SURF LIFE-SAVING

Opotiki News, Volume I, Issue 10, 14 March 1938, Page 3

SURF LIFE-SAVING

IHLOLLKAI U1 1 ’ FINANCE INSC Li AXCKi FIKM .s’ IXT KMEST A. n-iW aspect or tig* problem 01 rinaucung voluntary inc-suvino aiuuoittifcs i“ Al-\v /.earn nu was nitruuu. evi at a nut'iing winch jcnuetl a Uiu-sav-ing clu'i at UaKuia JieacM. -New i'iyiiioatli. litre* a young man "us Uro-wucd recently. it v. us suggested it might la* in xlic inurests o» msuiance companies it tuey suosnused authorities and tliu-j assisted ’in preventing needless loss ot lire, which was a heavy drain on the companies. “The question of surf patrols on .New Zealand benches is rapidly be- ■ coining a national one.’’ said Air h. G. Howell, president ot the Taranaki Surf Life-Saving Centre. Over a period of' six days recently eight sides steps were tifkeii to prevent the needless loss of lilt*, as. for instance, thy ianze-scalt motor accident prevention campaign undertaken hy the Govern tut lit. Now the .Minister ot Internal Affairs, the Hon. A\ . 1?..-Par-ry was showing, a real interest in' surf. work. Fire hoards, Air Howell pointed out, were subsidised ny the insurance companies to protect tutor own interests, yet swimming. m which the majority ol the population of the country indulged during the .summer, had to he practically seli-de-pendent for financing its protection. During the past few years drownrings liad averaged lps for each sensand unfortunately they were \mostiy voting Jives that were 'ost. continued ATr. Howell. Alorking, on the basis that half the population was insured, and that even 70 of those IoS lives lost were insured for £2OO each, the insurance - companies had paid ' £14.000, perhaps in many cases needlessly. Was it not time, then, that the companies took the interest that they had in fire-fighting and preven tion P . j