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Hokitika Guardian, 10 March 1922, Page 2

There will he general agreement with the comment of oil'' Wellington correspondent in his letter published- oil Wednesday, at the false economy indulged in by the Government in cut* ing out the subsidy for teaching swimming and life-saving at the public schools, Tills is it vote which etimes ulidei* the Education Department. It is a modest sum in the aggregate, and doeS hot seriously affect bv its dihiehsioiis the hundreds of thousands of pounds being spent annually for educational purposes. One of the Wellington honorary instructors- and by the way most of the instruction is honorary—strongly comments on the curta;ilm«nt and the fact that fatalities w-ill increase as a consequence. There are many drowning fatalities, and lately on this Coast there was a very sad experience, resultant largely from the fact that many people were untutored in the art of swimming and in the knowledge of life-saving methods. Misty Annette, Kellerman, the expert Australian swimmer, lately here gave it ns her opinion that the teaching of swimming to children should he compulsory from four years up. Every day experience seems to confirm this view for there are so many distressing fatalities through want of knowledge. A wider training in swimming and fclm number of fatalities would be greatly decreased and many valuable lives saved. This view endorses the statement of our correspondent that to economise in the direction proposed by the Education Department is a false stop which will only bring harm in its train,

Ihe whole Empire naturally takes a deep interest in British politics, and it will be with a feeling of great relief that it has been possible—as we fully anticipated-—to settle the recent difficulties. One message states Mr Lloyd George lias withdrawn his resignation. It was not known that he had presented it. Probably he had’ not—only j threatened to do so, or rather placed himself in tne hands of the party lenders with a free hand to net on his behalf as they thought host. No doubt Sir Arthur Balfour had a helping hand in healing the breach within the party. The anxiety for the Conservative supporters to retain Mr Lloyd George as the present Prime Minister, speaks J volumes for that statesman’s work and worth. It is an open appreciation of the highest value of his transcendent services, for the benefit not alone of Great Britain, but also for the Empire and even the world at large. Sir Arthur Balfour has a very sane view of things, and he has seen a great deal of the inside history during the past seven years in particular. He has seen Mr Llovd George in storm and stress, and has realised his abilities to lead the nation. This is an opinion which has lieeu formed very generally by all who have been onlooking, and who, even at this- distance, could not |fail to j road the signs aright so patient were i the general excellencies of his great tasks in his own country, in Europe and about the interests of world affairs.