NOTES BY FULL BACK.

Otago Witness, Issue 2811, 26 August 1908, Page 60

NOTES BY FULL BACK.

Now in the press and shortly to be published is the latest in Rugby football literature. This is a book entitled "With the British Rugby Team in Maoriland : the True Story s al the Tour." The work, the first of its kind with a British Rugby team in New Zealand, is being written by the special correspondent with the British Rugby team which recently created such a sensation through the Dominion. The "special" with, the team, who is a well-known dramatic and sporting journalist, had special facilities of witnessing- '-behind the scenes"' with the British team. In view of recent events and sensational happenings — '"dramatic farewell at Auckland"' — the book, written in an entertaining and graphic style, describing faithfully all ' the -incidents— personal, social, football, and otherwise— is certain to be of interest, and should command a ready sale. "The True Story of the British Team's Tour" suggests great possibilities for an entertaining Ptory, not only to the footballer and enthusiast, but to the great British public, who have of late heard so niuch concerning the British stourisfc footballers. The publication of the book, which is being graphically illustrated with snapshots taken on -th© tour ajid bristles with special articles written by members of the British team, will be awaited with much interest. Mr J. Williams has been appointed referee for the Ranfurly Shield match between Taranaki and Auckland next Saturday, and leaves this morning for Auckland. The Otago representative team to go on tour next month, playing matches aeain c t North Otago, Canterbury, Wellington, Tara-' naki, and Auckland, has been selected and given forth to an expectant public. Generally,, the- team has given satisfaction, btu theie «ire isolated instances of dissatisfaction. Personally I hold that it is a good side from The players available, and certain to give a good display of Rugby on the tour. fho weakness of the team certain'y lies in The back division, and I am not optimistic enough to hope that the rear qua.rd will naralyse the flying backs of th-» north. Truth to tell, local backs of late have not progressed in initiative and re source', and for the most part Rugby intelligence in strategy is lacking. We have drifted into a stereotyped style of back play, and got into a hopeless run, in which our" backs flounder hopelessly. There was a time— l trust not forever gone — when the I back division of Otago could foot it in Rugby intelligence with any province in

the Dominion. This was in tfce-cfays of tne r i veteran Duncan, whose master-hand was < o\er all Ihings in the rearguard, and whose , quickness and initiative worked out pro- , ' blems in actual contests undreamt of in i this age of dull and uninteresting back < play. At present Rugby, as played in New : Zealand, Is up against what is alleged to ] be tbe more' attractive Northern Union : display, and if we are to bring amateur i Rugby upside with the "foreign" gams, j w.} must not hold our iieads -in our hands i and look on hopelessly at ' the inroads of" ; J^ortiiern Unionism. > The amateur Rugby" ' game, well and intelligently played, lias . nothing to fear in attractiveness in the < Northern Union code. Unfortuafcely. in ■ Dunedin tihe Rugby back game is not well and intelligently played. It is with the : object of bringing this fact more .forcibly ; home to the players and coaches of clubs ■ that this brief criticism is written. ' But to return to the Otago team. If the backs are not in thie first flight, and the division does not boast any "stars," ■ Hie forwards are of the- best possible type. : Indeed, it is doubtful if any Otago tour- ' ing team was ever represented by such a solid pack. Witih plav&rs like Fitspaferick. Ivimey, Patterson, M'Donald, and Paton in the vanguard, Otago's scrumming brigade to go on tour t'ljis year is something to ponder on. Two years ago Otago senfe on tour a team winch was criticised off the field, yet it returned covered with crlovy, and carrying the scalp of old foo Wellington dangling at its belt. This team won its matches through the agency of those Trojans of the scrums — the forwards. Even now the Otago forwards of 1906 are spoke<n of with awe br Wellington Rugby - fmfhnsia^ts. What will they say when the M'Donald - Patterson - Fitzgatrick - Ivimey ' quartet get swarming in amongst Mitchinson, Evenson, and Co. ? It may be that the Otago f-Onrwards will not play up to reputation, but at this writing the probabilities of that dire happening are remote, and I look to lihem to "play the game" throughout the tour. * i Much regret must be felt at the inability , of W. Kindley to make the trip with the j Otago touring team. He is probably the ' best full back we have at present playing, j and in saving thie I am not unmindful of i the fact that he has been_ "off his game" j on more than one occasion this season, j Yet he is a wonderful player indeed is always at the top of his form. j AprorKie of the foregoing, it comes as something of a surprise that,? in the absence . of Kindley from the Otago touring team, Clark, of the Dumedin Club, was not piven a chance for inclusion by Being pla.yed in j "trials" and Country week. Possibly ;t; t i is that Cark is unfortunate in that he does not, "look the part," but what matter , so long ac he can perform it. I have not forgotten several good displays by Clark as full back, and a match at, Tahuna Park,., on a field treacherous as an icefield is one i of these. -" The following team has ben selected' to I represent, the Canterbury Rugby Union against the Wellington rep.rei§entative team at Wellington, on Saturday, An trust, 29: — A. Doell.' F. C. Fryer. W. B. Fuller, A. Aitken, J. Weston, 6. D. Gray. P. Burns, R Mason. D. M'Phail. J. Mahony. G. : Thompson. J. Baker. T[ Bain, W. Men7ies, O. E'/ans, G. Webb, B. Hopkins. The , team includes two emergencies — R. Mason j am! B. Hopkins. % j It is considered not unlikely that W. j St«-d will be prevailed upon to' take pavt J in the final game of the Southland team's , four, that against Otago, to be played in Dunedin on Saturday next. ' Ernest Booth, the ex-Otag-o player, now of Sydney, left with, the Australian Rugby team far England a couple of weeks ago. Booth is going on private business, but while in England will tour as the special correspondent^ for several important newspapers. The Athletic News (Manchester), which took upon itself to call the British Rugby ■ team " a poor lot," rushed into print after the first test match to triumphantly exclaim, " I told you so ! " Yet this same iournal. carried away by its own convictions, was uncharitable enough to ignore altogether Britain's fine game in the second test mateh — which th ey should undoubtedly have wen— passing it over absolutely without even the bare mention of the fact that Ihe game was a draw. The silence on the nart of a paper of the standing of the Athletic News is significant. However, I quite expect to see the Manchester sport- , ing paper rise up and again acclaim, itself over the third test match. My quarrel is not with this, but with the fact that the paper was ungenerous enough to paes over Britain's game in the second test. Alan Adams, who played centre threequarter for the New Zealand University in the second match at Sydney Oval, is on his way to take up his medical studies at Guy's Hospital, Lcndon. In the match Adams did not do his ability justice, a result, no doubt, of playing so soon after the sea trip. An appreciation of our old friend Ernie Booth as coach M the Newtown Club, Sydney, which recently won the premiership : '' It is an open secret that a great deal of the «ucce<-s of the team this season ia due to E." E. Booth, the ex-New Zealander, and these tactics came out of his head—' an old dog for a hard ' Booth has shown in club matches that, apart from his name being that of the Salvation Army King, the nickname of ' General ' is one to which, in a football sense, he is entitled. We have not seen a three-quarter back in Sydney show better form in the mud than Booth. There has been no other New Zealander his equal in these circumstances on the Sydney Ground, at all events. The only man one has seen do even greater things in some directions is E. Gwynn Nicholls, who could handle the greasy ball with a3 much certainty as a crack fieldsman at mid-off handles the- cricket ball. And the way in which Gwynn ' Nicholls ran at top pace over the most treacherous of mud-fields at Moore Park made people marvel at the time, and marvel ever sincp. But there has been only one Gwynn Nicholls, as there has been only one'W. G Grace. Neither Wales nor England has since sent us a player comparable with Kirn. R. T. Gabe was a fine player, but very far from, being a Gwynm Nicholls." Again : " Conslderine the poor football shown by New South Wales in the representative matches it is really a pity that a position was not found for E. E. Booth, who would have been of great use in coaching the team, and in other ways, especially in playing on wet grounds. Booth is a New Zeala-ndev by birth, but played football Ln Sydney as a youth for two or three veavs with a cJub out Randwiek way. He then went back to New Zealand. He has not played in an international

match against England, Scotland,, Ireland, or "Whales." According to J. Xi. Williams and ~W. Morgan, both- of whom belong: to the Lon-don-Welsh Club, few New Zealanders can._ conceive ±he difficulties under which. Rugby is played in the great metropolis, a stronghold of the Association code. For some years the club had to pay £10 a, weefc fox the hire o£ a ground. Very often*,-" Asp: a' wet Saturday, ''fhe takings would- notr amount to more than half that' amount,, and -the members had to* make up the* l>ai£Liioe o*rfc of -fcKeix "own jxicke-fcs. J^&eel*less to say, club often found itself in: difficulties, and would have to the wall but for the assistance given by theWelsh Union, -which loaned it sums of money up to £100 to .tide over any temporary embarrassment. The players, of course, provided - tbeir own outfits, and; taking it all through, it cost each playerat least 7s a week for his football. "So, you see, we play the jame for the purelove of it,"; remarked the Welch international forward. The New Zealand Rugby Referees' Association has under its .control 700 referees, every one of whom is a member of a body affiliated to the New Zealand- Association. When ■ these fignres were quoted to Mr Harnett. manager of. the British team. He expressed surprise, and remarked that football was truly a business in New Zealand. Both matches between the Anglo- WeUih,* team and New South Wales were exoel.len.fc games under the worst possible conditions. And they couW not have been more exciting, nor faster. One momi&nt the ball" would, be close to one ffoal-line, the_ vex* at thp opposite end, and then back affain. But the one feature which stood out above all other* was th a defence of J. O. M-* Dyke. The Welshman was in wonderful form. TEfe handled the gr&asy bail splendidly, and his' long line-kicking broke the hearts of New Srmth Wales. Time after time +h© .Light Blues swept down the sToundL or punted, and iust. as often did Dyke drive them sadW back away down the touch-line. Thororh the full back- stood out by himself. there were oth^r* who found, the line also. notabW J. L. Williams. At. the cfose of tV matoh, and a.? he was entering the uavil.ion, tV>« mem'bprs gave Dvk.6 a special cheer. At the dinner in the evening ther.p were loud calls for Mr Dvke-. At lensrth he ro*p. and when the rhevrmcr easM off so that K« roulrl he heard he said. "T, think 1 did my share thf= afternoon." That.w^s aM. Isaac Jenkins, who ntav^d hi<s first wore^entahVe gam* for Southland in 1887, is a member of thp* union's team at,, tvre«ent ■ tourinsr t.he No^th Tsland. Jenkins has only missed otv Southland reDrwentative match in t.be whole of the of tha+ union, as hp nlaved in the first Southland game and his absence on the solitary occasion referred to was because hr was * member of t,he South Island team in 1903. and a. repwentative was played: whi'-e be was RWaiv f«om Tnverca.rsr.ill. That -was a tfiouehtfn] act of th*> Wa.irarana representative tonrinEf team when they d°cid<?n to present a f. rained photosraoh of themselves to Jaiws' .Duncan for kindnesses "shown to them Tvhil» in Dwppdin. teav<? " Tou"hlin"» " in Free L&noei. Anybody -nhr>. has Had occasion to be in t>-^ Scotch fitv with a -penres«nta+ive football .team wU\ readily acrep that "Dimcan pnt<» himi%lf nbout to Tnn,V» t'"eir etav a nleawinfc one. nnd he nractirviU'v lives wi+h them alt th-p tim,g. We will b^ su.rtn-''ii=>id to receive a. practical psoosmiticn, of his efforts in this direction, but from personal exoerience I am satisfied he has fully earned the good wishes of the Wairarapa players, y In. reproducing the paragraph announcement of the publication of the book "With the British Rugby Team in Maoriland : True Story of the Tour," a writer in the New Zealand Times has this to say : — ■ "Somehow or other I don't think the book will be a 'true story.' because sometimes it is not wise to tell fhe truth. If the 'wellknown sporting and dramatic journalist who is writing the book had his eyes open and tells us what he saw 'behind the scenes' his book- >uffht really to be interesting-. But I don't think he will tell us all he saw. I shall also be srlad to have pointedout to me the 'sensation' or-eaied by the team 'throughout the Dominion.' I haven t seen any signs of it yet." Really my friend protests too much. He doesn't think it will lie a "true story of the tdur" "because it is not wise to tell the truth." Now this is better, and is decidedly encouraging : "If the dramatic and sportine journalist who ie writing the book had his eyes open, and tells us what he saw 'behind the scenes,' his book oughfc to be really interesting." My confrere oti the New Zealand Tirjes wishes to have pointed out the "sensation" created by the team throughout the Dominion. He «irs he hasn't seen anyjiienis of it yet. This is, indeed, a pity, for I had thought that every Rugby enthusiast throughout the Dominion was aware of the "sensation" created by the team. Well, I must recommend my friend to read the book "With the British Rugby Team in Maoriland," which will be published in the course of the next two weeks. __ _. „ The standard of Rugby m New South Wales has steadily and surely advanced within the past three yeaTS (says the Sydney Referee). But those who witnessed the contests with New Zealand last year may well ask themselves this question: "On the form of 1908 are the forwards here as powerful as were those of 1907.' The best pack of 1907 in New South Wales would have stood up to any international nack on their showing against the JSJew Zealanders. But what of this years pack —that ie, to- date? In the two matches against Queensland the New South Wales forwards were not as powerful, on their play, as some of the club- packs. That is one's honest opinion. Now, the question arises : " Was the form shown against Queensland their best? " If it was, then the Australian, forwards will have no Bone of beating the Irish, the Welsh, or the English international eights. The secretary of the N.Z.R.U. has notified the Southland Union that the disqualification of players by the Southland Union has been confirmed, and that no further action will be necessary at present. In the event, however, of any breach a3 to professionalism, the S.R.U. will be expected to takr the necessary a tion. The New Zealajid Union requested that all ' breaches as regards professionalism be reported immediately, as several games of 'a 1 professional character have been played reeentlr. Mr P F. Warner, known in this country berter as a cricketer than as an exponent of football, has a few remarks in the Westminster Gazette on the Rugby season al Home and on the game in general. A»

cording to Mx Warner, football is much improved in quality as a result- of the visits of the JSew Zealand and South African teams. The public, too, takes a much keener interest in football than it used to do. " Wales, judged by results, were the best of the four unions. They beat both England and Ireland by a ' comfortable margin, and just beat Scotland, who, in spite of the fact that they won only one mateh — the brilliant victory over England at Inverleith — were, in my opinion, the strongest of the national fifteens. When thoroughly .well represented Scotland had a wonderful lot of forwards who played the -traditional Scottish game of going on with the ball and leaving" the -backs to make the most of their opportunities; their three-quarter line was quick in attack and safe in defence, with a brilliant right wing in K. G. M'Leod, the greatest three-quarter back of the day ; and H. •Martin, the half, was their one possibly w.eak point. The Welshmen, as usual, were very skilful in attack, though their threequarter backs were not of the same class •as in the days of Gwynn Nicholls, Morgan, and Llewellyn, and in their terrific com- • bat with Scotland their forwards took their severe gruelling very well indeed. England had a good side — not quit© so good as either Scotland or Wales, but superior by fai to Ireland, and certainly the best we have had for several seasons. It was a great misfortune that Yassall, an.' ideal centre three-quarter, was able to play in. only one of -the international games. He and Birkett made a strong pair in the centre, and Hudson, at wins; three-quarter, added to his reputation. Left-wing threequarter "was a. weak spot. Lambert, of the Harlequins, proving rather disappointing in this position. Williamson was' the best half in -the four countries, and Davey, who was not tried until the Scottish match, worked very well in combination with him on that occasion. The English forwards w«r-e strong, ' bo«fy ' men, and, on the whole, satisfactory. Next season England ought to be juet about good to win all their internationals." Mr Warner also says : " Next season the New South Wales footballers will be here, and with the new ground ready at Twickenham an interesting season may be expected. In the meanwhile there is the tour of the Rugby- Union team in New Zealand. In spite of a great many disappointments the^side is one of great possibilities, and playing constantly tog-ether may render, it quite efficient. The forwards, at any rate, are a hard lot of men, and it is forward where most matches are won." Referring to the suspension of I. Jackson (of the British touring team), a special writer in the Athletic News observes: — "What excuse can the English Rugby Union offer to the football world for having chosen and sent out " Jackson " in one month, while a little later they command him to return home? They cannot say they selected him in ignorance of his antecedents. Now we are told that " Jackson " is none other than Gabe, an old Swansea player. This story comes from Leicester. the town of " piffle and innuendoes." How long- has it been known in Leicester that "Jackson" end Gabe are on© man? Is it not a fact that at a meeting of the Selection Committee of the Midland Counties Union in the fall of 1906 "Jackeon" was acknowledged to be Gabe? If lam in error lam sorry. Did not the Nottingham Club, prior to a final Oup-tie, request information regarding the antecedents of " Jackson " ? Again I say if my information is wrong I am sorry for asking the juestion. But what has Gabe. of Swansea, got -to do with the case? Were " Jackson " merely Ivor Gabe, of Swansea t.haf in itself would not make him a professional. Gabe played for York in the Rugby Union days when he was Trooper Gabe. of the " Death or G-lory Boys." But th<? fact that Gahe was a soldier and nlayed R.U. football for York would not' kaye the effect of professionalising him. Oh. dear, no ! The point is this: Ts "Jackson" "John Jones," of Swinton? Swinton officials declare that so far as they can iudc*> from the excellent group of the Cornish Fifteen " Jackson" and "Gentleman Jones" are one and th© same man. The personality of Gabe •has nothing to do with the case. Verily will there be many interesting- questions to put to " Jackson " on hw return , borne. Ther-e is, however, one statement [

in an article in a London newspaper which I cannot fathom. It runs to the followingeffect*: " Leicester folk do not think ' Jackson' will return to England in a hurry." Why should not he? There is more in the paragraph than, .meets the ey«. Now, •if "Jackson" prove to be Gabe, are the Leicester Club prepared to tell us who Gabe is? Where lias Gabe been since he left Wales? If they can give us the biography of Ivor Gabe since lie left home they will provide an interesting story. OTAGO v. SOUTHLAND. Tho following team will "represent Ota°-o against Southland on the Caledonian Ground on Saturday next: — " Full back, King (Alexandra). Three-quarters— Dwyer, Don, O'Sullivan iive-eighths— Chambers and Eckhold. Half back, Sutherland. Forwards— Casey, Williams, Johnston. Paton, Patterson, M'Donald, M'Kenzie Ivimey. >. OTAGO'S NORTHERN TOUR. The Selection Committee has chosen the following 20 players to tour the Dominion next month : — Backs.— Dwyer, O'Sullivan. Don, Chambers, Stalker, Eckhold Dougherty, Sutherland, King (Alexandra). Forwards.— Fitzpatrick, S. Casey. Williams (Alhambra), Patterson, M'Donald, Johnston, M'Kenzie. Ivimey, Houston, Mitohell,^ Paton. Kindley's claims were not considered, as he had intimated his inability to make the trip. Any player unable to take part in the tour is requested to advise the Selection Committee not later than Tuesday. The above players are requested to meet at the Caledonian Ground* on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at 7 30. The team to^plav Southland will be picked this evening. i THE RANFURLY SHIELD. ! AUCKLAND, August 19. j A letter was road at to-night's meeting of the Management Committee of the Auck" | land Rugby Union from Mr J. D. Avery, ! secretary of the New Zealand Rucfbv ' Union, stating that the Taranaki Union had j declared its match against the Auckland Union, which is to be played here on the 29th inst., a challenge for the- Ranfurly Shield. CANTERBURY v. WELLINGTON. The following team has been selected to represent the Canterbury Rugby Union against the Wellington representative team at Wellington on Saturday, 29th inst. :— A. Doell, F. C. Fryer, W. B. Fuller, A. Aitken, J. Weston, G. D. Gray, P. Burns, D. M'Phail. J. Mahony, G. Thompson, J. Baker, T. Bain, W. Menzies. C. Evans. G. Webb; emergencies— R. Mason and B. Hopkins. OTAGO RUGBY UNION. The ordinary meeting of the O.R.F.U. Committee was held on Monday evening. Prior to the business of the evening being entered upon the Chairman said the members of the committee would regret to hear of the death since last meeting of a brother of one 'of the members of the committee. He would move that a minute of the sympathy of the committee with Mr George Thomson on the death of his brother be placed on the books of the committee. — The motion was affirmed by the members standing in silence. Claude Young wrote in connection with the Wallace Testimonial Fund asking if the committee would sanction the taking up of a collection for this objact on the Caledonian Groumd durin-g the progress of the Otago-Southland match on Saturday next. — The application was granted. The Secretary of the Otago Football Association advised that in consequence of the entries for the Brown Shield having exceeded expectations it would be necessary to hold matches on Thursday, September 10. as well as an the Wednesday and Saturday, and asked that permission to use the Oarisbrook Ground for that purpose should' be given. — Permission was granted. The Hon. Secretary of the Canterbury Rug-by Union wrote in reference to the appointment of a referee for the interprovincial match Canterbury v. Otago on Saptember 5. — Referred to the managers of the team*

Permission was granted to the Taieri Rovers Club to proceed »to Middlemarch on September 12 to meet the team of the latter town. The Secretary of the South Tuapeka County District forwarded* returns in connection with the round for the district, showing that the banner had been won by the Waipori Club ; he asked that the banner be forwarded. — Received, secretary to I arrange for the banner. Mr Wood, of the South Otago Union, offered as a suggestion to the committee that in future country matches* should be played at different houre in order to give players an opportunity to see other matches. — Referred to the committee for 1909. J. M'Kenzie. secretary of the Union Club, wrote requesting permission for a Second Grade team to visit Waikouaiti on Saturday, August 29, to play a local team.— ilr Campbell said this raised the whole question as to permission for outside matches being granted for those days on which representative matches were to be plaved>, as was the case in this instance. Personally he was against such a course, and the committee had in the past affirmed that principle. — Or. the voting permission was refused. THE TOURING TEAM. The result of a ballot for the election of a manager for the Ota-go team going on tour was that* Messrs D. M. Munro and J. J. Dunne were selected. Mr Harris reported that the Selection Committee ha<d considered the matter, and recommended that Mr King be sent as coach and assistant selector for the team. — This was embodied in a motion. Mr Wilson moved as an amendment, Mr Ross seconding, that no coach be sent. — The amendment was carried unanimously. The captain ' and the managers were appointed a Match Committee. The matter of referees was left in the hands of the managers. The Chairman suggested, on the 6ubject of accommodation, that the team, to avoid the sea voyage to Auckland, should proceed over trie Main Trunk route. The managers of the team were asked to submit a programme of the tour for next Monday night.. 3VIi- Hame! gave notice of niotion to move that the resolution of the previous Monday (affirming the despatch of 20 players on tour) be rescinded, and that the Match Committee be recommended to send 22 players. GENERAL. Mr Campbell asked if it was a fact that the members of the Maniototo team who -were in town last Saturday during (he representative match had been required to pay for admission to the grounds. — The Secretary stated it was not so, as those who were present had been passed in by himself. THE TRAIN TROUBLE. The inquiry into this matter was resumed by Mr M'Laren, who had commissioned instigation into the matter, reporting that he had inquired at four shops in Mosgiel as to whether they had sold any bottles of the kind seen and alleged to have contained lemonade and'' herbal beer, with the result that his • inquiries ha-d shown that at none of these places had any such bottles been sold. There were then introduced into the. room the secretary of the V.M.C.A. Football Club, who wished to make clear his own position in the matter, and two players of the team, one who had not previously appeared in answer to the summons of the entire team and who was in no way implicated in the drinking, and another player who had given evidence before and who appeared to' have been theprimary cause of the trouble. Crossexamined by the chairman in regard to his previous statement that ho had bought the bottles at a "shop 6Ome 400 yards down the road, this youth said he was prepared to withdraw that, as it was not true. He had bought the beer at the hotel on the corner. There were three bottles at 9d apiece; two others had joined him with M apiece, and he had found the balance. He did not know the names of these com- ! panions. He was 17 years of age. The three bottles of beer had been consumed on the way in by himself and two members of the team. He- believed he was sober when he reached Dunedin. In reply to Mr Duncan, who sa-id that one of the other boys implicated was said to be a very strong teetotaller, he would not be prepared to deny, if asked if such were the case, that it was not so. Ho might have been in error in the dark. Later he said he wished to say, to clear the V.M.C.A. Club, that he was not a member of the club. He ha-d not been elected, and had not paid his subscription, but, in replying to Mr Hutchison, he said he had played a number of matches with the team. The Secretary of the V.M.C.A. Club, explaining his 'previous conduct, said he had believed what had been told him by this player and had acted accordingly. He had believed they were true statements that had been made to him. In summing up, the Chairman said they had got to the root of a rather awkward problem. It was quite clear that one man had not told the truth last Monday. ■ But it was not clear about the other*. After further discussion it was resolved to suspend judgment on the man present that evenine and ask the presence of thr other two implicated next Monday evening. There was the further matter of rowrlv- ( ism. They had a letter from thf> Dun- j edin Fifth Grade team asking to bo exonerated. TV vowdviem was the chief thing. Mr M'Laren said that the man who°ma<le a statement in the papers about the 7.36 train should come before the^committee and -substantiate it. It was formally resolved that the district traffic manager be written to and asked for the name of the man who made- a complaint with regard to the 7.36 p.m. train, and that that man «hould be asked to attend before the committee next Monday night.