THE MENACE OF THE RIVER.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 307, 24 November 1934, Page 6

THE MENACE OF THE RIVER.

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —The letter written to your journal by Mr W. F. Cutler was, I think, quite called for and to the point. Regarding the controlling of the river I quits agree with his suggestions—that the dangerous spots should be flagged and lifebuoys and lines, etc., be provided.

I may, however, point out to your correspondent that the bank at the lluahins Street bend until about three years ago was voluntarily patrolled almost daily by members of the Ruahine Life-Saving Club. This club had committees set up which had different duties to perform in respect to the guarding of the river and dressing shelters, etc. (erected by the* club). Now, Mr Cutler, this club was the means of saving several lives from drowning, but the members found that the flags set up were pulled out of position by hoodlums, while life-lines were hidden and torn down; in fact, it rwas next to impossible to keep things in order, and as most of the members were at work during the day it was impossible to keep a proper watch on the flags, etc. Mr Cutler s suggestions are quite timely, but personally I do not think they are practicable owing to these vagrants who set out oh destruction. The Royal Life-Saving Society gave the above mentioned club every assistance and one of its members (Mr S. Wilson) had a class of men and boys in training for life-saving instruction every Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday, at special hours arranged by the club. Had Mr Cutler been at the Ruahine bend on any of these days he would have seen for himself the valuable work which was then being done in the interest of life-saving generally. Unfortunately, the river changed its course during the following winter following the opening ot the club and the swimming hole was no longer safe for the club to function. The only safe way I suggest is to have the Esplanade swimming pool under police supervision or some other form of strict control. Locking up the lifebuoys as Mr Cutler suggests is ruled out as there must be some reliable person in charge of the key and a person may be drowned whilst the key is being am^m, Late President, Ruahine Life-Saving Club. Nov. 24, 1934. •