PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOOTBALL.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1116, 2 May 1911, Page 7

PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOOTBALL.

[Tc the Editor.] . Sir,—The question as to whether tha Public Schools Rugby Virion shall .or shall not admit to itself the Alarist Brothers' School is causing a good deal of argument and some comment in the daily and weekly papers of this city. Every man's pen has been against this union, and many baseless and unworthy charges have been laid bv pen and by tongue. With your permission I will state what the position, is. The l'ublic Schools Virion was formed by and is composed of public school masters, who sacrilico much of their fi' ne > some of their money, and a great deal of effort in equipping and training the boys under their care and in arranging games for them. They are not all Kugby devotees—most do not care a jot what game is played so long as it constitutes 11 medium lor teaching obedience, cooperation, arid the value of discipline. The despairing cry of one. pressman, "Save the boys lor Kugby,'' raises a sin lie. Xo, brethren, let t'liem no t be oast into the miry vortex of sinful "soccer," nor taste the horrors of hockey, nor the meanness of marbles. The masters, for. twenty years, have, conducted the games to the satisfaction ,of all concerned, and fear that the inclusion of all and sundry will upset the happy family that lias done so much for the betterment of the boys of (his city.' 1011 may take it as a certainty that the union will dissolve if called upon to provide sport for all who come to apply. As it is, the union.is unwieldy even now; the trouble to find grounds, I lie distances to be travelled, etc., are real difficulties, only to be increased with the number of playing teams. The criticisms, so-called, scarcely call for reply. Those who have scon our biivs pitted against tin; Wairarapa boys we'll know that the story of the size of the private school bovs being the deterrent will only raiso a">mi!o. The originator of that story knows lit is writing "pifilo."' The alleged crime of the Schools Virion in forcing the.-, private schoolboys into playing other games is nonsense. The union concedes to others the freedom it desires for itself." A .regrettable feature of the controversy is the cry of sectarianism. As nearly every important division of the Christian Church can claim a. delegate to the union—the president himself is a lioinan Catholic and a sound sport—surely nothing could be in worse taste, to say the least, than to say that the union worries its head as to whether a man or a boy gets to heaven by one or another of the litany routes now open. Another regrettable feature is the squeeze that is being exerted from various directions. That self-satisfied body, the Rugby Vnion, sent a deputation to the Headmasters' Association, to lay their precious views before that body. One is templed to ask what the deuce it has to do with the liugby Vnicn? It has not accorded much support to the Schools Virion—a paltry ball or two and an odd liver..-1 - I might, write at greater length, but I think 1 have shown that the Public, Schools Vnion is not the narrow;, unreasoning body it-is said to be. In conclusion I might state that the union resents interference from those to whom it owes neither gratitude nor obedience, and is still capablc of carrying on its functions as well as ever, without the direction of every Athletic Park "barraclcer" who sees fit to admonish it through the press.—l am, etc., TITE QUIET MAN.