BAD TREATMENT ALLEGED.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 19481, 30 November 1928, Page 13

BAD TREATMENT ALLEGED.

OLYMPIC SWIMMERS. MR H. AMOS CRITICISED. FULL EXPLANATION WANTED. It had l>e«n evident" for sometime that ihc New Zealand Olympic team at Amsterdam was not a happy family, a letter which was before last night's meeting of the New Zealand Swimming Council mad© definite complaints against the manager, Mr B. Amos. The Hcerfctary (Mr B. O'Neill) produced correspondence which showed that prior to tlio departure from the Dominion of tho Olympic team, the Swimming Council had arranged for Mr J. Hodgson, its representative in England, to accompany the team to Amsterdam to look after tho swimmers. Mr O'Neill smid that Mr Amos knew and acknowledged this, promising to work in with Mr Hodgson. The Council had before it a report from Mr Hodgson. 'lt stated that Mr Amos had made no attempt to get in touch with him when the team reached England and that the writer was ignored by him so that the swimmers were left at the mercy of haphazard arrangements, giving no reasonable chance for proper training. Mr Hodgson was excluded from tho official party to Amsterdam on the plea that there was no roam, and when they got there, the ladies were left to train in a "filthy, oily dock." Mr D. Lindsay was the only man to make arrangements for training until aided by Mr Hoda*son and later by Mr Amos, when it wm too late, The Swimming Council took, strong exception to such treatment, and a full and immediate explanation has been asked for from Mr Amos and the Olympic Council. It is expected that the Swimming Council will withdraw from tho Olympic Council unless something satisfaetory is forthcoming. . Mr Hodgson's Arrangements. Mr Hodgson's letter stated further that, so soon as he had been informed that he had been chosen J 'to exercise a fatherly" eye over the New Zealand swimmers his first step was to seek training quarters; his seoohd to state publicly that he was in charge of them and that anyone desiring to offer engagements should apply to him. Shortly afterwards he made, first preliminary, and later definite. • arrangements for the. Dominion swimmers to visit Southport to undergo training.

Letter "OhiUed Him." The only iaforiufttion that he hod that the mm wag in London was given him by a friend. He received no official information from Mr Amos. He wrote to Mr Amos but the reply chilled him and he concluded that he was not wanted. Later,' in conversation with the lady members of. the team, lie gathered that they were not as hftppy as they might have beerfi Typhoid fool. At the Games he learned that the girls had been training in a dirty pdH Which earned the name "Typhoid Pool," owing to its odour and Hasty taste. The American and Gefmaii swimmers were forbidden to train there. He was also astonished to find that the girls were not liottaed with the British girls. alios Miller Hi. Mr Hodgson said that during the time he was in Amsterdam he did not see Mrs Amos, the official chaperon, ttttd if it had not been for Mrs Miller he did not know what the girls would h&ve done. On the opening day Miss Miller was not Wellj and Mr Amos said ifc was a waste of time for her to swim. But she competed, and did remarkably well, in spite of this disability. Men fought (Shy-

He saw little of the men swimmers, who seemed to fight shy of him as if he were an undesirable character, Had he been able to take the team to Southport for training, Mr Hodgson was sure the results would hate been different. If he had failed to carry out his stewardship the odds were against him.

Council's iftt&Atitfflenti "Both the Swimming Association and Mr Hodgson have been subjected by Mr Amos to a series of indignities tnftt, as far as most members Of the Swimming Association are concerned at all events, will not be accepted Without the liveliest resentment,'' said Mr B. O'Neill, secretary. "Had the Swimming Association known that the swimmers would have suffered uhder the handicaps that his management, if it did not impose, at all events permitted, It .would not -have allowed the swimming team to depart. Had it been aware thnt the assurances of the Olympic Council regarding Mr Hodgson were to he ignored by 'its manager, and that the manager's own assurances were to prove of no' more value# than the paper oh which they were written, it would flOt, hate been associated With the Olympic movement Of 1928." Members said they wei'e not going to take such treatment Wng down. Further action Wfls deterred pending art explanation from the Olympic Council.