Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-27
DOOM OF FOOT BALL
More School Officials Express
Their Views.
OPINION OF Mr.. H0RNER
Believes Game Should Be Abolished
If Accidents Continue.
CAPT. OYSTER WILL NOT TALK
Supt. Stuart Will Await Action Of
Principals Before Taking
Any Steps.
OPINION OF Mr.. H0RNER
CAPT. OYSTER WILL NOT TALK

Foot hall in the high schools must
go if accidents to the boys who partici-
pate in the games continue.
That is the consensus of opinion voiced
today by majority of those who are
at the head of the District schools.
r. r. Homer. member of the athletic
committee OF the board of education,
sounded the keynote of the situation when
he said
II am personally in favor of athletics
of every sort. but not at the cost of
wrecked manhood. ! should Ike very
much to see foot ball continued in the
high schools. but if the game remains
productive of accidents in spite OF the
change made in the rules | shall be
forced to oppose it. AS long as the game
is dangerous it is not a benefit, but is
detrimental both to the boys who play
it and to the parents of those boys
1t is Interesting in this connection that
Mr.. Horner has son of the foot ball
age who was very enthusiastic over the
game. but after Mr.. Homer witnessed
one of the contests i'm which his son par
ticipated he was prohibited by the parent
playing again. Hugh McQueeney, who
has been corrected with the schools for
several years, and who was present at
the interview. recalled the case of
young man who while playing on the foot
bail team of the Eastern High School
some years ago received injuries from
which he never recovered.
Capt. James +. Oyster. chairman OF the
athletic committee of the board of educa
zion. refused to say whether or not he
intended to Investigate the present rules
of the game to see if they were still OF
such nature as to prove dangerous. II
can break my finger or leg getting on or
off street car was the only remark
he made.
Supt. Stuart to Wait.
Superintendent of Public Schools A. T.
Stuart said that he had nothing to add
to the statement he made yesterday to
the effect that if the game proved to be
still dangerous it would have to be
stopped. Mr.. Stuart intimated further
that before taking any steps in the mat
ter he would await some action by the
principals of the schools, upon whose
combined recommendation the game is
being played at present
Statistics gathered from the high
schools this morning showed that there
is an average of SO per player spent in
the high schools every two years. There
are between 125 and $50 players each
year This money is raised by enter
tainments given by the schools and by
the sale of tickets to the games to the
pupils. There is also fair amount col
lected at the gate each game and the
use of these funds is not counted in the
money expended.
An authority on athletics In the high
schools. who. however, wlthhOldS his
name from publication. stated that he
knew personally that in one school there
had been more than 500 expended for
foot ball this year. and that he believed
one of the schools would reach the thou
sand-dollar mark.
Those who do not believe in so many
interhigh school contests argue that the
money could be better used to procure
physical culture teachers who could de-
vote their whole time to the entire stu
dent body. instead of having thirty or
forty picked individuals who are for the
most part already overdeveloped. This ar
gument. has long agitated the minds of
Washington educators, and in many cities
nterhigh school athletics have been abOl-
shed to the betterment of the entire stu
dent body