NOTES BY FULL BACK.

Mr K. Smith, said to be a prominent fcotballer in Australia, is coming to New Zealand to reside. '

It is freely thought here that Duncan >ill be one of the first chosen for the New . Zealand team to tour England next year, as ioach and trainer. Some go so far as to _-*xpress the opinion that Duncan will be Jseen playing in England before the team re- \ Jurns. Who knows? C. Gilray, the Otago representative threequarter back, was the other clay presented »y the members of the High School FootJball Club wilh a silver-mounted pocket- _ ."book. The presentation was made by G. jGßorrie (as captain of the school team), who said that the school felt proud of One of fats old representatives having' been nomi;nated to go to England next year, j. It seems a rather peculiar thing that sjthe name of A. M'Nie does not appear in the list of players from jwhich the New Zealand football it-earn, to visit Britain ig ,to be selected. It is doubtful if he has a superior fin the colony as a. "hooker" (says a Southland writer), and the fact that he was laid -Jteside last season only through an accident Should not have been lost sight of. Anfotbjer player overlooked is A. Reid, than Whom there is no finer wing three-quarter Mn MaorHand; but he was sacrificed in an,pther position for his province during the apasfc season, and has thus been lost to sight. Ja the opinion of the -writer the publication at this early etage of a number of "liarnes from, which, to choose the team is a Joolish and prematur© move. As evidence that Rugby football is on the increase, it is only necessary to state that jfche New Zealand, New South Wales, and the English Unions are agitating for paid llgfipetaries. the work in connection with

these unions having out-grown all reasonable proportions for an honorary secretary to grapple with. Comment on the following paragraph, written by the Wellington correspondent of a Christchurch paper, is quite unnecessary : After all the "blow" about Dunedin putting up big records in the way of attendances at Rugby matches of note, the intelligence that the inter-island match, played there in September, resulted in a deficit of £26, comes as a sort of surprise. The matches at Wellington and Auckland in 1902 and 1903 afford a striking contrast, in that the New Zealand Union benefited to the extent of a few hundreds on each occasion. The members of the Otago Rugby Union were so keen on bringing this match prominently before the public that they actually expended the colossal sum of 17s in advertising the same in the daily papers. The cream of the joke lies in the fact that the Otago Union was not restricted by the colonial union to any fixed amount. It was given a free hand to make the best arrangements possible. "Scrum" writes to a Southland paper complaining of the Southland nominations for the New Zealand team for England, and, amongst other things, says: "The local Selection Committee evidently think that Stead and Hughes are the only two footballers in Southland who are worthy of selection in the New Zealand team to tour Great Britain. Why the committee did not send the names of Black, Burley, and Robinson is certainly a puzzle to me. All three players have certainly earned a plaoa in the team. Burley and"' Robinson both played for Combined Otago and Southland v. Britain, and Black and Burley for South Island v. North Island, Robinson being unable to play in this match owing to injuries received in tho British match. What encouragement is it for these men to play well through club and interprovincial matches, with a view to having a chance for i'nelusion in the New Zealand team when the local union dash all their hopes to the ground by refusing to submit their names to the N.Z.R.U.? It is clear that if the interests of Southland footballers are not looked after better, Rugby football will continue to go down in Southland. Although the Selection Committee do not consider the above-mentioned players good enough for a New Zealand team, they nominate one of their number as a fit person to manage the- team on its tour. All those who take any interest in football matters in Southland have heard how badly football matters in Southland have been managed, and the idea of proposing the head of Southland's football misfortunes as manager for the team must excite surprise."

An irate Wellington scribe, commenting on the recently-published nominations for the New Zealand team for England, says : "If the "Wellington representatives are regarded as the best available talent at disposal, then one can only feel sorry for the wisdom of the selectors. The list is open to further hostile criticism, but an opportunity will present itself of say-ing more on this subject at another period. Meanwhile, I can only add that the selectors who submitted, these 53 names- to the New Zealand Rugby Union have * signally failed to rise to the occasion. It is probable that the New Zealand Rugby Union Committee will be called upon to fill a vacancy in the ranks of its Selection Committee. Judging by the results of the selectors in regard to the New "Zealand team, some new blood would not come amiss."

In a private letter to an Auckland enthusiast (gays "Actaeon"), Barney Todcl sends some interesting 1 items which should be of benefit to the New Zealand Union if it decides to play a few matches in South Africa on the way to the Old Country. He says that the season there extends from March till about the middle of September, and that the grounds differ as regards hardness, etc. For instance, Transvaal, Bloemfontein, and Kimberley are very hard, no gras3; but they can be picked and watered, however, and made fairly decent. ' Durban and Capetown, on the other hand, are good and equal to any in New Zealand. As regards terms, he thinks the South African Rugby Board would be willing to offer the following alternative terms : — (a) £500 gross for, say, five matches; or (b) £500 net for five matches, and the South African Board to pay all expenses. The latter offer would, in his opinion, be the better one to accept. Barney, who is a member of the Transvaal Union, has induced that body to take the matter up, and it is communicating with the South African Board, Capetown, who will fully consider the matter and make a direct offer to the New Zealand Union. As regards the time occupied in playing these matches, the lot could be played within three weeks, and the players^ could catch the following boat to England, so there would be very little lost tim,e. _As regards the style of play in South Africa, Barney is of the opinion (and he is backed up by no less an authority than the exAuckland representative, Jock M'Gregor) that a good New Zealand team would just about hold its own, but would not stand the hard grounds for more than one or two matches. The New Zealand backs, he considers, are not as good as the Cape colonials, but the New Zealand forwards would about counterbalance, this defect?. However, the New Zealandere would need to be in_ the very best of training, as the South Africans play a hard, fast game, and last it out to the bitter end. They play the same style of game as the Englishmen — four threequarters, two halves, and eight forwards, packed three-two-three. It is to be hoped the New Zealand Union can see its way clear to let the team break its journey to meet the South Africans."

It is stated that the new Petone railway station has been made much too low — some 18 inches, it is understood, — and as a consequence an engine entering 1 the station would make close acquaintance with the massive iron supports for the platform ■ covering, and something would have to go. In order to get over the difficulty, a start has been made to remove the i-oof tiling. — Wellington Post. 1 Speaking at Petope on Friday evening la3t the Hon. J. Rigg &akl that while h-9 would vote on principle for the abolition of tho Legislative Council, 'believing that only ' on© House was necessary, still while it ■ existed it was absolutely necessary that there should be greater labour representation ■ in the Council, which had become more • and more reactlonay. till it was now nearly as bad as it was when he first entered it. He did not think anyone now living in New Zealand yrovdd live to see the abolition of the Council. It could only be abolished by act of the> Imperial Parliament, and it would be impossible to get the House of Lords to take the first step which might lead to its own abolition*