The sun., 1909-12-09
CITY SCHOOL FOOTBALL DEAD
BOARD OF EDUCATION ABOL-
ISHES THE GAME.


ISHES THE GAME.
James r. sullivan About tine Only strong
Protestant Against Resolution TO
EIa enc sps-s-Eysss ssEFiss-s 0pin-
Ion Cited by Frederic n. CsudeFt.
| The Board OF Education passed yes
Aerday a resolution ordering that football
in the public schools be abolished on
and after January 1. At the board
meeting the committee on high schools
submitted q report recommending that
the suggestion OF the board Of superin-
teudents In relation to football be ap-
proved. The superintsndents had ad-
yised that .the game known a. American
or college Rugby football be abolished
from the public sohoos.-
Mr.. Harrison offered an amendment
TO the committee report in effect that
the edict against football 20 into effect
4 January l next. and that school princi-
pals and teachers be called upon to dis
courage the game among boys outside
I. .sf the schools.
James E. Sullivan. ex-president OF the
Amateur Athletic Union and q member
OF the board. asked that the report be
laid over-
Il would like tn know who inspired
this crusade against football Mr.. Sulli-
van went on. -flow did it get before
,lthe board OF superntendents in the first
place? let the genial DR.. Maxwell
explain
-The preamble TO the resolution OF the
board OF superintendents fully answers
l.;he gentlemsn's inquiry said the super
n intendent. who sat down after this short
speech.
The preamble was read for the benefit
of the meeting. Il declared that the
present game Of football was dangerous
TO life and limb and that there were many
other athletic games that the pupils
might indulge in without injury.
Il think that when the superintendents
took up this matter they gave US chance
n to criticise them.- said Mr.. Sullivan.
\ There IL good reason for criticism. and
"a |. seems to me IL would be advisable
! to watch them closely. If their work
in other directions Ia not any more in
telligent -or satisfactory they cannot
be watched too closely. They don't
even known the name OF the game, they
condemn nor do they know the name
OF the game that the pupils Of the schools
are asked TO give up.
The superintendents ask us to abolish
'.xRusby. The scholars are not PLAYING
Rugby. What the superintendents really
Ought TO introduce In Rugby. but they
a,e fioundering about in complete igno-
rsnce Of the game. | don { see how you
can pass that resolution and elect any
! thing. 4 spoke to DR.. Maxwell just be-
fore the meeting and advised him to
have the matter referred to a committee
, that could investigate the merits OF the
game and know something about it
Commissioner May moved TO postpone
action. The motion was lost
Frederic r. Coudert said he was sur
prised to learn that James Z. Sullivan
was about the only man at the meeting
who had not intelligence enough TO know
the homicidai game OF football, when
he saw it.
There have been twenty-seven deaths
from this game during the last season
and an enormous number Of young mon
were injured he continued The game
is barbario and brutal and ought not to
IT, tolerated in cur public schools. DIR.
Butter OF Columbia has had the good
Al teuse to abolish 1t from that university.
III II has been shown that when football
player has been injured and appears in
!, Snother game whom partly recovered.
the opposing players mass thcir men
against this injured youth 30 as to over
come him.
is that a game Of fair play? They try
to cripple him permanently, and often do.
Mr.. Jeffries says he is going to bring up
his son as a pugilist because he will have
10 fight only one man at the time and not
eleven. Col. Mosby says It is murder
when q young man is killed at football.
and Col. Mosby showed during the civil
iwar that he was no coward on the field
II lof battle.
The game is worse than IL ever was and
\ al talk OF reforming 1t amounts to nothing.
II doesn't matter whether you call the
game Rugby, Ballibaloo OF just scrim-
mage, IL is the same brutal display Of
animal strength TO MAIN the youth OF our
country. In the name OF decency the
high school committee recommends that
II be abolished
John Greene said that az trustees for
the children It was the duty OF the men,
bers OF the board TO do away with such q
4 dangerous game and not incur RESPONSE
bility for injured pupils.
IN Mr.. Sullivan may know what the name
VI q the barbaric game is. but he is keeping
the knowledge to himself" said Mr.. Har-
tison. when he said the high school
committee didn't know the name Of the
game any more than the csuperintendonts
hat na mi
He said he wouldn't tell me.
mo matter what may DO the name OF
the game that 10 killing so many young
men throughout the country. II ought to
be abolished have been a spectator
at these games whose name I am sup
posed not to know. have seen -four
,young men carried OF the field OF battle.
= should say play. grievously injured
got tired OF the slaughter and vowed
Apever again TO attend another game. II
Us a brutal pastime and does not develop