VALUE OF BEACHES

Taranaki Daily News, 27 February 1935, Page 4

VALUE OF BEACHES

GREAT ASSET TO THE TOWN. LESSON OF SURF CHAMPIONSHIPS. • "■ ■ ‘ ' '■■"V- •" • That surf, life-saving clubs' were of value to Taranaki not only in their practical work on the beaches but also' in drawing tourists to beaches, recognised as safe was the opinion expressed by a New Plymouth business man to a Daily News representative yesterday. The feeling of .safety engendered by the presence of well organised and trained surf teams meant much to a district. The capability, of that organisation had been Well illustrated by the splendid display of the New Zealand surf championships at Ngamotu a.t the week-end. Clubs had shown themselves worthy di more support by the authorities. The meeting had proved a wonderful . advertisement for Taranaki beaches, said the reporter’s informant,, bringing before the public through its novelty a new aspect of surf-bathing. Not only had hundreds of spectators been brought to the town as well as surf men from all over the country, but there was also the publicity spread throughout the Dominion, the effect of which would be apparent in future years. .•“New Plymouth; more than. any town, and possibly city, in New Zealand, is surf minded,” he added, “but the weekend’s display made people realise even more the value of surf life-saving clubs.

“It is pleasing to those of the business community who take an interest in the town’s welfare to see that the borough council made a grant towards the surf clubs’,” he continued. “The clubs are doing great work making the beaches safe for visitors and they should have the best, of equipment. For. this the grant made was hardly adequate.”

' Few people realised the tremendous amount of business brought to the town in . the summer by the popularity of the beaches. If there had bean any number of. fatalities that popularity would never .have reached its present, pitch. •. That there had been an absolute miminum .number of drownings in past years was a ’•ecord due to the work of the surf dubs. .. .

, ”Tt is to be hoped that the carnival at Ngamotu will bring home to the man in the street the vaiue of strong surf club organisations and that in the future it will be considered a good Investment for the borough to subsidise the surf clubs in a substantial manner such as is done at the big Australian resorts such as Manly.” -