Shanghai polo umpires, who sometimes have harsh things said about the manner in which they perform their functions, should take heart from the remarks on the subject by the polo correspondent of "The Times" The much blamed race gets hard knocks all over the world. and the tribute contained in the extract below, should help to assuage hurt feelings if any, though the chances are that Shanghai polo umpires, as elsewhere, are a tough lot and well able to take care of themselves.
'There has been much talk of the umpiring this season, and much ill-natured and ill-considered criticism. There has been much talk of too much whistle,' but if players did not foul they would not get penalized, and the umpires have the most exacting and most dimeult job to do. Very rightly they insisted on the proper difficult observance of tle rules, which makes for better polo and a desirable absence of accidents, and from what I have seen this year these duties were carried out admirably. To err is human, and no man could hope to get through a season without a single mistake, but those who played in London owe much of their pleasure to these gentlemen. Strict umpiring means hard work, and the umpires, on and off the field, give themselves much labour with little reward. Not so very long ago it was customary to thank the umpires at the end of the game. This piece of good manners nowadays seems to be honoured in the breach rather than the observance. To those who criticize I would urge that they should make a constant practice of volunteering to officiate, in order either to show the way or else to experience at first hand the difficulties of this duty
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.