THE SYDNEY SWIMMERS,

Press, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14546, 24 December 1912, Page 3

THE SYDNEY SWIMMERS,

A CIVIC RECEPTION. A cirio reception was accorded the Sydney swimming team yesterday morning by tho Mayor of Christchurch (Mr H. Jjlolland). Tlio Mayor said it afforded him very great pleasure, ou behalf of the city, to offer them a hearty welcome. Ho understood tho principal object of thenvisit was education. In tiiis country drowning cases were very frequent., and, therefore, anyone coining out. hereto teach life-saving methods was welcome. Ho hoped the visit of tho Sydneyites would give a fresh in-yetu.-. to the clubs here, and assist tliem iv life-saving methods. lie thought they would agree with him that Christchumi possessed the finest municipal baths in INcw Zealand, and any crit.cisms 01 theirs on the baths would be warmU welcomed. He hoped they would ha\ c a happy and pleasant time during tiu'h stay in the city. Air K. Xorcion said the visitors had come over in the trlio amateur sense, without fee or reward, to teach us iv the arts of the finest of all sports, swimming. lie considered the general public did not give sufficient support to life-saving methods. In other cities club-houses were built at tho beaches, and he a.sked why this was not dono here. He thought .something could bo done for the clubs at Sunnier aud New Brighton. Mr W. Johnston, on behalf of the Canterbury Swimming Centre and "the Council of the Royal Life-saving Society, also welcomed the swimmers. Ho said* it was recognised that the visit, from an educational point of view, was going to do an immense amount of good to this country. Mr S. iSolomans, in thanking thorn for the welcome, said that daring their visit the team would do all they could to help along the sport of swimming. That was the object of their visit; not the winning of competitions. In Australia members of lite-saving clubs were sworn in as special constables, and they took charge of the beaches and looked after them. He hoped the same would be done at New Brighton and Sumner. Mr H. M. Hay said that anything they could teach* they would be only too pleased to teach.