The Slaithwaite Guardian and Colne Valley News. — 1900-11-16 (Slaithwaite, West Yorkshire, England)

ECHOES OF THE WEEK.  BY VALLEYITE.  The case of football playing in the public streets, which came before the Huddersfield County Magistrates last Tuesday, should furnish food for reflection to local councillors With the facts of this particular case there is little concern to any person except those directly interested. Whether the lads were playing football or at wild horses, which is more 'notable, is immaterial. They were playing, undoubtedly. And they will play again. The policeman is not yet born who can stop the lads from playing. Even the terrors of the police court will not deter the young idea from enjoying himself according to his natural bent. You might as well try to stop the lamb from skipping, or the cock from crowing, as the young lad from playing his games. Very probably the policeman who preferred the charge and the presiding magistrate whose duty it was to warn the lads, did the same things themselves at some time or another. Of course public streets are not adapted for football. They are dangerous for the players, and the football is annoying to pedestrians. What then is to be done ? What cannot be suppressed must be controlled. Therefore, the rising generation should be provided with suitable places for recreation. Nearly every council now-a-days considers it imperative to provide these open spaces, and they are good investments. Beyond benefitting the children in health, they are calculated to keep them from annoying tradespeople, and indulging in mischievous pranks or wild-horse play in the public streets. There has been some attempt to perform this duty at the " Pleasure Grounds" by the erection of swings, etc. These are all right for girls, but a strong, healthy lad soon tires of swinging. NVe have made a pretty park, but we have destroyed the children's pleasure. \Vhat is wanted is an open space or spaces, where they can indulge in their games without fear of either " Bill " or " Bobby."  Mr. W. T. Stead, of Pall Mall Ginelle fame has issued another sheet (hat is at once a gross libel on the British army, and an insult to British subjects. The production is as illconceived and as miserably executed as his former effort, and, certainly, deserves a similar if not a severer penalty. This latest specimen of shrieking nonsense says that : "every man who voted for a candidate of either party who approved of the war, declared in favour of it, and made himself personally responsible to God and his fellowmen for the war, and the way it is being conducted." He then goes on to ask if such electors are prepared to countenance all the arson, robbery, murder, and outrage, which he says is being carried on in South Africa. He also says we are "trampling underfoot the elementary rules of civilised war, and doing deeds of rapine and outrage which recall the conduct of the Huns of Attila, and of the Bashi Ilazouks of Abdul the Damned." And the whole of this fatuous twaddle is based on the testimony of a " British officer." If there were the least trace of sincerity about the charges, or any plausibility in the testimony, one might take the pamphlet and the writer seriously, but after reading through the repulsive and sacrilegious shriek, one feels constrained to write the author down as an irresponsible quack in search of .cheap advertisement.