SWIMMING.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 277, 28 December 1914, Page 3

SWIMMING.

TOPICS OF THE WEEK. The Wellington Centre has at last Tieldits annual meeting, and has elected some of its officers. Some trouble arose at the meeting consequent on a difference of opinion as to whether or not the rule restricting each club to one delegate had been legally passed and was in force. The upshot of it was that the Thorndon Club delegates (two of whom attended) withdrew and left the meeting one short, of a quorum. By general consent the business was proceeded with, and the officers elected, subject to confirmation by a full meeting to be called in January. One hopes that now the centre will again show some signs of life, and that the New Zealand Council will not have to voice again the complaint, made at the last meeting, that no replies could be got to correspondence addressed to the Wellington Centre. For some time past the council has been treated by the centre with considerable discourtesy, but there is reason to believe that the new blood that has been placed in office in the Capital City will set the neglected house in order.

Apropos of the encouragement that can be easily rendered to the life-saving movement by municipal bodies, it is worthy of note that last season the Wellington City Council decided that school children gaining the Proficiency Certificate or higher award of the Life-saving Society, should have free admittance to the public baths for the remainder of the season in. which the award was gained. As showing the impetus this incentive gave to children going for awards it is mentioned that the Proficiency Certificates gained during the year numbered 82, as against 32 for the previous year. Four of the society's instructors in Wellington are also granted free admission to the baths for the purpose of giving instruction in lifesaving. These are precedents that might well be followed by municipal bodies in other centres.

The annual-meeting of-the New Zealand Executive of the Royal Life-saving Society has been fixed for January 25. The" Hon. H. F. Wigram, M.L.C., has been awarded the life-members' badge of the Royal Life-saving Society, in recognition of the service he has performed in helping on the cause in New Zealand.

Kahauamoku has arrived in Sydney, accompanied by his manager, Mr Francis Evans, and his swimming companion, George Cunha. Soon after their arrival the two great swimmers were driven to th.e Municipal Baths, Domain, which

1 proved an eye-opener to them (says a Sydney paper). They had seen nothing anywhere to equal that place for carnival purposes. Kahanamoku and Cunha entered the water- and' swam the 110 yards course. While showing no pace worth mentioning, each did enough to satisfy "the critical onlooker that both were certainly all they had been represented. Cunha's is very like Kahanamoku's leg-work, which is a kick different to that of most other swimmers! His is the movement of a screw-pro-pelled boat. The legs are much more in service than tW arm 3. Experts hold the opinion that his unusually large pedal extremities are an advantage to him. Though Kahanamoku put up a world's record (lmin 2 3-ssec) for the 100 metres race at Stockholm, he improved upon that achievement at Hamburg a little later by traversing the distance in lmin 1 3-ssec. Then' the German champion, Bretting, was defeated easily. Cecil Healy swam second to the Island boy in Sw.edeu, finishing 1 l-ssec behind him."