LEAVING FOR HOME

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18335, 1 March 1934, Page 6

LEAVING FOR HOME

MR. J. MILLER’S PLANS i SWIMMING CLUB MAINSTAY A POST ON DORIC STAR The Gisborne Surf and Swimming Club, and the sport of swimming in the district generally, will lose one of its mainstays when Mr. J. Aliller leaves aboard the Doric Star, sailing from the roadstead this evening for Napier, Wanganui, Wellington, and Auckland for final dispatch to London. Mr. Miller, who for several years lias held a post on the engineering staff at the Kaiti freezing works, has been appointed seventh engineer on the Blue Star liner, and will pursue his profession at sea for the statutory period in order to qualify for his marine certificates. He is following in the wake of a former club colleague, Air. Joe Martin, who was appointed to a minor engineering post on a Blue Star liner after completing his shore training, and is now well on his way towards sea qualification. Mr. Miller, .known to everyone in the sport as “Jimmy,” has a most likeable personality, and his friends will anticipate a steady rise in his profession for the young Gisborne man. He has had a lucky break in the matter of securing his appointment aboard the. Doric Star, for the post he takes is that of an engineer who had to be put ashore at Panama on the outward voyage of the Doric Star for hospital treatment..’ Jobs at sea are. particularly hard to secure, and the Gisborne aspirant for sea qualifications can be counted as more fortunate than the average. REMARKABLE RECORD For the past seven years, Jimmy Miller's name has been prominent in the active side of swimming sport, and lie leaves a record even more remarkable for all-round success than those of previous club leaders, in their respective reigns. He first came to the front as a swimmer at the Gisborne Central School, when lie won the school championship, and secured the Townley Cup, and also the Lysnar Oup for life-saving competition. He developed very quickly in the following two or three years, and as a member of the Gisborne Surf and Swimming Club he has held every club championship from 50yds to 440yds. In addition, he lias represented the club with great success in inter-club and Hawke’s Bay championship carnivals, and in the Hawke’s Bay championship arena has held the 100yds, 220yds, 880yds and one mile titles. For the past two years in succession he gained the Cooper Cup for the best aggregate of points at the Hawke’s Bay championship meeting. As a member of the Hawke’s Bay swimming district polo team, he appeared last year at the New Zealand championships, and later lie made second fastest time in the Annette tvellerman Cup race, a harbor race of three miles with a big field of competitors. A review of Air. Aliller’s swimming successes would not be complete without reference to his successes in local competition, as represented by the trophies he has won. The W. Barrington Miller Oup, for the harbor basin race, fell to him once; the Carroll Cup for most points at the club championships, three times in succession; the Gisborne Club President’s Cup for the 150yds handicap, once; the Gibbs Cup, for a river race between the William Pettie and Gladstone road bridges, three times in succession ; the Forster Cup for the half-mile river race, twice • the Stoiieham Cup for a mile river race, once; and the McGertv Cup, for 440vds handicap racing, four times. His record received the last entry for the time being last evening, when lie won the Gibbs Cup for the third time in succession.