SWIMMING CONFERENCE

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8348, 7 February 1913, Page 10

SWIMMING CONFERENCE

COUNCIL UNDER EIRE. Press Association. WANGANUI, February 6. A conference of visiting delegates from centres represented at the swimming championship meeting was field this morning. Mr F. Turnbull, president and delegate from the Wanganui centre, was voted to the chair. Other delegates S resent were : Messrs J. Y. Hannay and i. Woods (Hawke's Bay), D. MoFarlaue (Wanganui), G. Rich and Eldridgo (Canterbury), Atkins and Shields (Wellington). Stone and Emmerson (Nelson), and Dickie and Thorpe (Auckland). After the minutes of the last conference had been read. Hr G. Rich said it was no use confirming the minutes for the reason that the remits contained therein had not been forwarded to the New Zealand Council. Messrs McEarlane, Woods, and the chairman considered that the minutes should be read first, and any business arising therefrom could bo dealt with afterwards. This was decided upon, and the minutes were confirmed. In the discussion which ensued, Mr Atkins moved that it be a recommendation to the council to adopt recommendations made by conferences with modifications, if any, but not with regard to financial matters. This was carried. The following remits were discussed, and were adopted by the conference, to be forwarded to the New Zealand Council : “That championships be allotted in rotation by the council, and in the event of a centre being unable to carry out the same the championships will go to the next centre following. Mr Rich, in the absence of the Otago delegates, advanced the claims of Dunedin for the next championships, and moved the following amendment: "That it bo a recommendation to the council that championships be allotted to affiliated centres in rotation, always reserving the right to allot to Otago centre championships When that centre has a hath to conduct a meeting in." Mr Turnbull withdrew the motion in favour of the amendment, which was carried unanimously. Mr G. Rich moved —“That it be a recommendation to the New Zealand Swimming Association, when calling for tenders for medals, to do so in accordance with the rules." Delegates expressed the opinion that if the New Zealand Council offered a medal and set its value at £2 3s the medal should be worth that amount. The question of eligibility of Northern League footballers to compete as amateur swimmers was discussed at considerable length. The feeling of, the delegates generally was that footballers who played for money' considerations should be debarred from taking part in amateur swimming. The discussion arose out of the following motion, moved by Mr Atkins: "That the Wellington Centre enters its protest against Northern Union footballers, playing under the game as at present constituted in New Zealand, competing as amateur swimmers." This was lost by six votes to ,five. Mr Rich stated that the last conference decided to recommend that the championships now being held in Wanganui be allotted to Hawke's Bay, but this remit was, like all others passed at the last conference, not forwarded to the council. He, therefore, moved that the next championship meeting be granted to Hawke's Bay. Nelson delegates pointed out that. the council had appointed the next championships to Nelson Centre. The motion was negatived. The matter of the secretary's honorarium was raised by Mr Atkins, who strongly protested against the council paying an honorarium of £ls to the secretary. He moved in this direction as a protest against the manner in which the council's work was carried out. More discussion arose on this motion as to whether the secretary was a professional, through being paid the £ls, and the chairman gave it as his opinion that an "honorarium" did not make a professional of the secretary, but that if he was paid a "salary” he would become one. The motion was lost. Mr Rich thought the time was ripe for a New Zealand team of fourteen men to visit Australia. They might not win much, but their gain in experience would be considerable. He moved that it be n suggestion to the council to invite suggestions from the various centres relative as to the advisableness of sending a team to Australia. The motion was carried unanimously. It was resolved that the ladies’ standard for for 100 yards be 86 seconds. The appointment of polo referees was discussed, and a resolution adopted to the effect that it be a recommendation to the council that an association of polo referees be formed, from which the council could make appointments of referees for championship matches.