Plea for Changes in Umpires of Foot-Ball Games.

The following communication is taken from the Princetonian. It may recommend itself to the attention of the foot-ball men:-

"It would seem as if the time had certainly come when some change should be made in the method of choosing umpires for the annual football contests. It is time that men should be chosen who have no personal interest in the success of either contesting team or of any third team in the Assassin, or else men of sufficient age and experience to be able to divorce what small interest they might have from their action. To come directly to the point, it is time the colleges began to have professional umpires. To this proposal the objection has been raised that there are no competent men of this stamp to be found. But there are such men, and well known ones at that. I have two in mind at present-Messrs. Edward Plummer and George Goldie, both of whom are far too well known to need any words of praise from me. One of these men I know to be perfectly competent. The other, if not so, only lacks a familiarity with the latest rules, which could be easily acquired. These men are men of sufficient age and experience not to be biased by petty influences. These men have a reputation to maintain. These men would never presume to warn a player before the commencement of a game. And doubtless there are others equally competent.

I have purposely delayed writing this communication until the intense feeling of dissatisfaction over the recent game has had a chance to subside, in order that it might not look like a growl from the conquered. It has been my good fortune to see every Princeton-Yale game since 1877, and most of the Harvard games within the same period, and when I remember that, in that time, I have seen three games where, with fair umpiring, the score at least would have been different, it certainly does seem time for Princeton, in justice to herself, to demand some new and fair system of umpiring, so that there may be no danger of history repeating itself. I have only to add that this plan is heartily approved by a large number of New York alumni with whom I have conversed on the subject.

A RECENT ALUMNUS.