THE ALL BLACKS

NZ Truth, Issue 968, 18 October 1924, Page 11

THE ALL BLACKS

AND BRIEF CABLED REPORTS. Footballers are quite right m entering their weekly protest against the paucity of news cabled out concerning the play and the progress of our All Blacks m the Homeland. The trouble is that complainants don't know whom 'to blame— and the daily papers won't put them wise. But here's the straight tip from "Truth": Blame the New Zealand Press Association! The whole fault lies at the door of the Press Association, which instead of making its own arrangements to have All Black news- cabled direct from England, is still depending upon Sydney sources for its news. And what does Sydney know that knows not New Zealand? It is a. matter for censure as well :is regret that our Press Association did not send one of New Zealand's forerhost football reporters Home with the All Blacks to act as cablegrapher-in-chief. There are quite a number of fellows who have made the trip who will be posting out letters concerning the tour. But what New Zealanders at this end of the world are looking for is up-to-the-moment records. They don't want stuff that gets into print about the time the team is leaving England. There should be a column of cabled stuff per day, and two columns per match, including just the same sort of . snappy notes and comments and Press criticisms that readers of papers get during the season m their papers out here concerning club matches. With such a large group of papers as comprises the membership of the New Zealand Press Association, it wouldn't break even the sraallscountry journals to pay for a column of All Black cables per day — m fact, they would be mighty glad to get it, for the bulk of their readers are looking for it. When the Davis Cup contests were on m U.S., the other day, there were details galore — and New Zealand wasn't the least bit interested m the result. But the stuff was-cabled to the Aussie papers, whose readers really were interested. And New Zealand's Press Association agent m Sydney had such a poor sense of the "proportion of things that ho cut the column of cabled tennis out of the papers over there and cabled it over here. And there you are! But AVhy should we go on depending upon Australia, which isn't particularly , interested even m the doing of the All Blacks? , . ■ ■ ; The New Zealand Rugby Union should rise up m its -wrath, now the cat is out of the bag, and yell: We— want — All — Black — reports — and lots — of — them! If the union yells loudly enough it will, like the persistent widow of old get just what is wanted. '