SWIMMING.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 657, 6 November 1909, Page 12

SWIMMING.

:.■"'■■ '■*"* ~ r» ..';-. .- ■'■■'!"''■■'■■ '.:."'■ (By Splash.), 6am mer weather which 'commenced on Saturday last has had the effect of setting swimming fairly under way, the baths having wen wefl .patronised:during the ■■ past week. Practically the whole of the clubs are busy preparing .racing programmes for the season. The Wellington Club has made two additions .0 jta life membership list •■ by rewarding the ? J4 8 ° f M 6 - Geo - : Wilkes and Geo. sadd. Both men have undoubtedly earned the honour of life membership by their devotion o, the club and the -sport generally. Mr. Wilkes practically ran the Wellington Club for a considerable time, and he. still found mough time to traiii and hold the position Of th© champion vswimmer uf the city. As.treasnrer of. the club, Mr. Wilkes did excellent work, and he also proved himself one of the best handicappers Wellington has eeen. : Mr. sadd, who learned to swim under the direction ot .Professor Pannell, was a good performer in his day, and threw many hundred yards' behind hiKi with the old single over-arm stroke.' Mr. Sadd put in good ■ work as handicapper [or his club, secretary of th© local centre, also handicapper for the centre, and polo referee. Ihe other life members of .tho Wellington Club are Mr. G.S. Hill, the present hon. sec. of the centre, and formerly a swimming and diving ohampion, • Mr; R. C. Rennor, 'another' good performer in the past, and a swimmer who even, now'could '.''probably lift : the New Zealand breast-stroke championship, if he put his mmd to it. Mr.: Ronner wa9 one of the clubs first handicappers. The; othor life member of the,club is Mr; 'I'. Shield?, who has some good performances" on the course, and is still giving his leisure time to the sport, us he has; done, for: many years past; ...•:' ■Two. additional diving-boards 'were erected 1 at the Te Arc Baths during last week. ': The new boards aro a considerable improvement on the old ones, and possess ia spring ■ which is somewhat disconcerting on the first trial. •■ The Wellington Centro .intends -revising its roles this season. When the rules are being reprinted it would be a good idea to insert an f^[ r \ « af at the bnok of ■• th 6 book giving a list of Neiv Zealand and local records and their holders, also a list of standard times. '■;-.'-' . It '-is stated that the' Wellington Club may begin its raoing season with an'event at the Te Aro Baths on November 16. The. Hegglun Brothers, formerly well known in' local swimming circles, are 'at' present engaged on tho contract for erecting new baths at Blenheim. '.'','. '-',','.■■";" i.,'- "■■'.■ :,: ■ -For: a long time past, Napier has offered nothing but;its:bare seafront for'bathibg.purposes,- -but now a .municipal bath has been opened on the Marine Parade. -The new structure is 15Uft.'Johg.';aiid;,102ff,'-6in. l ,,\vide!. The swimming bath is 100 ft. long: by Soft, wide, and when'.full tneVwater Ovaries in .depth from Bft; to '10ft.. The bathiwhen full-holds nearly a quarter of, a million gallons of water, weighing close' upon 1000 tons; It can.be"pumped full in "about two hours;... , y ,;;/;; The ;fiupply : of salt waterHs.,obtained .from a;. cylinder 25ft. long,, which .is sunk >. into tbe beach. The, oylinder is.sft. in.;diameter.and the water—which ;is. really,', sea:,,wat'erlfilter«l, but the'well by'.means of'a'lOin/centHfiig'alVpiimp driven by a 35-h,p.,'"National" suction;gas eiv gine, the running-of which costs only ijibbut sixpence per: hour, for fuel.: -Thewater, enters the bath at,the northern-end just .b'elowShe' main floor.level. 'Whe'ni the;bath .is' in-use'.'a constant flow-of; clear' sea .'water at; tho'ra'te of 2000 gallons per ..hour.is provided',., for.' This flow passes;,through. the liath into eight overflow pipes', and, if so..required,,•intoUho" town sewers.' In' addition to the above methods : of dealing with the overflow, one pipe is provided which allows a-stream of. .water toj fun ; dowii the ohannels at - the sides' of tho roads. This water M ill be carried: by the channels through a part of tho city, and should have a'.cooling effect inthe hot summeijinonths.'■.;'■".-'; : = ' The -structure has -:been- especially'; designed to ensure cleanliness.'.'The; floors air slope: towards tho' ohannels;-: and .'tliese take -Off','the water from.;around, the; bath,-corridors, etc. By; this means n'6 dirty water can possibly find its way,'back into .'the swimming '.bath, Every facility is offered; to : bathers to, wash': before ontering,-the bath. The : cubicles have been constructed : on modern Continental principles, and are... so arranged as: to > ensure privacy, Bathers are given the surety,- that their clothing is in safety when left.behind,'> ":"- ': In tlie baths two spring boards aro vided,; one; 3ft. Gin. .above the surface of the water and tho other 10ft. Gin., There is also c water chute' made of .slate, ovor which a continual stream of water is running..- ■■■;-. ','''■;■ >; The baths are exceptionally^: suitable f6i swimming, tournaments, Seating accommodation being provided for about 1000 spectators. Then is also accommodation: for about 130' batlieri at one timei-''..-.• ..':■-.'':'.-- "';.';';;:'' -.' '. :,':.':- The whole cost of ;tlio baths; including machinery, ..runs ;to. about w£7000.,':'." '"•-.';- The. diving. scheme drafted by Mr. H. '.S. : B. Ribbands, and; published in this column! has been adopted in Victoria. The Viotoriau Swim ining Association has printed the rules .and.re gulations in its 1909-10 hand-boojc, and has instituted' a State diving championship. Witt New South Wales already in line, the adoptior of -Mr. Ribbands's, idea in Australia is assured On tho motion of Mr. C. Healy, seconded bj Mr. W. W., Hill, the following recommenda tions.were accepted at the annual meeting o] the' New South Wales-Swimming Association":-: (1) That, with a view to the reduction of thi capitation fees at present paid by the alfiliatec clubs, and to providintf-sulllcient-.revenue.;tt enable tho council to carry out definite scheme; for; the; encouragement and promotion -of- al branches of-natation, the State championshipi be - reduced .to eight by, the ' omission of the, '801 yards, 500 yards, nhd 1320 yards' championships and that the remaining.championships be'con trolled directly by the association at a series o' carnivals, to be held annually by the;. asso'cia tion, commencing with: season; 1909-10, providec always' that such.carnivals shall not extent over more than' two, Saturdays in oach season and that the dates of such carnivals be noti fled as early in the season d 3 possible; (2) tha the capitation fees'; to be paid by afllliatec clubs be reduced to Gd., with a minimum of £ Is. per "club per season, commencing, with sea son 1909-10; (3) that in the event brine dbovi recommendations being adopted the council i instructed to carry out definite schemes for ihi encouragement or swimming in country dis tricts, and for the encouragement of : distana and other swimming.; l ". . ••';. :■;-.'.'■,-.•■■ , During iho course of a speech at the annua meeting of the' New South Wales A.S.A., Mr E. S. Marks; commenting upon his efforts ti bring out English swimmers during his: re cent visit to the Old Country,' remarked'tha not a little o£ his non-success had been du to the fact that some of;the English..bbdie held the idea that it ttas a regrettable fac that, amateurs visiting Australia might] re turn imbued with a desii'6 to join profes 6ional ranks.'. : ' ,; ' :.'■':':-:'-. Speaking at the annual meeting'of the Nov South Wales! Swimming Association,,:the' pre sident, Mr. J. -Taylor, laid considerable em phasis on the advantages of niaiutaining th amateur status, a' phase of ■swiinmihgvwhjol had become very prominent during the las few weeks in connection with the League o ■Swimmers. '.There was nn ; absolute nccessit; for them to dwelt upon the;, status, of ;. th" amateur before they entertained any snggestioi of hecoming iutvested directly or' indirectl with the operations of a body ivhioh had' iden tifidd. itself with.'professionalism,, He advisei young swimmers, moro especially/to ■ cohside before they took such a step, and to coiisul either the (Officers "of the association.or the sec vetarics.of' their'.clubs. .It :behoved the. asso elation : to impress upon them tin gravity of'becoming, identified; with tho ;hev organisation. .! When ; they oamoV to ; Conside tho: fact'. that some of; those associated '■, witl that,Mdy;were profesiiedly/'.und:'aotnai:;lirofes sionals (its aims and were obvious).' it had'nothing to (igalnst; those athletes whi took to professfonalism-asa .means -of,.livoli hood, hut- there must-be' line' of do marcation between the amateur and the,tiro fessional., "There could- not 'Hie two'' swimmim associations in 'Now South' Wales,' Tho N.K.W A.S.A. was-: the .recognised : body controllini swimming in-the-State, and it could not allov

any other organisation to control that par- d: tioular sport. He trusted.that olub- officers A would lay the facts before the younger noin- fi lneas, who might bo tempted by the promise of big prizes. - Under their law'the no\y body 'o was-unattached.: He also reminded them that S the professional ■ status was a bar to them, t( which also apWied to their progress in the V commercial and business world.'. ',' .' : :''■'■-■ eSince the'associations of the various States ■» recognised the recently-formed' South Austra-' hail • Swimming Association as an - amateur & body, swimming in that, State ■ has', made, good " progress (says an Australian paper). In order " to further extend its usefulness; a deputation a ot the association waited'on the Minister for d Education reoently.'and, asked that swimming b , 1» introduced into >tke primary: schools,' and ; that swimming basins 20ft. square and 3ft'. deep ," 1 !,'' , a ". schools for the use of the chif f 1 dren. Ihe Minister favourably viewed the pro- h posol,. and promised to confer with the director l pf Muoation m order to give the scheme a " ■trial. , ■ , 11 T?his season the ladies' Australasian chanu l , pionships will be decided'in Melbourne. The J Victorian Ladies' Amateur Swimming ? tion is busily engaged formulating schemes for t the carrying, out of the championships and af- e ranging, for the/reception and entertainment !' of the interstate visitors. This is the first l pocnsion on "which those ohampionships have s been deoided in Melbourne, and they will be ,: ■held under the auspices of tho ladies' associa. r tion. Last year, Miss Lilian Beaurepaire, sister E of, the fainous swiminer,.,represcnteu Melbourne J in the championships, and, strange to 6ay, although the Victorian lady timekeepers credited ' Miss Beaurepairei lrfth lowering Miss J, ' Fletcher's'(England)—one of the fastest "lady S swimmers in the world-world's record for 100 ' yards, she badly failed.:. Her friends said fhe T waa unwell. It is hoped that in • Victorian '■' waters Mise Beaurepaire will give a better ac- ? count of herself. Other Victorian ladies likelj 5 to have any ohance against the visitors. are ! the Misses Dolly Cooper (diving),: Ada Lovoll; Hilda Bradley, and, perhaps the sisters Grin- ' lington (racing). Miss' Viotti Lilley is a most capable swimmer, possessed' of pace, but' the oxoitement of racing is said to; be injurious to her health, and on this account 9he may not compete.' The New South Wales -team will ;■: probably consist of snch prominent'swimmers ' as the Misses Fanny Durack, .Tate, Dorothy Hill, and Mina Wyhe,: whilst Queensland will probably send Miss, Mabel Springfield,,winner of the junior, championship in-1908,;Miss Mag- , gie Grant, and Miss Florence Carr. ■. ,: