SWIMMING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 183, 12 November 1910, Page 7

SWIMMING.

(By "Splodge.") The Hawera Star recommends, or rather states, that there is now sufficient swimming strength in Taranaki to warrant the iurniation of a Taranaki centre. Personally, 1 have for some time past been in favour of the formation of a Taranaki centre, and New Plymouth and Stratford swimmers have i think been also favourable to such a proposal, but Hawera swimmers .have been rather against it. It is hopea here, however, that the swimming notes in the Star now reflect the general opinion of Hawera swimmers. There are now five swimming clubs in Taranaki, namely at Hawera, Eltham, Stratford, -IngTewood and New Plymouth, so that the formation of a Taranaki centre is now not an unlikely contingency .

The subject of what constitutes a respectable and properly decent bathing costume for sea bathing is now troubling the minds of Wellingtonians. Several correspondents to the papers artventilating their views on the subject consequent on what they consider the too prude utterances on the question by the Mayor. I suppose these little matters must for ever trouble the minds oi some, people. Mr. Wm. Henry, secretary of the Royal Life-Saving Society, is at present in New Zealand, having arrived in Auckland from Sydney. Thence lie goes by the Main Trunk Line to Wanganui and then on South. AVe are side-tracked again.

In the Sydney Referee notes it is stated that Mr. Henry remarked at Sydney that water polo is gradually becoming more and more a favourite attraction at English swimming sports, ana is displacing other swimming eveits. Great interest is displayed both by the swimmers and the public in club, countyand international games. In South Africa, too, the game has a great hold. It has now, in fact, an even more international aspect than Rugby football, and is played in the United States, on the Continent of Europe, and in Hong Kong as well as in the United Kingdom, Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. The Public Schools A.A.A. are carrying out competitions for trophies given by the N.S.W. Swimming Association, and N.S.W. is approaching the other Australian States with a view of instituting an inter-State Polo competition at the Australasian Swimming Championships. Cecil Healy is evidently getting into form early this season as a forthnight ago he was credited with doing a hundred in 58 l-ssec. Our weather has hardly permitted local swimmers to arrive at so near the top of their form. The Sandy Bay Swimming and Life Saving Club (Tasmania) began last season with a credit balance of 6d and finished up with a credit of £37. May that sixpence that the N.P.A.S.C. hold so grow this season!.

The East Enders intend holding a regular gala day shortly at the Henui beach to open the season. At this function Mr. A. Hargreaves will probably be presented with his Royal Humane Society's medal awarded to him lasv year for saving life.