"THE FATHER OF SWIMMING."

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 14306, 18 March 1912, Page 3

"THE FATHER OF SWIMMING."

At tho conclusion of the 440 yards races on the estuary at Kedclifls on Saturday afternoon tho officials end representatives of the clubs met in the Sailing Club's shed. Mr W. E. 1). Bishop, president of tho Canterbury Amateur Swimming Club, in proposing tho toast o£ "The Father of New Zealand Swimming," said that Mr A. Francis was ono of Canterbury's early colonists, and started tho first swimming club in tho Dominion. They now had a sport that ho (the speaker) was glad to say was the cleanest and beet in New Zealand. , Mr Francis, in responding, said it was very gratifying to him to find that the sport was progressing so satisfactorily, and that when tho time arrived when he himself could not give the attention to it that he was once ablo to give, tho conduct of tho sport had fallen into such «blo h;iuds. Responding to tho toast of "Successful Competitor"," Mr V«. H. Norton 'whose sen won Dr. Moorhoußo'e trophy) f«id that ho had encouraged both his sons to go in for swimming because it was one of tho cleanest sports, arid was beneficial physically and mentally; in nddition it waa ono of the few sports not soiled by any gambling oleinenl. (Applause.) He proposed the toast of "The EJandicappers," to which Messrs J. R, Buchanan and G. Rich responded.