OPENING OF SWIMMING POOL.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18231, 15 November 1924, Page 9

OPENING OF SWIMMING POOL.

The new swimming pool at St. Andrew's College was formally opened by tlie Mayor of' Christchurch (Mr J. A. Flesher) on -Wednesday . afternoon at a brief ceremony, which preceded tho annual swimming sports. There were present: Mr "William Gobs (vice-chair-man of the Board of Governors),' Mr C. L. McCrostie and Mr John Deans (members of, tho Board), Rev. A. T. Thompson (one of the founders), Mr A. K. Anderson (headmaster) and the staff of the College, Mr "W. P. Hilson (secretary), Mr J. B. Dowling' (representing the Old Boys' Association), and parents and friends of the school. Mr ' Goss apologised for tho absence of the chairman, l)r. Erwin. He. said that the erection of a. swimming pool was a sign that the/College was going ahead. Tho baths'as they stood did not jepresent exactly what was eventually intended. Dressing rooms and a diving platform wero still to bo attended to. The difficulty was finance. He mentioned .the good work of the contractor, Mr "W. "Williamson, and of tho architects, Messrs Coliiii3 and Harman.

Tho headmaster, Mr Anderson, eaid that Mr H. T. Little, of Hawarden, eighteen months ago had made a generoU3 offer of financial assistance to tho school to make possiblo tho building of bathing facilities. Tho Board of Governors had thereupon promised to begin construction when £SOO had boon raised bv the school. This amount had been collected by the combined efforts of the College and' its old boys, supplemented by two substantial donations, £IOO ' from Mr Little, and £125 from Mr Pfeaher. .St. Andrew's, therefore, was honoured by I tho presence of Mr Pleshcr to open the pool, not only as the Mayor of the city, but also as one who had helped, greatly in this project. Ho wished specially to thank tho other kind donors to tho and Mr Goes, who had given much personal attention in the construction of the pool, and Mr Williamson, who had presented a handsome silver bowl for tho senior swimming championship. In taking over charge of the pool, Mr Anderson said ho trusted it would bo the .means of I giving many generations of St. Andrew's bova the opportunity of learning a splendid ! physical exercise and a very useful art. The ; poo' was a permanent structure, and he ' trusted it was the beginning of a. policy of permanent buildings for the educational work of tho school. At the invitation of Mr Goss, the Mayor declared the baths duly open. Ho congratulated the boys on having a bath which ho was suro was second to none in tho city. It was the nineteenth swimming bath in Christchurch. The boy of to-day must learn to swim. More lives were lost annually in New Zealand through drowning than through anv other class of accident. The mimbcr was actually about 150 each year. It gave "reat pleasure to him that he had been able to help in bringing about the consummation of their hopes respecting the baths. When the Board of Governors were prepared to go further in respect to buildings * at tho baths he probably would bo able to help along the same lines as previously. At the call of Head-Prefect Wilson, the boys gave threo cheers for the May;*, Mr Goss and Mr Little. • The pool is of fcrro-concreto, 100 feet loii" by 33 feet 4 inches wide, and is u feet in depth at the shallow end and nine feet a. the end. It cost £I2OO. ■lt is filled from a" well 515 feet deep, supplying 60 gallonc of water a minute, and costing a further £3OO. , -, Tho swimming sports resulted in A. M. Hartnell securing the senior championship and the Williamson Cup with 8_ points. Tfl* junior championship was won by J. Marca and "W. Hawkins, 9 points each: and the under fourteen years' championship by K. Watson, 11 points. The senior school relay race resulted:-First. 111. B; second, ID. A; third, V. A. The preparatory school relay was won by Standard T.

A settler in the Hawke's Bay district- the other day shotred a friend some "pointing" he had been doing to an open fireplace, using clay instead of mortar. He, said that by mixing a fair quantity of salt with the clay (6ay about- 1 to 12 or lo) it did not crumble and fall off, but hardened with the heat, and could be used for replacing broken tiles and bricks in stoves and fireplaces and building up the broken bobs.