THE RULES OF RUGBY.

NEW ZEALAND PROPOSALS. CFbok Ora Own Coehespondent.) LONDON, November 27. Some important suggestions were " madf» at a meeting of the London Rugby Society ' of Referees, held this week at Carr's Res- I taurant, Strand, under the presidency of ' Mr R. J. Hodgson. Mr G. H. Ha met l ! submitted for discussion a long list of proposod changes in the rules of the game ' which the New Zealand Union and various , Australian unions have sent o-\ er to the English Union. „ T For more than two hours the large company of referees debated the proposals, which, if adopted, " would amend the Rugby game out of existence," remarks one critic. " Everything almost was to make the game more spectacular and (herefore faster; but for those who indulge in Rugby as a sport the game as played to-day is quite fast enough. There seemed. however, some plausibility in the proposal that the ball should be thrown in fiom touch not less than five yards, in order to abolish lha 'bundling' neor the line. There is soundness, too, in the suggestion that when th? ball from the drop-out or kick-off goes directly into touch the game shall be renewed by a scrummage either in midneld or on the kicker's twenty-five | line. But the proposal to license knock-ing-on in the fielding of the ball is utterly oppofted to the traditions of the game. A new proposition to endeavour to suppress the winjr-forward would penalise the half back end give a different reading to the off-side rule: but it is clumsily drafted, snd Mr Mark Waters, of the Rugby Committee, suggested that he merely voted for it in it 3 present wording because the rule already existed." As a T,-liole the proposal found favour with the meeting, ajid Mr Harriett was askod to mention this fact when the list m <luc course comes before the Ru rbv Union Committee. Mr G. Roy.la.nd Hill ■uas eiectad pi-PsiJer.t of the sre'ety, and Mr G. H. Harnett and Mr E. F. Walker aie the joint lion, pecretn.-ies. In co:i\ elation with II •• IIc:-Rp!t lit? informed me that the Ne<v Zetland c-v'i^ic:-

--tions had been sent direct as well as through him; that they, with others, were being considered by the Laws Committee. and that he hoped finality would be reached bj April 1.