ON THE JOB!

NZ Truth, Issue 58, 28 July 1906, Page 5

ON THE JOB !

RUGBY UNI-'UN GETS BUSY!

A'Piecfr of Impudent Snobbery.

! Ever since tha Athletic Park hasj been used for football matches it has been the custom for the representatives of the Press to occupy a position on the centre line (which has to do duty for both grounds, a dangerous plan that it is a pity cannot be obviated and space left between the two fields of, play), so that they could report both matches at the same time ; and as they have enough brains and are active enough to get out of the road- when play approaches them, they have never given or got into any trouble. It is their proper place and has become recognised as such and a right by the law. of custom. But last Saturday, probably actuated by a nasty feeling towards the press, aroused by "Truth's", denunciations of the Union's supineness and proneness to spread its chest and enjoy itself at matches instead of justifying its existence, one prominent committeeman,' • prior to the PetoncPoneke match, approached the gentlemen of the Press and requested them not to occupy their conceded coign of vantage, but to go over on the far. side between the crowd and the game, ' presumably because they might, bv their presence on the line, obstruct the: game ; an excuse calculated to make any sensible man emit "bawls"; not to say howls of derision. As one: match that day was a junior, the pressmen conceded the point and went where they v/ere requested ; and there the crowd continually howled at them to shift from between the game and their vision ; besides which annoyance they were unable, of course, to properly jiote the play in the junior match. Moreover, judge of their disgust when they saw the "very gentleman who had so plausibly deprecated their presence on the- line, march out there himself, accompanied by another, and also by a photographer—who really might be not only an obstruction but a danger. It may be said that it is not from choice that the newspaper men go out on the field, but from a sense of vheir duty tp the papers they represent, and their readers ; who desire pretty full and accurate reports of both matches transpiring on the ground. They would be much more comfortable in the stand, dry under foot and somewhat sheltered, than out on that often soddened field, cut .to pieces, almost, by a fierce, cold wind. And then, at this late day, to be suavely requested to move, on and to do so, only to find the suave gentleman himself taking up their usual post of Vantage ! Whatever the cause is, it is certain that future requests from the Union of a like nature will be placidly and unanimously disregarded by the pressmen and if the silly, uncalled for "request" is pushed the Union will be appealed to, when no doubt any such intrusive gentleman will be made to understand that he's "not the only pebble on the beach." Since the above was in type' the Union has backed down from its undignified position. At the meeting on Wednesday night the Chairman, Mir Stan. Brown, as soon as the meeting was opened, arose and said that with regard to the removal of the press representatives on Saturday the Union had evidently made a mistake. As a matter of fact, it had been more than hinted .that if the Union did not rescind its "orders" some very disagreeable developments would ensue and it was more than possible that the combined Press would have practically ignored the sport ; which, in view of the approaching interprovincial matches, would have meant something very serious. A sport that is not reported by the newspapers is a sport that is marked for deatn, as has been bitterly proven by people -in> bigger cities than Wellington, and in the case, for instance, evert- of -the king of sports, whose heads swelled and Who showed lack 1 of the common courtesies to- the Press. In this case the Union- has showed sound sense by. withdrawing the uncalled-for edict. All it requests is that the reporters shall not "bunch" on the line. "Truth's'" representative never has- bunched 1 or made a crowd of himself-, preferring solitude amd a. chance- to- exerciser his* own judgment.: