RULES ARE RULES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 243, 13 October 1937, Page 6

RULES ARE RULES

"pTE conduct of Mr. Hornabrook in reporting a breach of the

rules of the Game of Golf during the golf championship meeting at Hamilton, by one of his opponents, has become the subject of controversy. There is no valid reason for such controversy because Mr. Hornabrook had no alternative but to report the incident. Rules are fashioned to be kept, in order that all contestants shall play under exactly the identical conditions. Where in a contest there are no umpires, it is the duty of the players themselves to act as umpires. In doing this each player is fulfilling a function which is separate and apart from his function as a player. A dual duty meets in the same individual but the duties are distinct and apart. The duty of the umpire is to see that the rules are strictly adhered to. Where infringement of the rules is tolerated in one instance, there is every reason for allowing other infringements, in which case each set of players go out and make their own rules. The result is that there is no identity of conditions under which the field play, and therefore the contest is not equitably conducted. There is no line between adhering to the rules of a game and chaos.