THE N.Z. FOOTBALL TEAM AT HOME.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 12993, 21 October 1905, Page 7

THE N.Z. FOOTBALL TEAM AT HOME.

writes : — Although ], with others, rejoice at the record oxiv boys arc putting up at Home, yet,- as - a Yorkshirenran, 1 can't allow the- statement to pass that "New Zealand, is wiping the floor" with the best English clubs. The fact is, sir, that our men will not meet the • best clubs in the North .of^England, 1 ljancashire, Yorkshire, and Cheshire — that is, the best, clubs in^fche v Cqunties— are , noi* now associated with the Ilug'by U^i? on, -but have formed a Union of their own. It consists of some thirty firstclass clubs in the senior division, and about as miany in the second division. , A word or two will suffice to give the real foisftory t ot'the secession. The clubs in the above counties were largely made up of working men, and, during »the-<loag seaspnilwhat with oitflinary club matches 'ami Ctftra matches during the Cup-tie season, there was mucn ! ' bf ßilMn ! t'iirnj^^wfocli meant loss of wage&^'Th n'e~^llrß'representatives of the above counties ' ~iqv several years went,. t.p, , the ;aamial • • i \ <• —^4-f s^; ji -•' o.^ui .* meeting of the -Rug-by UiMQn^a^J^iced that "payment for bppk^^jj'e'*' might be allowed. Thß-"...o isi©£.jjep.:fesentatives opposed ,4his-,—ati!d\j(fcbeif<up-shot of it { •!*#«& .*'i)kp '- •■'.^'ithdfawal of the three >' cbUiit'les~n jianSed. "Payment for -b'roWh- time' *^ : . Has fi iiow grown into full-blo"W professionalism ; and the effects - ( of 'this 'reach other counties in England, an,ol al,= > Wales, as is shown m ..your extract from "Lloyds' Weekly. :■ When- yon have* 30> first-class clubs, all more o v less weartlry ; forf-1- tfovi draw l:argr ; gates— in the ifemih^r'jiffawiatf ther-flae^t players not only from, oheif-own borders, but from the South oXflSny'aur! and Wales, 'v/ith temptaffonst ofr £iiOO down and £1 10s per week?. iWisSfcery easj' to understand £f?e present'weakness of the rest of ;the ichibs'i in" England. I may say -that before* ( ouif-liea"ai left New Zealand- 1 ventured- to pre diet that they would win- every match until they met Wales'/ but ; -ro'm ; knowledge of Lancashire ' and Yorkshire football I have n'onßesitatron' ;n; n saying that any, '61 'the ' 30 ' 3lubX , ythe first division of~£lie "Nor*tfieVn TJnion would give our m^n ' much_ "6e't£pr football than they are n'a^ng) and in stead 01. a' paltry gate of 5000, as they had at one of the county matin- 1 cs y they wouid see, either at Leeds, or "Manchester a real fo< jLball crowd of thirty thoiisand. If slir Sdddon '"9oukl];,sehd an6th*e|: j^^Ble, and !get the. r Rugby , Union to' permit .o match to be " p^ay^d) wiili "t^e ofthe Northern/ JJjQfefPj^ifc. ,w y ould be n real test,^and a .sight dor the jgods .'

• A writer in ' 'the "' Lbitdou Daily 'Chronicle, discussing large families, says the record- in' riumbers belongs to :Scotland. It is _that of a Scotch weaver in 1 ;the w seventeenth century, w-hose wife bore <hiih<. sixty rt.wo children. Only twelve • died - 'in' childihood, forty-six "sons and "four daughters living to be t^entyr^i^and' upwards. This almost incredible record is fully and absolut'ely^au thentlcaie'd. - - The Cromwell (Otago) paper repor.t & a peculiar .occurirenooj .a. resident having suddenly lost'tlie'i'sight ,ot one ey(;. It happened very "suddenly about six weelcs ago, when -he 1 was. reading ~he paper after -tea. ...He. felt' somet'riuig like a flash ih' the 'eye, and put J-c paper down, but did not know the sight was" gone till next mornircg. There was no pain whatever. He went to Dunedin to consult Dr. Ferguson, the eminent specialist, and, the report received from him states that the sight will be gone for ever, but fortunately it will have no ill effects on the ot'he» eye.