SWIMMING AND LIFE-SAVING

Shannon News, 4 March 1927, Page 2

SWIMMING AND LIFE-SAVING

On reading the daily newspapers one is horrified at the great number o deaths that occur through accident b-J drowning. We gather from the officia year book that with the single excep tion of crushing—this includes f atari ties caused through mining disastersfar more deaths are due to drowning than to any cause of deaths by vio ience. Of 636 deaths caused by accid ents in New Zealand in the year 1925 the last year for which complete figures are available —no less than 131, or more than one-fifth of the whole, were du< to drowning, and it may be nientionec that in that year the proportion was considerably less than for any previous twelve months. In 1911 with a mucl smaller population, the number of suel] deaths was 162, out of a total of 59( due to violence. It is gratifying tt know that this improvement is being effected, but the mortality due to this cause is still appalling. This is a dead ly peril that might, and should be, very largely removed. We continually hear of drowning accidents that would nevei have occurred had the victims been anything like proficient in the art of swimming. Thus the disagreeable facl is forced upon us that year by year a great many valuable lives are lost that never should have been. It would seem that the Government of the land is not sufficiently impressed with the importance of this fact. If accidents of other kinds contributed one-half the number of deaths those caused annually by drowning, a hue and cry would be raised, and desperate efforts made to effect an improvement, but it would seem that we have grown careless in this respect, and have come to regard deaths by drowning as beyond means of prevention. Surely it is time that a more intelligent view was taken of the question, and definite means were taken to awaken publie interest in this ter! Of late years a great deal has been done in the direction of teaching children to swim, and in giving instruction in means of life-saving. The greatly reduced mortality from drowning of recent years can, we believe, be directly traced to this good work. It is "in encouraging these efforts that the State might do a great deal more in the future. Of. late years the subsidy given in the direction of" encouraging school children to learn swimming has actually been reduced, to the great discouragement of those who have interested themselves in this splendid work, the result that in quite a number of instances classes for tuition of children have been suspended altogether. In some instances, thanks to the indefatigable efforts of enthusiasts, the tuition of children is still being continued, with excellent results. Every child should be taught to swim—proficiency in the art should be compulsory-—and the State should make reasonable provision for assistance in securing this end. The Government's present attitude towards this important matter is unworthy and deserving of censure, and we consider that every school committee in the country should make all appeal to the Education Department for more liberal treatment. The annual u meetings of householders will -shortly, be held throughout- "the"" Dominion," and - these gatherings would present an excellent opportunity of taking united action. -