MORE CO.OPERATION

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 99, 24 October 1938, Page 7

MORE CO.OPERATION

NEED IN FUTURE

NATATORIAL BODIES

The annual general meeting of the I New Zealand Council of the Royal Life-saving, Society was continued; on Saturday afternoon* with Mr. G. E; Bill--v son in. the chair. Delegates were present * from Auckland,. Canterbury, Hawfce's Bay, Otago, Taranaki, Wanganui, Wellington, and the Jew Zealand Surf Life-saying Association. Mr. N. A. Ingram, a New" Zealand Surf Association delegate, drew attention, to, .the fact that no fewer than four 'bodies'- were: meeting during • the weekend,./whose ; aims were very. simi-, lar. The; time was coming when these organisations would be forced to work together towards a common end, His,own position was a peculiar one. He was president of the Wellington branch of the Royal Life-saving Society, president . of the Wellington ; Surf Life-saving Association, secretary of the New Zealand Surf Lifesaving Association, and secretary of the national committee of swimming land life-saving.- - It was his ideal to have a "parliament" of swimming and .life-saving, where the interests of the natatorial bodies of the Dominion could be coordinated. The material was there today—all that was needed was the leadership. The Government did hot want to deal with three organisations, but with one. The aim of all these bodies was the reduction of the alarming number of drownings in the Dominion. He did not advocate the abolition of the three bodies, but be did desire that any national effort should be made with the active cooperation of the three bodies as a whole. '. ' . Other speakers agreed with Mr. Ingram, in principle, but were of the opinion that the objects of the society would not be efficiently carried out by a separate body. It was also pointed out that the governing body in London had almost complete control over the activities of the council. Messrs. G. E. Billson and J. Breward were appointed delegates to the National > Committee of Swimming and Lifesaving, which , met yesterday afternoon. ■■~..■ ■■■'-'■ ■ '. The elation of officers resulted as followsr-^Eatron, King '....George,. VI; vice-patron, Viscount Galway; president, Mr. ■ G.; E: Billson; vice-presi-dent, Mr. S. K. Bassett; honi secretary, Mr. Jl' Breward;'•'■hon.' treasurer and award secretary, Mr. F. j. Glackin; hon. auditor, Mr. P. R. Smith; hpn. solicitors, Messrs. Johnston, White, and Chapman; delegate1 to N.Z. Surf Lifesaving Association, Mr; J. L. pighfon; delegatefto -National Committee^ of Swimming and Life-saving, Mr. J. L. Dighton.