TOUR BY CHAMPIONS

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20235, 20 February 1934, Page 8

TOUR BY CHAMPIONS

Visit of Swimmers to N.Z. Favoured. CENTRE DELEGATES’ VIEWS. An endeavour by the New Zealand Swimming Council to arrange a visit of overseas champions during 1935 was favoured at the annual conference of centre delegates held this morning when a remit to this effect brought forward by the Wellington Centre was carried. An amendment that a tour of Japanese swimmers be arranged, for next year was lost. Mr C. E. Claridge (Wellington) said that the Wellington Centre was disappointed at the lack of visits by champions. Such tours would improve swimming and would increase interest in the sport. Previous Negotiations. Mr, B. O'Neill (secretary of the New Zealand Council) reminded delegates that endeavours had been made to secure the Japanese men without success. The remit would only mean a renewal of those efforts. He emphasised the financial difficulties of such tours, for to invite the Japanese champions £SOO would be needed before the visit was made. At present there was not the money in the overseas fund to finance tours; centres had been cutting their own throats by cutting out the registration of Is a head which, until two years ago, had been the source of revenue to the overseas fund. Mr N. M’Cartnev (Wellington) propored that application be made to the New Zealand Olympic Council for a grant to institute a tour, the money to be paid back by the Swimming Council. Mr M. E. Lyons (Canterbury) questioned whether, apart from W. Harris and Langer, any overseas champions had left a lasting impression. He believed more good could be done by bringing a first-class coach to the country for some months or by sending a good New Zealand coach abroad to return with the latest idea.?. The remit, which was carried, now becomes a recommendation to the New Zealand Council, which will make the final decision. Financial Difficulties. The financial difficulties in the way of bringing overseas swimmers to the Dominion or of sending New Zealand champions abroad were emphasised by Mr Fred G. Dunn, treasurer of the New Zealand Council. He traversed the financial situation of the council over the past twelve years and stated that affiliation fees now provided the only source of revenue towards the control of New Zealand swimming by the council. As far as the individual contribution of each club member throughout the country was concerned the amount per head per annum contributed towards the Dominion control amounted to 4.8 d. He went on to refer to the overseas tours fund, established about ten years ago, primarily to enable New Zealand to be represented at the various Olympics and secondly to arrange tours by overseas champions. The fund had served its purpose as New' Zealand swimmers had been sent to three Olympic Games. The only sources of revenue to the fund were the New Zealand championship meetings, which generally produced small proceeds, and the registration fee, which had gone by the board. Empire Games Project. The total amount in the overseas fund was £25 2s 2d, which would be insufficient to send a swimmer to the Empire Games, a project that was under consideration, and the sum could not be increased as there was no registration fee. With the present financial position they could not send any swimmer to the Empire Games nor could they conduct tours unless there was some source of revenue other than that from championship meetings. As far as the registration fee, which had been cut out, was concerned, it was interesting to note that one centre that had emphasised the hardship of the fee owing to the bad times still collected the fee; the individual swimmers there did not benefit nor did the New Zealand Council benefit. “ Until the registration fee is reestablished the council will not, and cannot, conduct any overseas tours,” added Mr Dunn. “We cannot do anything without money. The importation of films has been mentioned. That is a thing the council could consider and probably could finance. As far as bringing in a coach is concerned that is out of the question. In the past the matter of bringing out an American coach was discussed, but the cost was beyond us. Until the overseas fund is built up we cannot undertake tours independent of Australia.” On the motion of Mr Jenkins it was decided that it be an instruction to the council to procure films and lend them out to centres. THE EMPIRE GAMES. Representation of New Zealand. An opinion that New Zealand should be represented by swimmers at the next Empire Games w’as expressed in a motion carried at this morning’s annual conference of centre delegates. It was pointed out that if it was desired to send swimmers centres would have to make efforts to raise money in a short time. Mr W. Stockley (Auckland) brought up the matter by asking if it w r as intended to send swimmers to the games and whether the English Games Association’s grant of £IOOO could be used to help send swimmers. Mr B. O’Neill, secretaary of the New Zealand Council, stated that twelve months ago the council had sent out a circular expressing the opinion that no New Zealand swimmers should be sent aw'ay, but any centres thinking otherwise could give notice of their views. No objections to the council’s opinion had been received. Mr O’Neill added that as far as Crump was concerned, it would be little short of a crime if he were not sent, but adequate preparation for sending swimmers away had not been made, and the centres had favoured cutting* off a source of supply by the abolition of the registration fee. If the conference thought Crump should be sent away it should say so, and that would mean asking centres to endeavour to raise money to bring the amount of £250 in the Overseas Fund up to about £SOO that would be required to send a swimmer away. It was all a case of the registration fee again, and he reminded the conference that Auckland had voted for the abolition of the fee. There now remained only a few months • in which to get the monev, and centres • I would have to raise the money in whatever way they could.