HOURS FOR WATER POLO

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26832, 10 September 1952, Page 11

HOURS FOR WATER POLO

USE OF CENTENNIAL POOL SWIMMING CENTRE’S DISCUSSION A suggestion that the weekly water polo evenings at the Centennial Pool should this summer be supplemented by a short diving programme and extended into a full evening’s entertainment was made at the annual meeting of the Canterbury centre of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association last evening. Proposing the move, Mr D. W. Cain said that the present hours, from 6 p.m. to 8.30 P.m., were definitely unsuitable. “You don’t go along to Lancaster Park at 10 and leave at 12 because the groundsman wants to have his lunch,” he added. Mr Cain suggested that instead of the Christchurch City Council baths committee charging admission itself on the water polo evenings, the admission should be charged by the water polo control board and profits shared. The programme could be made more attractive and attendances increased if the hours were better, he said. The baths committee had been approached previously and had refused to extend the hours to 9 p.m., the president (Mr G. R. Laurie) said. “There’s about £200,000 invested around there, and we can’t even run a carnival without considering the cost.” said Mr Cain, referring to the rental charge at the Centennial Pool -of £5 an hour. “I think we’re a bit arrogant,” said the retiring president (Mr V. G. Spiller). “The baths are there for the citizens as a whole and we are only one section of the public.” The meeting decided to recommend to the water polo control committee that it approach the City Council on the lines suggested. Later in the evening a letter was tabled from the national council of the association asking if the Canterbury centre would be prepared to hold the national springboard diving contest this season, in addition to the tower diving contest already arranged. On the motion of Mr Spiller the meeting decided to inform the national council that the centre was ready to do so if the council’s usual 25 per cent, share of the net profits were waived. “That’s the only way we can afford to do it,” said Mr Spiller. The baths committee’s charges did not allow of any further cuts being taken.