CURRENT COMMENT

Taranaki Daily News, 22 June 1935, Page 13 (Supplement)

CURRENT COMMENT

OTHER POINTS OF VIEW

(By

“M.O.S".

The Stratford Borough Council did

not treat Mr. P. Thomson’s proposal for financing the Egrnont National Park Board with levity. On the other hand its attitude did not quite approach the irate. *•«# # • . S-Mile of The Century. J. E. Lovelock, the New Zealand runner, no doubt wore the smile of the century last Saturday. # # # * An old sailor writing to the Christchurch observatory says that a wind “veers” and does not “back.” At New Plymouth the general impression is that it comes straight at one. * * * * “Beekeepers Confer—Loss of Protection Deplored.” Well, anyhow lets draw a veil over that. # # * * Attention has recently been drawn in Taranaki to the delicacy of the process of chilling meat. This is in marked contrast to the Farmers’ Union process of chilling meat boards. - • * ■ * * ' France, according to the cablegrams, has sent a stiff reply to England about the German navy. It must be understood that this does not apply to the formality of France’s note, but to her unbending attitude. «#. * ♦ ’ Has it ever occurred to you how singularly appropriate some people’s names are—for instance that dogmatic gentleman who writes about ships in the Daily Telegraph, Mr. Hector Bywater? . *•* * * Visitors to the Okato septuagenary did not receive a Stony welcome.

* * * * Comments on Taranaki All Blacks:—

, . • • • ♦ * - ! The Declaration. < Having recovered somewhat from the shock of the All Black selection, which left me, unlike the Buller enthusiasts, speechless, it may be that there is some- ■ thing- to be said about the New Zealand Rugby football team that can be printed. In the first place Rugby is a most aristocratic type of football; in fact it isn’t really football at all. The typically perfect English gentlemen, by one of whom Rugby was created, are, like Mr. Culbertson,, very conventional, and one of! their conventions is that Rugby is football though it is played not with the foot but witfi the brain (if any) ? and the hands (if lucky), so that the analogy with the .greatest American sport is still closer. ; ■ . Periodically Rugby players in New Zealand are asked to send a-team somewhere, leaving behind, of course, all ■deliberate cheats, sharps, etc. These teams all favour black suits, and sometimes, as in 1924, win all the tricks. Hence the terms, grand slam, All Blacks, ■ etc. « * ■ * •* Having lucidly explained why Rugby is and how All Blacks are, I suppose one should say ■ something illuminating about the present team. In tlie first place it must be very good indeed (even without any Taranaki players), because no-one has yet said it is very bad. ■Now this is strange, Because it is not the 1924 team, the 1905 team, the 1878 team or even the 55 B.C. team—just the 1935 team. ' ' ■ It may be remarked that there are 13 backs, but who is superstitious nowadays? And even if .there ,is only one full back in the whole lot past experience 'has shown, that even he may not be necessary against , the minor counties. Besides it will be a grateful gesture to show Britain that New Zealand is playing the* gdme for the game’s sake, is not intending to do any cross roughing, and is not trying to win all the. games—even if she has an eye on the contract.

Britain may perhaps grumble, however, that New Zealand has not picked the team according to recognised conventions. One of these is that it is harder to get out of the team than' into it. Yet the selectors overlooked the bid of that sturdy old player, Nepia. Another of the rules that used to be followed was to look for old heads on young shoulders; if one or two young heads on old shoulders crept in that only showed how broadminded the selectors were. This year the selectors seem to have been guided by no rule, except perhaps that the Ranfurly Shield holders shall always have' most men, and have just tried to select a good team. < So New Zealand, including Taranaki and, let us hope, Buller, wishes the team a hand full of honours.