LIFE-SAVING CONTESTS.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 January 1933, Page 3

LIFE-SAVING CONTESTS.

(To the Editor).

Sir,—ln your Thursday’s issue “Beltman,” writing on the recent competitions at Opunake, is rather too complacent in praising Old Boys on their work. He states that “the application of businesslike methods and quiet efficiency, were responsible for Old Boys’ success, that they “were a well ordered team, and that “there was a little extra co-ordina-tion about Old Boys, which . .. • gav.e them supremacy.” I am not exfectly disputing these statements, but I think that in justice to the other competing teams they should not be allowed to pass without comment. V/hat really won the Weston Cup' for Old Boys was not their, “businesslike methods” (which, by the way, are standardised) nor their “quiet efficiency,” “extra co-ordination,” etc., but the beltman’s time, and this requires explanation. As might happen to any team, Old Boys A team struck a well-nigh perfect sea, whilst all succeeding teams (Fitzroy A excepted) had to contend with different conditions altogether, as when the tide started to come in in- earnest the sea worked up very badly and several beltmen had rough syzims. In the opinion of most, • St. George (Fitzroy B) and Brown (Opunake ,B) were the fastest beltmen, when the state of the sea was considered, yet these teams, on account of the fact that no allowance is made for the vagaries of the sea, were placed ninth and seventh respectively, notwithstanding that both teams gave finished displays in the rest of their work. Old Boys A certainly gave a good exhibition., but were not, as your contributor suggests, better than tertain other teams in their' work. As I have stated, the state of the sea gave Old Boys their win, not their “quiet efficiency,” etc. I think that all teams are to be congratulated on their work, and to my mind it is regrettable that one team should be picked out for special' praise when there was .really little or no difference ?> in merit between several. I must join with “Beltman,” however, in congratulating Hawera on their advent into competition work, and if the lads “stick to it” there must be a future for them. —I am. etc.,- '.. “SPECTATOR.”