SWIMMING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 271, 22 December 1909, Page 4

SWIMMING.

(By "Splodge.") Last week's sweepstake was rather ■ spoilt by the weather, and only attracti ed nine starters. The winner, Laiug. ' was, in my oiiiuion, very leniently dean i with by the handicapper, for lie is really one of the best swimmers we have. 1 hope he will keep at it even after he has been hauled back a few seconds, for he is just about capable of winning a 75yds event from the 2sec or Usee mark, and, being yuung, should improve during the season, lloth Hawkins and Drown, tlie other plated men, showed improvement in their swimming on their previous week's performance, 1 have heard that several, or at any rate one or two, members of the club are ad verso to sweepstakes, and would prefer a sports meeting. Well, perhaps fve all would; but when a club is in debt it cannot afford to run a meeting with an almost certain knowledge of losing on it. It is true that sweepstakes are no material benefit to the club so far as finances go, but on the other hand there is no chance of losing anything on them. The object in having sweepstakes ia to try to bring out younger swimmers and to sustain an interest in the sport. Truly, the prizes for them are nothing much, but if one intends to make anything out of a sport one would not take on swimming for the purpose. The best scheme, to my mind, is to devote one's money-making capabilities to one's business, and let one's sport be sought for pure enjoyment and exercise. Not that I am against the swimmer who swims to win, for i believe in swimming to win always and to get what you can out ot it. Ann if you always swim to win you are bound to win sometimes, even if tne win does not eventuate this season. 1 liave als'o heard that one or two of the younger and less speedy swimmers consider they are mot sufficiently encouraged in the matter of races. \V>II, if an open club handicap docs not cater for them, I don't know what does; for the number of competitors in the dun hardly warrants the institution of second-class handicaps.

llie Aucklaud Centre has decided "i February 19th, 23rd, and 26th as t-lie dates for the JJew Zealand championships, and is wise in giving plenty uf notice beforehand, so as to enable outside competitors to make arrangements to get away. Dick Cavill is credited with doing the 100 yds the other day in 58 3-asec. I'nis is little worse than Hhe very best, and shows that he is' no back number yet,. Kef erring to him reminds one of tinProfessional League. They had (Icckhm on a meeting at which they were to I give away £3OO in prize-money, but 1 eee that this has fallen through owing to their inability to collect the need tut. Coming back to the amateurs, Hardwick and C. Healy were on the 18th to have attempted to lower the 100 metres record. As Hardwick has been cloeke-l to do 57sec for the 100 yds and Healy 57 4-usec this season, they ought to go near the 100 metres record, which stand* to the credit of C. M. Daniel's, who did the distance (in America) in (13 2-.") see in March, 1900.