POLL TAX 



Poll Tax. Tax on every poll or 

 head, known also as a capitation 

 tax. Such taxes have been used by 

 various countries to raise money, 

 and at the present day capitation 

 taxes are in force in several states 

 of the U.S.A. In England one was 

 introduced in 1377, being a groat 

 per head, In 1379 it was graduated 

 from John of Gaunt, who paid ten 

 marks, to payers of the groat. All 

 over sixteen years old were liable. 



It was levied again in 1380, but 

 this led to the rising of the peasants, 

 and it was given up. In 1513 there 

 was a general poll tax, and there 

 was another in 1641. During the 

 reign of Charles II, revenue was 

 raised in this way on at least three 

 occasions, and from 1688 to 1698 

 there was a regular series of 

 poll taxes, although the inci- 

 dence of these varied from year to 

 year. The last was the one of 

 1698. This was graduated ; the 

 very poor paid nothing, while the 

 amount due from others varied 

 from Is. to 20s. See Peasants' 

 Revolt ; Tyler, Wat ; consult also 

 History of Taxation and Taxes in 

 England, S. Dowell, 1888. 



Pollux. In Greek mythology, 

 the twin brother of Castor. See 

 Castor and Pollux. 



Pollux. In astronomy, the pop- 

 ular name given to the star Beta 

 Geminorum, in the constellation of 

 the Twins. It is of 1*2 magnitude. 

 See Castor. 



Polo (Tibetan, pulu, ball). Polo 

 is one of the most ancient games 

 in the world. Cradled in Persia, 

 it spread to India, and in slightly 

 varying forms is found in China 

 and Japan. A favourite sport 

 of the Byzantine emperors, later 

 it was revived in India, where it 

 was taken up by British officers, 

 and so spread over the world. 



The first polo club in London 

 was at Lillie Bridge, but the game 

 really started when it was taken 

 up by the Hurlingham Club. In 

 1874 the polo ground was made, 

 a code of rules was laid down, and 

 regular matches and tournaments 

 were instituted. Other clubs were 

 established at Ranelagh, Rugby, 

 Roehampton, and elsewhere. 



Polo grounds are of turf, care- 

 fully rolled and tended. The stan- 

 dard size is 300 yards by 160 yards. 

 The shape should be an oblong, the 

 long sides being guarded by planks 

 1 in. thick and 11 ins. high, 2 ins. 

 being in the ground, so that the 

 fence is 9 ins. on the outside. 

 On the inside the turf should be 

 raised and sloped along the boards, 

 so that the ball striking the boards 

 may not lodge under them. The 

 ends are unboarded, and in the 

 centre of each end are the goal 

 posts, 24 ft. apart. 



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Polo balls are now made of 

 willow root in England, and are 3J 

 ins. in diameter. The weight must 

 not exceed 5 ounces. In India the 

 polo grounds are as a rule un- 

 boarded, and the balls made of 

 bamboo root. The polo stick is 

 the same everywhere, and is made 

 of the best Singapore canes fixed 

 at a slight angle into heads, which 

 in England are of willow or ash, 

 and in India of bamboo. In India 

 the heads of the sticks are round, 

 and much the shape of a manila 

 cheroot, but in England a square 

 mallet head is preferred. The 

 handle should be shaped like the 

 handle of a racquet, but with a 

 rubber grip and tape wrist-loop. 

 The beginner should have a 53-in. 

 cane, with an 8-in. head, weight 

 about 6 07.., but experience will 

 teach each player what length and 

 weight suit him best. 



Selection of Ponies 

 On the choice of a pony depends 

 the whole future of the player. The 

 polo pony may be of any height up 

 to 15 hands, but about 14 to 14-2 

 is the best height. Polo ponies in 

 use at present include polo - bred 

 ponies, i.e. those whose sires and 

 dams are registered in the National 

 Pony Stud Book. These ponies are 

 bred for the game ; they must be 

 well balanced, fast, and quick to 

 spring into their stride, handy to 

 turn, and well trained. They must 

 have courage. Speaking generally, 

 the best ponies are those which on 

 a foundation of native British pony 

 stock have grafted thoroughbred 

 or Arab blood. There are also 

 Argentine ponies, Walers or New 

 Zealand ponies, pure Arabs, and 

 American ponies, and these are 

 serviceable at polo in the order 

 named. The modern game is 

 played at a high rate of speed, and 

 it takes a good pony to play three 

 or four periods, the average time 

 of a period being seven minutes. 



Polo looks a rather dangerous 

 game, but great care is taken to 

 reduce the perils. Two umpires 

 are appointed : in the case of 

 Hurlingham and Ranelagh, club 

 officials, whose duties are similar to 

 those of the football referee, to stop 

 dangerous or unfair play, and to in- 

 flict the penalties, generally a free- 

 hit at the goal of the offending side. 



Positions of the Players 

 Polo is played with four players 

 a side. No. 1 and No. 2 are for- 

 wards. No. 3 is generally the best 

 player in the team, and plays 

 forward or back as the game re- 

 quires. No. 4 is back, his primary 

 duty being to defend his goal, and 

 to pass the ball to No. 3, who in 

 his turn tries to serve the ball up 

 to his forwards in attack. In de- 

 fence it is the duty of every man 



. POLO 



to ride the corresponding man on 

 the other, side off the ball. Thus 

 No. 1 tries to hinder or take the 

 ball from No. 4 on the opposite side, 

 No. 2 from No. 3, and so on. There 

 is no offside at polo. Every player 

 when qualified receives a handicap 

 number, which is supposed to repre- 

 sent his value to a team in terms 

 of goals. This handicap is not based 

 on the player's individual score of 

 goals, but on the extent to which 

 the handicappers consider he helps 

 his side to score. The team at polo 

 is everything, the individual player 

 of small account. Indeed, players 

 who seek for applause by making 

 brilliant strokes or " gallery play " 

 are not in favour with the captains 

 of the teams. The highest handicap 

 at present is 10, and the lowest 1. 

 The largest number of players is 

 handicapped by the county polo 

 association, which handicaps about 

 1,400 players. 



The governing body of polo is 

 the Hurlingham club polo com- 

 mittee, including representatives 

 of army and county polo and of 

 the leading polo clubs. Indian 

 polo players are also represented 

 on the Hurlingham committee, 

 which makes and revises rules, 

 issues challenges for international 

 matches, handicaps the London 

 players, and selected the team to 

 meet the American team. As the 

 result of the international match 

 in 1914. Lord Wimborne's team 

 brought back the cup from America, 

 and in 1921 an American team 

 came to England and regained it. 

 T. F. Dale 



Bibliography. Hints to Polo 

 Players in India, Gen. Sir H. de 

 Lisle, 1897 ; Riding and Polo, J. M. 

 Brown, revised T. F. Dale, 1899; 

 Tournament Polo, G. T. Young- 

 husband, 1894; Polo, Past and 

 Present, T. F. Dale, 1905; Polo, 

 T. B. Drybrough, 1906; Modern 

 Polo, E. D. Miller, 3rd od. 1911; 

 Polo at Home and Abroad, ed. 

 T. F. Dale, 1915. 



Polo, MARCO (c. 1254-1324). 

 Venetian traveller. Born of noble 

 parentage, he 

 ace ompanied 

 his father and 

 uncle in 1271 

 to China, 

 which the two 

 elders had al- 

 ready visited 

 about 1260. 

 Crossing Per- 

 sia, Western 

 Asia, and Tar- 

 tary, through 

 districts unknown to Europeans un- 

 til modern times, the three Italians 

 crossed the Gobi desert, and event- 

 ually reached the city of Shang-tu 

 in 1257. Here they saw the Great 

 Khan, who conceived a liking for 



Marco Polo, 

 Venetian traveller 



From old engraving 



