SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Otago Witness, Issue 3396, 16 April 1919, Page 46

SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS

INTERPROVINCIAL JEALOUSIES.

OTAGO ACCEPTS THE CHALLENGE.

A discussion of more public interest than usual took place at the annual meeting of the Otago Centre of the New Zealand Swimming Association last night over tho question whether the local centre will # be able to conduct the swimming championship carnival early next year or not. It is the turn of Otago to have the championships next, but with an enterprise which naturally did not commend itself to the Otago Centre Auckland is endeavouring to change places with Otago and secure; the championships for itself next year. The discussion centred round the following motion from the New Zealand Executive:—" That the council communicate with the Otago Centre and give it two months in which to declare whether it is willing and able to carry out the New Zealand championships of 1920." The secretary of the council, in conveying the motion, said there had been much comment on the apparently moribund condition of the Otago Centre, and members of the council had expressed a fear that it Would be extremely dangerous to allot the championships, to a centre that was evidently in such a:"bad way. They urged that in view of the size of the meeting it should be allotted to Auckland, which was a very active centre at the present time. The Chairman (Mr W. H. Matthews) read a letter which he had received from an official of the New Zealand Association, in which the writer said: "It seems to me that the stocks of your unfortunate centre have fallen to zero, and the council is viewing you with a cold, unfriendly eye." He suggested that the Auckland and Otago Centres should change places, that Otago should let Auckland take the championships next year, and that Otago should take them the year after, and _ said that the council seemed almost unanimously _ to favour sending the championship meeting to Auckland next year. He proceeded to contrast the activity of the Auckland Centre with the "hibernating" of Otago. Mr Rundle, who was asked to speak on the position, said that the whole matter was whether Otago wanted the cham* pionships or not. There were four centres in the North Island and five in the South. Auckland was fully alive to its own interests, but it was particularly dormant otherwise. This was a typical case of Auckland grab. He felt satisfied _ that if Otago wanted the championships it could have them from the execuitive. If they did not accept them this time there was no guarantee that they would get the succeeding meeting as proposed by Auckland. Mr F. Given moved that the secretary write asking that the championships be held as promised, and expressing the conviction that Otago could meeting as well as any other centre. Twelve months would give them plenty of time to make the necessary arrangmente. In response to a question, Mr Rundle said that Christchurch had made a of about £35 on the championship meeting. He had had a letter from a Christchurch friend stating that he could probably bring 40 competitors to Dunedin from his own club.

Mr Bundle said there were 21 championship events, including water polo, and that would mean four days' carnival.

Mr Given's motion was carried unanimouly. c It was decided to set up a committee consisting of the president and secretary, Messrs Bundle, Foote, and James to wait on the City Council and urge on it the need of clear water in the baths. These gentlemen were also appointed a sub-committee to take in hand the preliminary arrangements for the carnival.