The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE TUESDAY, JANUARY 2, 1916. THE TAIHAPE SWIMMING BATHS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 219, 2 January 1917, Page 4

The Taihape Daily Times AND WAIMARINO ADVOCATE

TUESDAY, JANUARY 2, 1916. THE TAIHAPE SWIMMING BATHS.

(With which is incorporated The Taihape Post and Waimarino News).

No less than two dozen deaths from drowning, mostly of young people, have been reported in newspapers coming under .our .as fraying occurred during the holidays owing to bathers being unable to swim. Parents in Taihape may well take this fact as a warning; if they do not encourage their children *to openly join a swimming club and acquire the knowledge necessary for saving themselves in the water, they are contributing to disaster. Young people will go bathing wherever opportunity offers, in which case trouble is very likely to result. A visitor to the Taihape swimming baths on Saturday afternoon expressed his admiration of that splendid asset to the community. From the time the baths were opened until they ■were closed at night numerous bathers were disporting themselves, and they gave an interesting exhibition or all the varied styles of propelling oneself through the Abater. It is satisfactory to note that most of the swimmers, particularly the younger men and boys, practised that approved pd .up-to-date method known as the "trudgeon" style, which is that adopted by the champion swimmers of the world. From what was seen on Saturday it is manifest that we have a fund .of aquatic talent sufficient to provide a really first-class sports exhibition. The large number of youngpeople present indicate that parents are already realising that swimming is an absolutely essential adjunct to their children's life-saving equipment, but there are still many parents in Taihape who yet fail to appreciate the inestimable privilege that a benificent borough has placed at their disposal. The baths are large, and will accommodate three times the number that are now using them with perfect ease. There is no excuse for a child being drowned under ordinary circumstances while the means cf learning to swim are brought almost alongside our doors. A well-equipped bath, right in the very heart of the town, such as we possess, is indeed a privilege that but few towns can boast of. If parents doe u ot see to it that they are made the best use of, they are contributing by their laxity to the risk of their children's lives from drowning. From an exercise and health point of view, to much cannot be said in praise of swimming; it is selrcleansing, and it calls into play almost every muscle in our anatomy. A modest half-crown will pay for a whole season's use of the bath, where a boy

or a girl may with perfect safety acquire all the attributes of an accomplished swimmer. We believe that parents fully realise all this, but they hesitate in striking the iron while it is hot, or rather, they do not take prompt measures to see that their children take to the water while it is warm, pleasant, and invigorating, and thereby they contribute to fatal misfortune in that emergency that is most likely to come to all boys and not to a few girls. The Borough Engineer is keeping the baths in perfect healthful condition by a most liberal change of water, of which the public, and particulary members of the Swimming Club are fully appreciative. So long as Mr. Burgis continues to give such ample attention there can be no question of

insanitary conditions arising. The staff of the Swimming Club, who control the baths, are beginning to realise that constant attention and their personal presence is quite necessary; it is dawning upon them that if they wish to correctly estimate the capabilities of the new talent that is coming forward, with a view to making satisfactory adjustments when handicaps are being made, there is that which can only be learned by constant observation. Already several challenge relay teams are commencing to make a flutter, and with only a little encouragement from the Committee some interesting competitions may result. Teams representing the sawmills, the hotels, and the local banks will all make results questionable, and it is said that a Railway team is by no means a negligible consideration. We trust the Swimming Club will give upmost encouragement to a display that will tend to widespread the knowledge that we have in the centre of the town such a splendid institution as our Municipal Baths certainly are.

The sum of £22 10s each was the price Mr Harper, of the Wanganui district, got fot 200 fat bullocks recently.

The mails carried by the R.M.B. Maitai, which i» ashore on a reef at Rarowill be brought on to New Zealand by the Rotorua, arriving here at the end of the present week.

In the opinion of Major Clinton, tlio war has had & levelling and humanising influence. '" 'ln private life before the war," he said at a gathering in Masterton, "men would rob their neighbours of their .shirts. On active service they took their shirts from their own backs and handed them to their ■neighbours.''

Mr V. Nicholls has just returned from Wellington, bringing with him three •of the new "Allen" motor cars, for ■which he is the Taihape agent, one of 'these very latest 'Aliens Mr Nicholls can ro for immediate delivery to :any .prospective (buyer. Anyone wanting an Allen car should see the new one .that is: available.

The Acting-Premier has sent official New Year greetings on behalf of the Dominion to Japan, Servia, Montenegro, Ufussia, France, Belgium, Portugal, Italy and Roumania. What has Uncle Sam and crafty Tino done to be overlooked? .Surely this omission will not tend to strengthen the bonds of amity between this Dominion and these two important personages.

There was one little unrehearsed incident at the picnic on the oval yesterday, which caused some amusement. Tn one of the jumping events, a pony ridden by young Pini, after negotiating the first two obstacles in good ■stylo, suddenly baulked at the barricade. The rider, however, decided to go on., landing on the other side unhurt. He tfose, to find the pony gazing at him quite innocently. Nothing daunted. Pini remounted, .and finished the course amidst the laug'fvter and cheers of the crowd

A rathor serious accident happened on Saturday morning to John Denness, son of Mr Denness, .of Taihape. It appears that the lad left early in the morning to get the horses in for the day's work, when one of the animals kicked liim on the temple, rendering him semi-une-onsc'ious. He was taken to Dr Sinclair., who put in eight stitches, which the plucky little fellow stood Without an anaesthetic. On Sunday night he wKg removed to the Euanui Private Hospital, and is reported to be doing as well as ran be expected.

A couple of returned soldiers were strolling down Customs Street, Auckladn, on Friday morning when a ''Star'' representative engaged them in conversation. He found them very unwilling to talk about their experiences. Said one of them, "I would forget it all if I could; it is like a nightmare to mo. And when I think how little these citizens realise what warfare is like I am almost pleased it is so. No," he said, "I must not speak of Gallipoli. I could tell you things that you would scarcely believe, things too horrible to refer to. Many of the Turkish regiments are officered by Germans, and I have heard that the Turk is not a bad sort of enemy to fight. Well, that has not been my experience. I have no love for either of them, and some of their devices have upset all my former ideas of what constitutes warfare."

A record gate was netted at the Manawatu Kaeing Club's Summer meeting, £2014 (5s being taken. The profits of the meeting are to be devoted to patriotic purposes.

At the Auckland Trotting Club's meeting on Saturday, the Christchurch owned mare, Adelaide Direct, lowered the one-mile pacing record, cutting out the distance in 2 niins 6 2/ssecs.

Information concerning a meeting of shearers and bushmen held in Auckland during the holidays, at which a resolution to support conscription was passed, was given to a "Star" reporter. The meeting, which was representative of both parties, passed the resolution unanimously, and acquiesced with Semple's (the Labour leader) imprisonment.

A large residence on Wellington Terrace, owned and occupied by Mr David Nathan, was burned to the ground on Sunday afternoon. The family was at lunch when the outbreak occurred upstairs. Mr Nathan lost everything, including a valuable collection of silver and jewellery. The house was insured in the Norwich Union Office for £ISOO and the contents for £SOOO.

Some excitement in addition to that engendered by the film "The Circus of Death," was caused at the Dannevir.ke Town Hall one night last week just as the concluding stages were being reached by the film catching ffre. There was a wild commotion and a wild stampede, the orchestra playing meanwhile to try to distract the attention from the operating box. Women fainted and others were knocked down, but the damage and danger were equally much less than appeared to be the case. About 2000 feet of film were burned.

A very enjoyable socialwas held at Mataroa last night, when dancing, interspersed, with vocal items made the evening pass very pleasantly. Songs, were contributed by Misses Sinclair, Murphy and Mrs and Miss McDonell. The music for the dance and accompaniments was kindly supplied by Misses Tr.oy and Sinclair, and Messrs Ander- { son and Midgeley. Advantage was taken of the gathering to make a presentation to Mr Sampson, who is leav- . n'ig for the front. Mr C. Cleaver, in , a few Avell-choscn words, said how sorry they Avere to lose Mr (Sampson, but they all wished, him God speed and the best of good luck. A presentation was also to be made to Messrs Muircock and Roy Smith, but who v/ere unable to be present.