WHEN PUBLICITY HURTS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 339, 26 April 1928, Page 10

WHEN PUBLICITY HURTS

THERE arc members of the Auckland Swimming Centre who complain regularly that their meetings receive more publicity than do those of any other sports body. So that the Press would get nothing at the last meeting, they went into committee over a certain letter, which covered a most important question, and which was of vital importance to swimmers. Members fail to realise that it is only because of the lamentaide manner in which the meetings are allowed to become beargardens, that publicity dogs their every movement. And as one member remarked at the last meeting, “The Press have trodden on our corns, but it has wakened a lot of us up.” That is very true, and yet when this important letter came up for consideration, the chairman took the discussion in committee. This establishes a precedent that is not going to meet with favour among the swimmers and the swimming public. They want to know what is going on among the men they appoint to control their affairs. Officials of the various clubs should attend a few of these meetings. No longer \vould they wonder that so much publicity is given. They would realise too, that many of the present delegates are too fond of personalities, for the welfare of swimming in Auckland. At times the delegates, from the chairman down, threaten to resign, but ffhe next meeting comes, and with little persuasion, they all consent to carry on again. The time is ripe for this petty nonsense to cease, and for sensible men to take the reins of government in the control of swimming. New blood is needed on the Centre. When the next annual meetings come along, members of swimming clubs would do well to consider carefully their choice of delegates. Whht has appeared in The Sun has been a true and accurate account of the happenings, and the holding of discussions in the cloak of committee is an indication that little can be hoped for from the Centre unless a change is effected in tis personnel.