank if generally i followed up.