General Gossip.

NZ Truth, Issue 253, 30 April 1910, Page 3

General Gossip.

Every footballer - and patron of the winter game should contribute his .littlemite! to the fund that is now. being raised to render needful assistance to Jack Bennett, the old Melrpsc Club player, and Wellington representative, who flourished exceedingly between isai and 1897. As the result of bloodpoisoning whilst following his ; , daily vocation Jack is m a very had way, financially, the enforced spell of a coupleof years, added to which he has, a Tjrif e • and two children to support, haying swept away what small means ho had at command . when misfortune overtook him. If- ever there was a case which, demanded the sympathy and assistance ,of Rugbeans this is one, and- I hope to see past and present players responding strongly to the , appeal put forward by the Melrose Club and those associated with it. Jack Bennett always played the game for the game's sake, and his dean reputation, both off and on the field, should he well remembered by the charitably inclined. It's a moral, notwithstanding all the ski.te from Rugby Union officials as to the perfect state of the Park turf at the present time," that long before the club competitions are finished, the players will be dodging the liquid lagoons with the alacrity of a bee on a blossom. Country Unions m the Auckland pro-- ; vince have not been long m following the lead of the town m reverting to the club system. Waihi and Whangarei have now reverted to the old order of things. What an awful lot of rubbish has been said and written about Pet one's defeat by St. James on Saturday. We are led io believe thai the result dumbfounded behplriers, and caused qnite an unexpected sensation m local footballing circles. Why should there be so much surprise manifested over the Saints' win? Last season at Petone the "Geartbwn" men •were lucky to scrape home m their tussle with the Saints, victory only coming to them almost on the call of time. And ithe Jimmies were good enough m 1909 to make the best teams gallop their very. hardest. Now this season St. James have a reputedly stronger combination, back and forward, while Petone has lost its strongest links m either division by the defection ot Ghueen and Hanlham. That being so, the odds were all m favor, of the younger team on Saturday, and I was optimistic enough to say to :a friend, ■ before the match, that the suburbanites were ■m for a beating by anything from 9 points, basing my calcula- . Clous, of coarse, on the facts ' indicated •above. The writer who frantically talks about "a new star m the firmament, a •cornet upsetting all calculations," is the victim of a very tiad attack of "Halleyitis/ 7 accelerated by optical : shooting m the vicinity of Venus m the ■early hours ' of the morning. The management committee of the Taraaaki Rugby Union has intimated to all clubs under its jurisdiction that if if comes to the knowledge ot . the Union that any officer or player has a wager on, any match the offender will he dealt with as provided by the by-laws. The step .taken by the committee is no doubt : a proper one, but it might just as well • try to> turn the sun from its course as to .attempt to eradicate, or even lessen, the 'betting evil; which, unfortunately, has got a big hold on present day players m the Dominion. In Wellington last season the -.extent, to which, players wagered their dolors on. championship results- is almost Last season's operations resulted m a i*small financial loss to the South Aucfc--land Rugby Union which, thanks to i Micky Sbeeuan, came under the wing of the New Zealand Rugby Union. The r committee dp not regard the deficit as . !)ein,g< of serious moment, as the Union ;has not long been m existence, and extra- ' ordinary calls have been made upon its finances. ,: v . ' One of the sky-pilot brigade, the Rev : R. B. Scott, to wit, is one of the Taranaki Rugby Union's Executive uhis year. The practice of inviting nominations from affiliated unions for players, eligible for a place m the New Zealand teams has been a holy farce m. past years, for the reason that : the selectors are unacquainted with the merits ol men. outside their own towns. ; The smaller unions, particularly those m the North Island, haven't a ghost oovaf v a show when, the selectors come to sort out the Auckland, ; Taranaki, and Wellington players. The „New Zealand Rugbyv Union is again on '<hand with its little Joke m respect to' /.nominations for the.-, team that will' 'bump up against^the light blue and ma- ; roon jerseyed combinations over the Tas--man Sea ttris coming June. If the smal*,ler unions wish to save themselves unnecessary trouble and disappointment: •they will refrain from accepting /the m-* 'Vitation of the governing body. In giving them this advice, I am guided by rtie experience of formci years. ' The management committee of the JNew : Zealand Rugby Union states m the annual report that it is satisfied as to the : bona fides of the Maori football team's visit to New South Wales this season. It takes mighty little to satisfy', the Union on this head after what has transpired . m regard to the visit of its own representatives to the other side on different occasions, the tours of the City and Ponsonby football clubs m the N.S'-.W. metropolis, and the doings of the Anglo-Welsh team round these parts m Wo'B. ,\Ve are told that any surplus from, the Maori tour is to be devoted to charity. The writer has a very strong suspicion that >. charity won't be very much the gainer when accounts are balanced. Taranaki Rugby Union opens the season for its northern district on May 12. The following selectors have been appointed : — Northern division : Messrs Malone, Sergei, and Mynott. Southern division : Messrs A.. Hunter, J. O'Suliivan, and {E. Burke. 'For representative teams : Messrs Malone, Mynott, and A', Hunter. • For some weeks past a Mr Wilkinson has been m Wellington, hjs chief mission being to fix up., preliminaries m view of the early descent of an English. Northern Union team upon New Zealand. Mr Wilkinson, who is representing the Home, authorities m this matter, informed me last week that the team .selected for the Australasian invasion is an exceptionally strong one, he being competent to express an opinion on that point by reason of his personal knowledge of the playing rrerjts of most of the selected ones- He

predicts that Dominionlanders will see something m the way of toeball that will astonish them when the Englishmen are j prancing about the playing area. It was only a few months ago, if I am j not mistaken; that the Otago Rugby Union applied for a further loan to the New Zealand Rugby Union, which, however, intonated that no money was available for the purpose. That reply should be very carefully weighed by delegates when Taranaki comes forward with a request of a gilt . of £100 to help the Bayly Memorial Fund along. Our old friend, Harry . Mclntyre, who is, nojf cow-spanking or something of that sort up Waikato way, is, I notice, actively associated with the South Auckland Rugby Union. It is quite apparent that 'the City Footltall Club of Auckland appreciate a good secretary when they get hold of him, for at the annual meeting of the dub ' last week, , Geoi'ge Donaldson. -was elected to that position for the fourteenth time. Jack Pagni is a member of this year's management committee of the club, whose assets are valued at £500, while the liabilities are put down at £160. •■-■'■?■ A clause m the Auckland Rugby Union's annual report says that owing to the | absence of foreign matches, and the heavy ! expenses of the southern and country tours, the season's disbursements exceeded the receipts. The ground fund trust | capital account now stands at £5286 Is. The sum of £100 has been paid during the season to the N.'Z.R.U. on account of the' mortgage, : leaving £700 still ; cw- i ing to ' the latter 'body. , Thjgee matches' .' the Northern ■ Union code will be ' [ilayeVi between New South Wales and QueensJand at Brisbane •this season, ftfce dates being July 30, August 3 and 6. < The anmual report of the New Zjealand Rugby Union is of a comparatively colorless character, and merely acquaints Rugby readers with facts .'that' they have been fully cognisant of from time -t o time during the year. Of far greater importance is the balance-sheet, which has not yet made, its appearance. There are usually" some very interesting features about the baiaace-sheet, but it is next to impossible to, obtain any detailed information as to the special tid-bits, for the reason that toe management committee takes all sorts, office care that the inquisitive" one shall be ' promptly squelch-' cd. ' ...■.-•■- .. ■ .-' ; What is the true ( interpretation of this clause m the N.ZsR.U's. annual report: "The authorities of , the various unions throughout .the Dominion have m the main co-operated loyally m promoting the best interests of the game ? One jwould reasonably, ; infer Irom the words "m the. main 17 that some unions have been kicking over the . traces at times, and toid the. parent body to mind its own bianky business. Or is it a dig at the Auckland iandOtagJo Rugby Unions ? Treasurer Perry of the Wellington Rugby Union prated and postured at the special meeting' of the Union last week as to the. . committee's impartiality m dealing with clubs under its jurisdiction, "it would be bad policy," he said, "to treat one club differently from another." Hut Perry. forgets, that last season, one 'club, Poneke, .was' treated disgracefully by the committee m being called upon, Saturday after Saturday, to battle against the very., strongest combinations m the competition, and on a ground which would have been exactly to the liking of a herd of swine; for no other reason than the Union's committee saw that 1 the red land black was a great trump card to- play m bringing more grist to the treasury mill. Did Perry stand up last season and give expression i to the same views that he enunciated on | Friday week ? \Not much. Circumstances altered cases: And Perry had the temerity to sermonise a fellow committeemari on loyalty. By loyalty, does Perry mean that a man roust be entirely subservient to the dictates of the cliques which boss Rugby uwions nowadays ■■? If a man fead j a spark of honor m bis composition, he would- resolutely refuse •to subscribe to] the doctrine- expounded by Bill Perry, who has come out. m a new role lately 1 as the arbiter of what constitutes liber- ; ty of speech and action. Perry is a capital fellow, personally, but it is quite j evident m this instance, -as well- as m the matter of moving a certain motion ■ afieeting the representation of affiliated, unions at •N..S&R.TJ. meetings, that he is merely firing tlje balls 'that have been < manufactured by ot tiers. ! Auckland Rugby Union showed a loss of £11 on its carnival held: at Cue conclusion of ■ llast season's operations. Micky Sheehan's crowd, however, were so- pleased with the afiair that they recommend it j should be an annual one. John Stiurbz, who has been playing | with Warrington -'in PJnglish league lootball, is expected back m Sydney next month,, ■'.... v Clcary, secretary of the BuUer Rugby Union, has louna his way to Christchurch, and informs' a local scribe of Ms intention to play with the Chiistchurch Club. Very sarcastic reference is made by old and tried footballers, as well as close students of Kugby form, to two of the gentlemen appointed to select the New Zealand team, to visit Australia m- June. The writer " expresses a very decided opinion that a couple of better judges ! than "yihy" Meredith and Harry Harris could easily have .been sorted out from the pomiiiipnis eligible ..". list. Why m heaven's name these personally very decent fellows are . the N.Z.ll.U.'s choice is a mystery that ' fairly ' baffles ' me. A fe\v of ' our ' scrumuiagers are still as beuf y m. condition as one of Wairarapa i [ Buchanan's best bullocks ready for pithing. -' ; ■'V. '■ ■.-. . If the wet weather gets 1 playing havoc with those parte of ' thfc Athletic Pant usutped by the "bankers," there will be i a slump m enthusiasm of that .portion j- of the toeballing community which takes its pleasure cheaply, and a corresponding diminution m. the gate takings. The Rugby Union might think the matter serious enough at this early stage of the season to see that provision is made lor emergencies. Most peopie have a pet • aversion to standing ankle deep m soft clay or water for a. couple of hours at a stretch, more particularly when the "sneezy atinbspliere i: - betokens the presence of a polar beifg somewhere m Cook , Strait. A few cartloads of gravel would not conic amiss to the "banfeers," even' at 1 , this early period of the season. That old witch, lluihdr, has been galivanting about with the intelligence that Frankic Mitchinson. and Fiecldy Roberts are uo don their 010 colors again. "Wellington will want both of them if the events of the past two Saturdays make flor a reliable heading. Algy' Thomas-, the Saints' full-back, is .getting aft good team of his own together. He has no\V four coming toeballers m ■ view, the latest recruit ■ having made his appearance a week or two ago. ■yic. L'angsford was not to be hooked with the bait offered Him by the N.Z.R-U. •to manage tfie Maori football team which will shortly tour Australia. Vie. knows , a thing or two m connection with the handling of our dark-skinned brethren. Would the N.Z.R.U. offer the managership of a New Zealand team to Langsford or any other person outside its own immediate circle? Not much. These big plums are kept exclusively for its own repast. ■ How very generous was it of M. A. E. Devore, president of the Auckland Rugby. 1 Union, to suggest t that it would be for the better of tbe game m the Queen City if Wellington were given gratuitously the Ranfurly Shield, which lias n&ver fceen outside the North Island since governor Ranfurly handed O'. r er this bit of furniture to the N.Z.R.U., and which, except for one brief year, has been m possess 1 on of the in'ers. %'l-e burden of retaining the Shield against the vigorous onslaughts' of their southern rivals is becoming too unbearable for the magnanimous Auck'antlers, who have now decided to ask the governing hotly to restrict challenges to two m any season. It is not unlikely that the Northern Union's exlerience of the Marlboro'- gh rewrcsentatives has influenced them m i- 1 refer ring a

request which if given effect to would block the smaller unions from making an attempt toi get possession of the Ranfurly furniture. Sandon Cldb, that was understood to be going to join the Manawatu Union and taJ-e part' m the senior contests, is to play with the Foxton Sub-Union.