SWIMMING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15521, 31 January 1914, Page 6

SWIMMING.

POST AND TELEGRAPH CLUB.

The annual meeting of the Post and Telegraph Amateur Swimming Club was held on Wednesday, January 28, when the following were elected officers of the club for season 1913-14 :—Patron, R. A. Bach, Esq. ; president, T. Aitken, Esq. ; vice-presidents, Messrs. Bleakley, Fountain, Watson, Flett, McCrea, Chisholm, Kelly, Rudd, Jones, Mill, Ladley; committee, Messrs. Fletcher, Hancox, Hooker, Davidson, Bristol, Mackie, Boggs, Husband, Boyco; club-captain, E. Bristol; delegates Auckland Centre N.Z.A.S.A., J. C. Hancox, S. L. Dickey, J. Boggs; hon. treasurer, W. R. Fletcher; hon. auditors, (!. Burn, J. J. Murray; hon. secretary, S. L. Dickey.

NOTES AND COMMENTS. Apparently the Auckland Centre is quit© satisfied to remain under the togis of the New Zealand Amateur Swimming Association, as it has decided not to be represented at the conference of centre delegates, to be held in Wellington on February 14, at the invitation of the Wellington Centre, to discuss the advisability of forming a North Island Swimming Association. Auckland will be the only centre in the North Island that will not be represented at the conference, and it might have been wise to have appointed a delegate with instructions to oppose the new idea in preference to adopting a neutral attitude. Although only ono evening carnival has been held so far this season, the activities of the next few weeks promise to compensate for the lack of meetings previously. The Onehunga Club figures in the Albert Street Bath on Wednesday evening next, and on Friday evening the swimming portion of the Y.M.C.A. tournament will be held, and subject to the affiliation of the Y.M.C.A. Club, an inter-club event will be decided. Two clubs, Waitemata and Cheltenham, have announced carnivals for Saturday, February 7. The centre, however, may allot only one date. Considerable interest is being taken in the Onehunga Club's carnival, and it is expected that there will be a record field in each event. It is pleasing to chronicle that although a few days ago appearances suggested that Auckland would not be represented at the New Zealand championships, it is now certain that such an unfortunate position will be avoided. The Auckland Centre will despatch M. E. Champion, while a private movement amongst the officers of tho Waitemata Club will secure the presence at the championships of that promising swimmer, C. Sinton. Two other members of the Waitemata Club, in L. E. Kerr Taylor and W. M. Recs, will also undertake the trip. The four swimmers named will form the Waitemata, flying Tfj^nn l !}" oll ? m "P resenfc Auckland in the 400 yds relay championship. The team should repeat its successes in Christchurch and Wanganui. Last year it was composed of Champion, Welson, O'Hare, and Kerr layl< and it won somewhat easily, xn , interim the other centres S3?*v* de ?°P My classy sprinters, and this year's representative team should SM? *M'?P oes ? l 7 e ™. Champion will defend all his titles from 100 yds to one mile, and Sinton is nominated in all mrfJ?T- e^ ts aha He is Poetically untried in distances over 440 yds, and may not contest the 880 yds and one mile. As for Champion he informed the writer that «L™n he , 18 swim ming better than E£ku ndhe Blso ~l t e6 Sinton as being capable of accomplishing what Welson achieved last three years. This being so, S!*i Ya 4? rt Shield should remain m .Auckland for yet another season. It is not likely that the points scored in Christchurch will be exceeded, as that was sir. y ii Penomcnal .Port"""""* After EM t 4 e , places m **» 100 yds, Champion and Welson swam second in the remaining free style events. Miss L. Mackay gained second place in the 100 yds ladies' championship and W. B. Horton was third in the breast-stroke event, thus compiling m all 50 points. Last year, at Wanganui M. Champion gained 30 points, O. Welson 13 and Miss D. Farquhar I' I.!L u of . 46 , Points. As neither a lady or breast-stroke swimmer is to be included in this year's team the possible for Champion and Sinton is 45 points, but if the latter does not follow his clubmate home m all the championships this number will be considerably reduced. Canterbury, who has been runner-up to Auckland in the Yaldhurst Shield competition m both years, will have the largest team at the meeting, and will again be Auckland's most serious rivals. The Auckland team departs on February 8, and will appear at several carnivals en route to the championships. The Waitemata Club is making preparations for a specially attractive carnival in the Auckland Graving Dock on the afternoon of Saturday, February 7. The programme includes handicans of 50yds, 100 yds, and 440 yds, besides minor handicaps. All entries that were tendered for the carnival that was postponed from the 23rd inst. still hold good, and additional entries will be received by the hon. secretary at No. 17, Wellesley Street West, up till 9 p.m. on Monday evening. The Auckland Harbour Board has generouslv granted the club the use of the dock, and a finer swimming pool cannot be imagined. The principal attraction of the afternoon will be M. E. Champion's attempt to reduce Iris own New Zealand record for 440 yds. The attempt to create new figures will be made in a handicap of that distance, in which C. Sinton will be also engaged, and should materially assist the crack in his mission. This will be Champion's only appearance previous to the New Zealand championships. The committee has selected a troupe of divers to give a display, and these will be led by N. Joan, who during his stay in Sydney constantly appeared with the best divers there in practice. Altogether the carnival will present some unusual features, and as a result swimming enthusiasts should be present in full force- Fancy swimming also appeals to patrons of swimming, and Mr. Ernest Goodhew, whose capabilities in the water are well known, has promised to go through evolutions that will occupy 20 minutes or so, and will include the famous

porpoise swim." The indications are at this will be the most successful carnival promoted by the Waitemata Club for some time, and an all-round success is anticipated. The Auckland Centre is in receipt of a request from the Nelson Centre for the despatch of the Yaldhurst Shield to Blenheim, the scene of the 1913-14 New Zealand championships, in order that a window display of all the shields in competition might be made. How the delegates to the centre will view the matter is uncertain, but as it was neither expressed nor implied when Auckland won the shield at Christchurch in 1912, that it would be j fitting for the holders to convey the I shield to the championship meetings, the centre should think twice before sending the trophy outside the province, until the necessity for its departure arises. The shield, which is located in the vestibule of the Albert Street Bath at present, is insured against risks for £45, but this does not include any damage which it might sustain in transport. One who was present in Christchurch, when the shield was secured, avers the task of landing it safely in Auckland was not altogether second to the winning of it. Miss A. O'Leary, the present 100 yds lady champion and New Zealand record holder, covered 100 yds at Masterton recently in 85s, which conveys that she is likelv to win the ladies' premiership yet a third time. According to accounts a Hawke's Bay lady, Miss Kathleen McKenzie, will give Miss O'Leary a better race than either Misses Mackay and Farquhar, of Auckland, did; in fact, many do not hesitate to name the Napier lady as the next champion. The encroachment of professionalism is being felt by the New South Wales Amateur , Swimming Associations. Recent important defections from_the_ amateur code are A. i

Wickham and D. Peel, of the Rose Bay Club. The former appeared in an aquatic.

4 Ai r u on the sfcago and forfeited h »s status. Although reluctant to compete under the auspices of the league he was prevailed on to contest the 100 yds championship of the league. Ho won, but the time was slow. Wickham's younger brother, Ernest, who last year was 100 yds champion of Australasia, is reported to have turned professional in South Australia, whither he went on an invitation by an amateur club recently. Peel is the crack diver of New South Wales, but his forfeiture of his status was due to his desire to win fame and money as a boxer. Consequent on these happenings Rose Bay was left without a team for the 500 yds relay championship, of which the club was the holders, and the title passed to the Sydney Club. The league now has in A. Punch, D. Peel, and A. Wickham the three best divers in Australia, and the carnivals where cash prizes j substitute trophies should be materially j benefited as a result.

Miss Fanny Durnck was recently officially credited with a 50yds record of 275, and while many regarded such as an impossibility a great crowd gathered to witness the 100 yds ladies' championship of New South Wales in the hope that because of her reported sensational performance over the shorter distance they would witness a reduction by the Olympic champion of her own marvellous record of 66s for 100 yds. Disappointment was in store, however, as on account of an objection to some remarks passed at a meeting of the ladies' executive Miss Durack would not contest the championship, which was subsequently won by Miss Mina Wylie. On the same afternoon Miss Durack just managed to defeat Miss Wylie in the teams' race, and as she was only a foot ahead of her rival in the 50yds championship, won in 31s, it would appear that' 27s is not yet, nor likely to be, within Miss Durack's compass-