THE CORONATION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 10196, 4 July 1911, Page 1

THE CORONATION.

AQUATIC CARNIVAL. A GOOD EXHIBITION. The Canterbury Head Centre of the Royal Life-saving Society deserves a great deal of credit for its effort to help on the fund for the Home for Consumptives, and last evening at the Tepid Baths the Mayoi and the Hon H. F. Wigrarn paid -a high compliment to those who had assisted in organising the aquatic: carnival, which was attended by a. very largo gathering. The Woolston Band drew a big crowd outside the baths, and before eight o'clock the seating accommodation was filled. The programme included many novelties and interesting features, and it was received all through with loud applause. The Hon H. F. Wigram, who was received iu an enthusiastic manner, said tliat it gave him a great deal of pleasure to open the carnival. He was suffering from a cold, but his speech Avas short, and he would not keep the audience waiting. '"'The object of the Royal Life-saving Society.'' he said, " is so to train its members that- they may be ablo to act efficiently in an emergency, rescue a drowning person, and bo able to apply the proper methods for the resuscitation oi the apparently drowned- The work of the Society should be particularly valuable in Now Zealand with its great coastal trade and numerous and dangerous rivers. Self-reliance, born of the knowledge of how to act in an emergency, often prevents tho emergency itself from arising, for panic is tho cause of many fatal boating accidents, and men and women trained to »?11 -reliance are less likely to lose their heads if confronted with danger. possibly in the near future the work of the Society may be the means ol' saving hundreds of lives. In 1909. 234 persons were accidentally drowned in New Zealand. The present carnival has been inaugurated by the Society to render practical assistance to a kindred lile-saving movement. The proceeds from this gathering will be given to the Coronation Consumption Home, and help to build a block-house in the great war against consumption.' In the year 1909, when the deaths from drowning were 234. many of which were avoidable, there were £BB deaths recorded from phthisis, all of which might have been prevented, for consumption can only be caused by a known gerpi. Bacillus tuberculosis. Stop the dissemination of the germ, and you stop the disease We want to build a home for advanced eases where the sufferers may receive better care and attention than they can got in their own homes, and where above all they may be prevented from infecting others with the dreadful disease. Let us help to build a block-house for North Canterbury, and hopp that it may be tho first of a chain extending from the North Cape to the Bluff.'' The programme was arranged in a skilful manner, and the demonstration of life-saving by teams of ladies, school-girls, men and boys was especially attractive. Under the direction if Mr G. E. Billson the teams performed very cleverly. A series of high and sensational diving turns by local champions was also good, and Mr Billson gave a fine exhibition of humorous water turns. He was ably assisted by his daughter, who, at the mature age of four, swam across the bath amidst loud applause. A number of practised swimmers showed the evolution of the swimming stroke up to the present standard of the " craftd sprint," and tho audience was quite at home in watching the antics of a "dummy " who fell into the water and a number of people who dived down a chute and splashed and played polo "in extenso." Tho scratch football teams shoved a. mighty thing of wind and leather all over the bath at the end of the proceedings, and the Mayor, Mr T. E. Taylor, M.P., gave a short address.

Mr Taylor said that ho must pay a tribute to the splendid work done by Mr B. J. Ager, the secretary. He had worked very hard for the carnival, and its success was due to his efforts. He also thankfcd the swimmers, the Woolslon Band, the Boy Scouts, the business people and the public for their support. The Press and the Bath Committee, he added, had given valuable help by their work, and the Home for Consumptives would be benefited by the carnival. Any person who wished to help the fund could do so by sending donations to the secretary of the Society, Mr Ager. The programme included a, 50yds schoolgirls' championship, which was won bv Miss D. Large (Technical College), Miss 0. Butters fßichmond), the only other starter, being beaten in a close finish in 52 '2-osec.