SWIMMING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 250, 27 November 1909, Page 3

SWIMMING.

(By "feiJloUge. ) Notwithstanding the unsettled weather N we have had lateiy, mere lias been a gradually increasing attendance at tnu Oaths' lately. But so I'ar the Swimming <,- Cilib has nut seen lit tu start any races. i'robauly, however, a few club handicap l races win be got oil next nioutb, but 'lO 0 sports meeting will be beld till Uiriatinas at tbe earliest. n A meeting oi tbe "Federation line- j; uatiouuie de Natation Amateur" (unicii v being interpreted means Ole liner- B national Amateur Swimming I'cuora- j tiou) was beld iu l'aris on Ist August 1 lasi, when tbe following countries were represented:—Austria, Belgium, France, j Finland, (Jermany, Holland, Hungary, j Sweden, and Great Britain. A number ( of rules and regulations' were adopted, . ol' which the following are a few:- lln * lullowiug nations shall .be eligible tor | aftiliatiou and have representation <t ( the Icdwration: Australia, Austria, jselgium, Bohemia, Canada, Denmark, I'm- . land, France, Ucnuauy, Uveece, Holland, ' Hungary, l'laly, Norway, htssia, Soiii'i Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, L'nitcd States of America, and (iieat Britain. A meeting of the council of the federation shall be held at least < nee every, four years. A swimmer having knowingly broken tbe amateur iiws (winch, by. the way, are very atringeut) and Uicreby become a prolcssioual tanuot be reinstated as an amateur. Records may only be made in absolutely still water; for distances 100 yards to 500 metres tbe course must be in a bath not less than 25 yards long; from SSiC yards to one mile inclusive, in open water, tbe course shall not be less than 100 metres in length. No claim for rtcrid can be made unless all swimmers wear recognised costume with trunks. A record can only be made in a scratch compe' ition or iu an individual race against time decided in public and duly fixed and advertised at least three days be fore the attempt or race; no competitor shall start whose name is uot adve ■ tised, and no one, whether altered or uot. shall join in tbe competition after it has started. The following distances shall be recognised for world's records by all national associations:—loo yards, 100 metres, 150 yards, 200 metres, 220 yards, 300 yards, 300 metres, 400 metres, 440 yards, 500 yards, 500 metres, 880 yards, 1000 yards, 1000 metres, 1500 ' metres, and one mile; 100 metres, 150 yards, 200 metres, and 400 metres back stroke; 100 metres, 200 yards, 200 metres, 400 metres, 500 metres breast stroke.

At the Southport Swimming Club's gala on 23rd September, T. S. Battersby made an attempt to lower the 300 yarus record. He covered the distance in 3min 31 2-oscc, which is a world's record, either amateur or professional. The previous best was the late B. B. Kieran's time of Suiin 31 4-osec put up on 25th February, 11)05. Dick Cavill previously held the English record with a time of 3min 34 3-sscc, created at Liverpool in 1902.

On 11th September C. M. Daniels won the mile amateur swimming championship ui America easily in 2Uinin l'J 3-5 sec, J. 11. Keilly was second and H. Kiowa third. Daniel's record time is 23miu 40 3-dsec (87 turns) put up at Xew York in 1907. Un 22ud September the English Amateur Swimming Association's back stroke championsnip was swuui, and resulted in F. A. Lnwin winning in 2niiu 2 1-osec, with. J, It. Taylor second and AJ.-"B. Webster third.

The breast stroke championship of England was won by P. Courtmau (tne holder) in 2niin 45 1-osec, with i\ Courbet second and S. 11. Gooday third. Tne distance was presumably 2UO yards. The 100 yards English A.S.A. championship was won by P. JKadinilovic (of iWeston-super-Mare) in (ilscc on 21st September, 'ihc holder, H. Meybooin (Brussels) was second in Uh 3-osec, and W. I'. Pym third. 1 notice that their

standard is OBsec, which is au easier one than ours, and yet no one in New Zealand has yet got down as fast as Olsec with official tuning. The prize for this event is the Otter Trophy, and for the last four years a foreigner has always annexed it, so that much pleasure was felt at Radmilovic regaining it for Eaglaud. Bis name doesn't suggest English descent, though. On 30th September T. S. Battersby won his fifth English championship for the year by annexing the 500 yards event, iie gaiued the victory by about fifteen yards from H. Taylor, of Chadderton, the holder of the title, in liinin 2U 1-jscc, which is 19sec outside the record created in 190$ by B. B. Kieran. The Sydney swimmer T. B. Tartakover, now in England, again won the Southern Counties 100 yards championship this year in 02 4-osc".. which is a record for the event.

Although the season in Australia has only just begun, some of the best known swimmers have already showi themselves to be in good toim. Harold' Hardwick, one of the New South Walts champions, cut out 100 metres the other day in BSsec, which is fastir than any other swimmer has been known to do the distance in. Alick VVick'iam cut out 50 yards in 24 4-Ssec, ivliich is only one-fifth of a second outside the worlds record for that distance created by him in March, 1904. Cecil Hcalcy, too, is! getting into form and is cie lual with some fast times.

Frank Beaurepaire, the Victorian and Australasian champion, in a training swim a week or two ago covered the quarter-mile in smin 30 2-ssec. T. W. Slason, who represented Victoria in .New Zealand at the Australasian championships at Exhibition time, is also said to be in good form. The Wauganui Amateur Swimming Club opened the season last Saturday with a sports meeting. I noticed the name of B. Bassett, one time one of the speediest sprinters on this coast, among tne competitors, and he managed to account for two diving events' and the plunge. ,

The municipal swimming baths at Inglowood are now nearing completion, aud the official opening will probably' take place in a couple of weeks' time. Tho ISorough Council has wisely spent its money on the bath itself, and put very little into the provision of dressingboxes or ornamentation. The buildings ore (small and plain. If there is onei thing on which the Council might have I B]K'in sidvantageousjy a little more, money, it would have been in the pro-1 \i- : wi oi a much higher fence along the 1 dii-.i-tion road, for the seven-feet fence, oilers no great obstruction to the view) of strollers and "peeping Toms" who may frequent the Trimble Park eminence immediately opposite. This, however, can be remedied when users of the'bath: complain of the undue publicity. Apart from this, the bath is a capital one. The concrete reservoir is 73ft long by 45 feet wide, four lengths giving the 100 yards course. Depths in the main bath range from 7ft Bin to 4ft 3in of water, which rises to within eleven iuches of the top. Separated by a reinforced concrete wall is a children's ha Hi, the bottom of which is 4ft Kin higher than the bottom of the main bath, anil the depth of water here ranges from 4ft Cin to 2ft 3in. This to tli, 43ft x Oft, can be further divided for the convenience of the wee mites. I'crro - concrete is used throughout. Watvr is admitted by a 4-inch pipe from the municipal water supply. The inlet an.l outlet arc on the same side of the <>alh, which will not assist in tlie distribution of tha fresh water. There are al present five dressing-tecs, and two ope* sheds which can be quickly made into dressing-rooms as required. Ad iiave concrete floors, as have the refreshment room and sanitary block. A shower-bath is also fitted up. The elte appears to be a most convenient one, bei'ii" within a few minutes' walk of tie main street, dose to the school, and practicallv adjacent to the cricket, tenuis, hocke*', and sports grounds. Jic-i.tr*. Tarry and Williams are the con-j tractors, and the price i>' somewhere iii| the vicinity of C4oo—rather less. ,

TIIIC srHSTITCTK I'OK TIIK MW.K. It. was at T.agos, and the jury were -wailing to be sworn in. When it was 'discovered that there wasn't a Hible ■", the place. Messengers were sent out to try to. procure on", but with no siicrc-s, -\, last, one came back with a book and a, inwsi«e. from the owner that it was the| neaicl. lie had to the Bible, and that, proliablv it would do. ! The jury were solemnly sworn upon it, and" they afterwards eornetod fivej TV hook was -The Sorrows of Batan."

. Often to discontinue drinking h"l tea or coffee will cur." a red nose, thougti errors in diet are the real eiluse. Av» rt all "Tcasy food? and rich concoctions, •jmd"takc: if possible, a course of vegetarianism for a sliort tun*-