FOOTBALL.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13557, 30 March 1908, Page 6

FOOTBALL.

NOTES FROM AUCKLAND. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, March 28. Many complaints were made by injured players ox, Rugby-football in Auckland last season, that while - they were turning out week by week at the risk of their limbs -and incidentally filling the coders of the Union by the gates they attracted, yet when they were unfortunate enough to be injured tney had to wax for weeks for money from' the Accident Fund. This tended to strain the relationship between the officers or the Union and fne players who surmise that they are being u?ed to build op a large bant: balance and when in that mood ar,e likely to listen to the voice of the professional tempter? LocaLy the professional movement appears to have frizzled out although a few weeks ago "the man in the street" was saying that there would be four teams started and that the JBden District Cricket. Clnb Grounds had been secured. YeV* nothing has developed and enquiries have elicited the fact that the Eden authorities have not yet been approached by the professional promoters as to the renting of their ground. Last seasons returns show that a sum of £52 12s lid has been netted by the New Zealand Football Association. The total receipts were £69 8s 6d. It has been mooted locally that the Brown shield matches should be played tins season at Wellington instead of at Dnnedin. Such a proposal it considered a fair one in .hat Wellington has travelled the last two teasons to these contests whereas Otago has devoted the money available for sending teams away to- the buying of a'-ground. Local followers of "soccer" consider it only fair that Wellington should be given a chance to reconstruct their finances. It is understood locally that the proposed visit to England by a New 2ealand team is rather premature. Mr Richardson deserves credit for his efforts in bringing about the trip and for the trouble he hxsbeen to to make the? preliminary arrangements but the question of finance is Tat her a big one for the New Zealand Football Association to tackle. However the action of the Association, when it has perused the correspondence that Mr Richardson has received will be awaited with interest. THE QUESTION OF PROFESSION'. ALTSM. DUNEDIN. March 29. At the annual meeting of the Otago Rugby Union, held last night, tho presi-

dent, Mr G.' W.; C. Mac Donald, referrext to t the fact that lost season a professional team left the Dominion for England. He taid that no man was,more strongly opposed to professionalise than he was but he*certainly thougbt.thafc the over-string-ent rules as to amateurism which were adopted: English. Rugby,, Union had led to the establishment of professionalism. If a player who weard on tour with an interprovincial team.-lost his wages, why should the union not make up his' wages? The man did not get his living by the game. ■ .

It was resolved "that it be a\recommendation to the committee of management, to instruct its delegates to the New Zealand-Kugby Union -to move for a conference or the setting-Tip of a coinmitteQ to go thoroughly into the- rales of •. the game ■with the object of their improvement and that the decisions of the conference or the suggestions .of the committee be passed on to the English Union:" It was also resolved "that it be <an instruction to the delegates to the NewZealand Union to bring before the annual meeting of the Union the question of the programme of the British team's tour, with a view to having test matches substituted for the matches- against the North and South Islands.'*

Mr J. Hutchison was elected president.