DOMINION CONFERENCE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume VI, Issue 1578, 5 March 1919, Page 8

DOMINION CONFERENCE.

MEETING OF SWIMMING CENTRES

The annual conference of swimming centres under the N.Z.A.S.A. was resumed this morning, the president of the N.Z.A.S.A., Mr W, E. D. Bishop, presiding. The general secretary of the Y.M.C.A. wrote extending to members of the conference, a hearty invitation to C'hristchurch, and asked them to except during their stay temporary membership of Hie association, which included the use of the bath, writing tables, games, rooms, and other facilities. The invitation was accepted with thanks. CENTRE FEES. Mr IT. Bowman (Westland) brought up the question of affiliation fees charged by the association. The centre had only just been revived, and the clubs there were not yet properly established. After a discussion, it was decided, on Mr Bowman's motion, that it be a recommendation to the association to givo consideration to the request of Westland that its fees for his season be remitted. CENTRE COLOURS. On the motion of Mr IT. W. Cooper, of Wanganui, it was decided that it be a recommendation to the council that the centre colours should be registered. MEDICAL CONFERENCE.

1 Mr H. W. Cooper, of Wanganui, moved:—"That at contests for junior and intermediate championships all contestants should be medically examined, and if pronounced unfit, should not be allowed to start." He explained that he desired that the centre concerned woulil provide a medical officer who would be in attendance to examine competitors. Mr C. Atkinson (South Auckland) opposed the motion. The question of whether a person was unfit or not was really a question of whether he was trained. If he was untrained then a strain was imposed on tho heart. Mr C. H. Simmonds (Ifawke's Bay) said that such an examination could not be conducted at the actual meeting. It would have to be done by individual centres before sending their representatives to the meeting. After further discussion, Mr Sibimonds moved as an amendment that medical certificates of competitors should be produced from centres to the centre conducting the championships at the same time as the production of the entry forms and birth certificates. Mr Simmonds maintained that many swimmers who had dropped into a stroke which gave them fast times were physically unfit to compete at championships. He quoted an instance at the present championships, where a junior competitor had excelled her previous best times. If that competitor had not been fit, the extra strain imposed in the race might have caused trouble. Mr B. O'Neill (N.Z.A.S.A.) said that if the amendment was adopted it would be necessary for centres to each appoint an official doctor, to ensure uniformity, and that the examinations should be conducted after the child had been trained and immediately preceding the championship meeting. Mr Cooper accepted Mr Simmons's amendment, which was carried with the addition that the certificate should be obtained from a medical practitioner as soon as possible about the time of registering the entry. SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIPS. It was moved by Mr G. Hill, of Wellington, that Rule 4, relating to the Dominion Schools' Championships, should be amended so as not to confine the qualification to school children only, but that it might be open to all children under fourteen years.

Mr A. M. Farnall, of Wellington, quoted instances of swimmers who had been debarred from competing because they could not qualify under the present conditions. Mr W. B. Jerome said that the present competition permitted of a class distinction. After further discussion the motion was amended that it be a recommendation to the council to delete the word '•'schools" from the championship rules. HOTEL EXPENSES. It was decided to recommend to the association, on the motion of Mr S. Kronfeldt, of Auckland, that the rule relating to the pa3 - ment of hotel ex-; penses to competitors should be reconstructed so as to give the centre concerned in each case the necessary authority, instead of the association. MEMBERSHIP REFUSED. Mr W. B. Jerrome, of Auckland, brought up a matter concerning the recently-revived Waitemata Club. At one time he had been its chairman, and was largely instrumental in causing the ! disqualification imposed on Mr .1. .T. jMulvihill. When Mr J. J. Mulvihill had been disqualified, the club became j defunct. Since its revival he was | asked by a member of the committee | to rejoin. Ho put in his application and paid the necessary fees. However, I his application was refused, although I he had evidence that the club commit- ' tee had not met in the interim. Ho j thought the refusal was a personal j matter. I The chairman said that members had jthe utmost confidence in Mr Jerrome, jand advised him to apply to the Auckland Centre to investigate the matter. GENERAL BUSINESS. j Mr B. O'Neill brought up the quesi tion of the Government grant to the j association, which at the commencement of the war had been cut down jby one half. At present the association | was spending more than its income. He asked members to appeal to their local representatives in Parliament to have the grant increased. Mr 0 'Neill also dealt with matters of laxity on the part of the centres.

Mr H. W. Cooper stated that he thought that' a centre would shortly be formed in Taranaki.

Following a general discussion, the conference closed. The chairman said that he thought the association would be able to give sympathetic, consideration to most of the remits adopted.