PETONE'S BATHS

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 146, 18 December 1933, Page 15

PETONE'S BATHS

THE OFFICIAL OPENING

TRIBUTE TO MAYOR'S WORK

The official opening ceremony of the new swimming baths at Petone was held on Saturday afternoon in the presence of a largo gathering. A feature of the proceedings was the tributes paid to the work of the Mayor of Petone (Mr. D.. McKenzie), who is also chairman of the swimming baths committee, and tho suggestion was made by speakers that the baths should bo called the' "McKenzie Baths." The Mayor said that although Petone had one of the best and safest beaches in the Dominion, it was felt that swimming baths were necessary where children could be taught, to swim. Swimming should be ' taught everywhere, for there was-no other exercise that was so g6od for growing girls and boys. ■ When swimming' was taught the whole of tho community benefited, for apart from the lives saved, the exercise was so beneficial that there was less illness. Swimming was also tlie best exercise for all-round physical development. All the schools in Petone—five on the flat and one on the hill—had the use of the; baths' without cost to anyone, said Mr; McKenzie, who went'oh to say that befOrb the wai* there was a committee in Connection with swimmingin Petoho and about fifty of -the members of the committee went to 'the: war. So few came back that the committee became defunct The captain of 7the '■ old swimming' club, Mr. E. Price, had presented two beautiful silver cups for tho schoolchildren—one for the ' boys , and one for the girls. - ■ . The Mayor-said the new fciaths were up to all requirements, being 100 feet long, 50 feet wide, and' from 4ft'to&ft 6in in depth. The baths held'- 31,250 cubic1 feet Of writer. The smaller baths were 50ft long'by 15ft wide, and had a depth of from 3ft to 3ft bin that could always be regulated. ■ • Beferring to.those'who : had'lielpcd with the construction of the baths, Mr# McKenzie mentioned the borough engi-. neer (Mr. C. L. Jackson), the borough foreman (Mr. Goodin), and Mr. Jones, who was in charge of the excavating and concreting. The whole of the work was done by unemployed labour, and the men did 'remarkably Well. Mr. V. E. Jacobson, who was chairman,of: the works, committee of -the council at the time when the; baths were started, did excellent work. Thanks were extended to Mr. E. Hartley for the gift of a springboard, and to Mr. Scott for picture entertainments. Thanks were due to the Minister of Internal Affairs (the Hon. A. Hamilton) for giving the committee a share of £300 in an art union, to Messrs. W. D. and H. 0. Wills for the donation of £50 (£ls from employees of the firm being included in the amount); to the Gear Company for £10, to the Woollen Company for £5 ss, to the Bugbyand League clubs for£l7 9s lOd, and to schoolchildren for collecting £'86 9s 10d f rom pictures and other entertainments. The swimming baths committee, consisting of Mr. A. McFadyen (secretary), Mr. H. Fijth (treasurer),1 Messrs. J. C. Burns, F. W_, Moore,-E. Marryatt, Father P. Quealy, and representatives of each school,.had don 6 much. work. ; , "Mckenzie baths." The member for the district, Mr. W.Nash, said; it was the enthusiasm of the Maybr that led' to the' baths being opened." It Waii largely a chanec movement, said Mr. Nash, that gave Mr. McKenzie his start. The sports bodies of the Hutj; Valley once got together to'tisk for a share in an art union,-and asked for TMr'.' McKenzie *s support; which he said he would give if they would help him-to do something for the children., The Minister of Internal Affairs listened :to the representations of the deputation, after which Mr. McKenzie had his say. The result was that £300 was granted for the baths, but the sports bodies -were still waiting for a grant. He'did not know what tho. district would do without Mr. McKenzie —he was really. indispensable —and some day he \ hoped the baths would be called Vthe "McKenzie Baths." (Applause.) Mr. W. H.-Gerrie, chairman of the Wellington Swimming Centrei described the baths as very fine ones, and when tho work still to be done was completed, such as the provision of seating accommodation, etc., it was possible that the New Zealand,swimming championships would be held there in the course of a few years. He supported Mr. Nash in the proposal to name the baths after the Mayor. He asked Mr. Nash for his support for themrestoration of the Government grant to help school swimming. Mr. N. McCartney, ex-chairman of the Wellington Swimming Centre, also spoke. ■ .-..'■ Mr. McKenzie then declared the baths officially opened: Swimming -races wpreheld, and.th.ey resulted as follows:-— * ' Women's race, 33 1.-3 yards.—Miss P. Price 1, Misses S. Campbell and E, Turner 2 (equal). Time, 21see. Men's race, 33 1-3 yards.—First heat: Valentine 1, Waitai 2„ ;Henderson*and Hoy 3 (equal). Time, 19sec. Second heat: Mori 1,. Look "2, Warburton 3. Time, 18 4-ssec. Final: Mori 1, Valentine 2, Henderson 3. Time, 18 3-ssec. An exhibition of life-saving was given by members of the Lyall Bay. Surf and Life-saving Club, the following taking part: H. Dickson, B. Pearce, F. Mollier, and B. Mclntyre. Diving displays were also given; Afternoon toa was served.