MEN WITH LINE AND REEL

NZ Truth, Issue 1263, 13 February 1930, Page 17

MEN WITH LINE AND REEL

SVimmihg

Life-saving Organisations That Make Beaches Safe

Warm summer days are the irresistible magnets that drawpeople into the cooling waters of the sea Inevitably m the work of surf -bathing come reports of regrettable and. tragic drowning accidents, and a number of timely rescues.

VERY often people are dragged from the difficulties into which their own foolhardiness or lack of swimming ability has got them by the efforts of the life saving organisations that perform admirable service on many of our beaches and little is heard about it. If the number of rescues that have ■ been effected over recent years were recorded it would readily be- seen that the clubs are performing a real service. In addition to the valuable work rendered m this direction, many of the clubs provide patrols who maintain order and proper beach decorum. "> Many members of the clubs also devote much time to coaching school children m the art of Bwimming and m this direction alone are insuring the rising generation against danger of death by drowning. A case m point is the very open beach at Lyall Bay, Wellington. With the strong, currents of Cook Strait sweeping m, this bay was once the most notorious m New Zealand for the number of accidents it occasioned. Now, thanks to the fact that on Its beach are stationed two of the champion life saving clubs In the Dominion, it Is one of the safest and best patrolled In the country. The same applies to New Brighton and North Beach m Canterbury, and Castlecliff m Wanganui. Greymouth is another place where each year the sea has taken its toll, and the

fact that t. the Dominion Life Saving Championships has for the first time been held there this year gives rise to the hope that a strong club will be formed and protection' afforded to bathers. Although the work Is performed voluntarily, a great .amount, of expense is entailed m providing suitable sheds and gear.- In order to gain necessary funds the clubs have to have recourse to dances, beach carnivals, subscription lists and all sorts of : problematical means. Surely it is not too much to expect the Education Department' and the Municipal bodies to assist m some worthy degree at least, m putting these community-serving clubs on a decent footing. It Is not difficult to get the municipalities to provide grounds and facilities for tennis, croquet, cricket and any number of other sports, but life saving clubs, the most deserving of all, have to go without. This fact only throws the inconsistency jof the matter into stronger relief. Whenever the subject js breached to the authorities the plea of lack of funds is usually entered and the matter is quickly allowed to drop into the limbo of things that are being kept steadily m view. This is a mighty poor excuse when human lives are at stake, and those councils,who count with relish the revenue that accrues from the tramway services to the beaches might bear m mind that this would be a. lot less if the public could not throng to the. sea with the assurance of the safety that is provided gratis by the life saving clubs.