"What is the standard of play amongst the working classes?" is a question that was put by a representative of The Edinburgh Evening News to W. Smith, who was himself until quite recently a linotype operator in a newspaper office. "I think it is remarkably high," Smith is stated to have replied, "and during my games I have come up against some very good players." There was a tendency, he thought, to bring out the finer points of the game, and in this respect the numerous leagues in the North of England had done good work by promoting keen competition. Of necessity this had raised the standard of the game, as to carry off any of the premier awards a player required to have a considerable amount of billiards in him, and to be possessed of the steadiness which came only from assiduous practice. In some of the church leagues the players were— even for billiard players— of very tender years, and this playing in public, he considered, was the very thing to bring on a youngster's game.
As a working class amusement, the Darlington man held that the game was rapidly spreading, and in his tours he had everywhere found that billiards was more and more becoming the recreation of the masses. And the result of this was to be seen in the behaviour of that class of spectators at the big matches. Of old the stroke that made the most noise was acclaimed as the clever one, but now he found a difficult shot, successfully negotiated, did not go unnoticed by the onlookers. They knew in detail the respective strengths and weakness of the leading lights, and the general lines of their play. The result was that one professional, on leaving a town, created a spate of red ball experts in embryo, while another inspired the beginner with a determination to overcome the intricacies of the nursery cannon.
While admitting the potency of the red ball as a scoring force, Smith said he was not at all impressed with it as a means of attracting the public. He was convinced that they were pretty well sick of it already, and he therefore did not intend to unduly cultivate it. It was a handy thing to be able to slip out at any time, however. He confessed to a weakness for getting both object balls over the middle pockets, and breaks compiled by this means have been fairly familiar to those who have seen him playing in Edinburgh.
While on the subject of red ball play the Englishman took the opportunity of touching on the game of George Gray. While not denying for a moment that the Australian was the greatest one shot player in the world, he did not think that for all-round excellence he was equal to T. Newman. Smith has a whole-hearted admiration for Newman, and still remembers the hundreds that the latter strung up after he (Smith) had put on his record break in their match. In conclusion, Smith spoke in glowing terms of Aiken's game, whose style he greatly admired. His top of the table play, he said, showed the thorough grip of the game that the Scottish champion possessed.
Against this it is pleasant to be able to put Aiken's generously- expressed opinion of Smith, which is that he considers him to be the best of the younger school of billiards professionals.
Asked regarding his plans for the future, the Englishman said that one of his most interesting fixtures would start on the 27th of January, when he will have a match with Newman at Middlesbrough of 8,000 up on level terms. Apart from the London tournament he would also be meeting Inman, Reece, and Diggle.