NOTES BY FULL BANK.

Otago Witness, Issue 2600, 13 January 1904, Page 54

NOTES BY FULL BAN K.

A. Beadle, an old Union footballer, v/lio has been on an extended tour of iiu^land a'lid the Continent, returned to Dunodin on Friday last. J. O'Shea, the ex-Otago representative, who has been appointed city solicitor for Wellington, left to take up 'ii n cutiio? m 1 c northern city, on Thursday of last week. Efforts are being made in "Wellington to raise subscription.? for the purpose of erecting a monument to perpetuate the memory of the late Jo© Gage, brother of Dave Gage, Hie well-known New Zealand footballer. It is absolutely certain (writes the Wellington eorre-spondent of Canterbury Times) that after the experience gained cm the late visit of the New Zealanders to Australia, no outsiders will be permitted to accompany future teams journeying across the Tasman Sea under the auspices of the New Zealand Rugby Union, or elsev/u're. for the matter of that. The "outside" nuisance was so intolerable during the Australian tour as to warrant the colonial Union's adopting this drastic policy. It would cause little surprise were the question brought; forward at the annual meeting of delsgates. Among the Burmese football is as popular as it is in English-speaking <-ou'nr "5. Put the Burmese ecorns to wear boots; ho Ie 'K 9 , and shoots goals with his bare feet. In the Rugby match between Cambridge and Dublin Universities, decided on November 26, the former won by 13 points to 6 points. Oxford University defeated Edinburgh Wanderers, "on November 30, by 41 points to nil. At the new water chute at Mais'i , N-\v South Wales, on 'Thursday, December 24, Mr W. A. Baird, a well-kraown Sydney footballer, was so seriously injured by a blow from, the descending boat that he died en the following Saturday. He originally played with tho Pirates F.C., and represented New South Wales against New Zealand in 1897. After a few years' absence from Sydney travelling with a theatrical party, he returned last winter, ar.id in the second half of the season played with the Glebe, team, which his brother Mr H. R. Baird, captains. Discussing tho slump of Rugby football in London, an English writ&r says: The question is whether this slump in London popularity can be ?rrested. That, v.s*.der equal conditions, the Rugby ganie is a 9 attractive to the public as its rival maybe taken for granted, but from the spectacular point of view it has been presented in the London district of late years at a grave disadvantage. Rugby has ■ fTeri") club games, Association competition matches. It may be admitted that competition has been carried to excess* in the Association game, end has had some undesirable developments, but it has at least secured the orderly conduct of matches. Games are started at the advertised time, and are keenly contested for the regulation period. In the Rugby games tho start may be anything from a quarter to half an hour late, and the spectator who has paid his sixpence at the gate hat not seldom to be content with 25, or even 20 minutes, each way, ;it,.l that play of a half-hearted -quality. No wonder if, after a few such expo •'. nco~. littransfers his eupport to Association matches. If the mcmliPii of Rugby clubs would only fpel their oblijjat'on to "realise thi- j)o»t.t ' — that is to say, to fulfil the announcements of their bills, — jomothing would b" d0...e t" retain support; but I fear that tbe slump has gone .=o far that the lost ground cm not be recovered unless the clubs arc willing to learn f>-orn the- Association and anange a regular competition. It, should not be difficult to demise- pome tourney of the kma which would provide mtw^ling games without being too burdensome to amateur club.?. The fcotball season in Canada has just closed, and the Rough Riders, of Ottawa, havp yon ihe cluunpioiiship. The str ::;.'! •• '>'as a 1 aAI one-, and a c 1 coper public intercot was manifested m tho s^vji-i tl>j.a in any pier- c.ing year The game played m Canada ir> noi. quite the same as the English Rugby, and a movement has been begun for thc_ adoption of the English ruk-s with a view to international contests. Within two or tlir^e weeks the skating miks will be open for the winter, and ".Ken tl.e game of hotkey will be begun. Tim is almost as cli-»ri»c-tivcly a Cfinadia±i garoo jis ia lacrr.-s-?. It is playod by seven men on each ~,idc. and is unquestionably one of the most exciting of all gaipc^. Tliere are s-eoves cf fn'stcla.ss club-; t!>roughout the Dominion, and these arc «o divided as to place from six to eight clubs in each association.

A boy called as a witncs in a ea-.e at t'io "WLCiganui Pohco Comt, w;io stated that he was 14 y-cars of age, fairl/ took the breath of the justices away, vvbeu be was p>skod to \-irite down --erne words which l<e had heard, by admitting tl'^u be could ueiihcr read nor write, and d d not atte>iid any echool.