SWIMMING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 81899, 8 December 1906, Page 2

SWIMMING.

To the Editor. >Sir,—lt is gratifying to see that others as well as myself have noticed the lack of interest taken in swim--ming matters ill New Plymouth. I hope there will he no cause for further complaint on these grounds. The life-saving competitions which are being arranged by the Xew Plymouth Swimming Club should he a good thing, and i trust parent will give their children every encouragement to go in for than. I undertand the caretaker of tlie baths (Mr Poland) is willing to give children wishing to learn to swim or who are desirous of competing in the life - saving competition, every opportunity and assistance to be.come proficient. X think it is the duty of the club members to canvass for others to join them to arrange weekly or bi-weekly competitions, say, for a club championship, as suggested by your correspondent "Learner." Polo matches could be arranged, breast, under-water, back-swimming, and diving cc.mpetitions would, I think, prove attractive to the members of the club, The fact of a person not being a swimmer would not debar him from becoming a club member, as I presume the club would teach lii.in to swim. I think if a thorough canvass vvere nwde and these matters explained that the foundation of a strong club would be the result. I think that in the life-saving competitions it is better to get a good swimoilier to act the drowning person, since by using a dummy, one of the most important feature of a competition of this kind is left out, viz., the mode of approaching and of securing the drowning person, without allowing , the drowning person to get a hold of . the would-be rescuer. There is a ten- | dency to go in too much for fast and , short distance swimming. Underwater swimming and long distance | breast or back, swimming should be ■ encouraged more than it is. Remember, it was the plain breast stroke and 1 a good deal of endurance that carried i Captain Webb across the English ) Channel. Scores have tried since; i most, if not all, have- used a fast i stroke, but all so far have failed.—l . am, etc., SWIMMER.