TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLIII, Issue XLIII, 8 March 1909, Page 2

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Nelson put on its best clothes and patrolted the streets on the Saturday night after a HAtF-HOLiDAY. year's abstention. The shopkeepers did what they could to make the return from Friday late night to Saturday a success, and trains from the country conveyed some hundreds into town. The people went out to see what things were like. The shopkeepers speak the same now as they did before. The "colour" of «*ch side remains, and has nol faded. Those in favour of the Saturday half-holiday stick to their guns, and the Wednesday enthusiasts will not give up an inch of their ground They have lately stolen a march on the "enemy," and from this •'vantage point they are preparing for the battlo which, it seems, will be fought at, the municipal polls next month. The people turned out largely on Saturday night, and the shopkeeper counted the contents of the till several limes during the day to see how things were going. To-day, for the most part, he declares that his pocket is much heavier than usual. He is smiling pleasantly and he believes he will be able to "hold the fort," Cables to-day inform us that the Scottish Rugby Union i that 3/- A DAT. still determined to | keep its head high up in the air. It has resolved not to participate in any colonial tour, unless it be managed by a committee on which England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales are equally represented. No one can cavil at that action, provided there is no ulterior motive; but from what has transpired there is some reason for suspicion. But the important feature of the matter can be seen in the cabled decision of the Union not to associate itself with any New ealand tour until details of the gates in 1905 have been supplied, and the accounts of the Anglo-Welsh tour in 1908 are published. Narrow-minded views on the part of Scotland on this question of professionalism are the causes of the trouble. Scotland has objected to the 3s a day allowance to each member of the New Zealand team for travelZing extras. The point which has been causing much annoyance is the fact that Scotland has protested that she knew nothing about this, whilst Mr C. W. Palliser, representative of the New Zealand Hugby Football Union in London, says it was openly mentioned in all the papers during the visit of the "All Black" team, that they were in receipt of 3s a day. Scotland's action in protesting agains the 3s a day allowance is absurd. Everybody knows how adverse the "All Blacks" in 1905 were to professionalism, and also how strenuously the New Zealand Rugby Union has opposed the Northern Union movement. It is becoming increasingly evident that the laws in regard to professionalism will have to be dealt with, with more common sense than has been the case in the past, else professionalism wfll be materially assisted by the very measures promulgated to suppress it. The present action of the Scottish Onion very unfortunately cannot but tend to produce misunderstanding between the Homeland and th> colonies.