SWIMMING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 142, 2 November 1912, Page 7

SWIMMING.

It is a matter for regret that is autre than one branch of athletics, New Plymouth is lamentably lacking in enthusiaim and initiative. For one thing, it has no athletic club' ( but for the present we will concern ourselves with the defection amongst the swimmers. The season has been launched some weeks, but so far the Swimming Club has done nothing. Its annual meeting has not yet been held, and apparently its date has not even been fixed. Unless swimmers bestir themselves, New Plymouth will have no club at all. Then, again, at one time New Plymouth bade fair to have a strong surf club, but, disheartened by one bad season, swimmers seem to have abandoned the project altogether. Some time this season a Wellington surf club intends visiting New Plymouth and various other towns blessed with a goodly strip of ocean beach, and possibly this may have the effect of revitipf the sport locally. The life-saving and surf clubs promise to be extremely popular institutions this year in Wellington. The Lyafl Bay Surf Club, which is very satisfied with fkis year's prosjects, had a very successful opening day. The Maranui Club, which has already been doing good work in the matter of classes for life-saving, has arrangement* well in hand for the opening day this month. The Maranui Club intends to arrange for a team to tour part of the Nortft Island this year. Wanganui, Hawera and New Plymouth will be visited, and exhibitions given in each centre. There is a movement on foot in the Empire City to provide a shield for competition among life-saving clubs in Wellington such as is held in Sydney. A very commendable proposal, 'emanating from the Christchurch centre, has been placed before the Wellington centre in connection with the New "Zealand championship meeting at Wanganui in February next. It is that swimmers' , and their supporters attending the meeting should avail themselves of the opportunity of viewing the Wanganui river. Briefly, the idea is that, at'the conclusion of the meeting, one or more of the river boats could be chartered to proceed up the river to Taumarunui. Auckland and Hawke's Bay are also being asked to join in. The Auckland swimmer* - would take the Main Trunk from Tail- 7 marunui, while those of Canterbury, Wellington and Hawke's Bay should entrain for Napier, and the others «ontinue on to Wellington. The letter from the Christchurch centre points ont that the trip could be easily arranged, . at so much per head, and concludes:—"l trust that your centre will giveihis matter its earnest consideration, as tin outin« of this kind will greatly assist to maintain that good fellowship and . friendly rivalry which at present exists in the "swimming world." In preparation for his six-hour swim against Billington at Blackpool, England .Tabez Wolfi'e, on September 13, swam from Brighton Palace pier to Worthing pier in 4 hours 24 minutes, beating his own previous record for this swim of 4 hours 35 minutes, and also that of Greasley, 4 hours 28 minutes, done eight years ago. J. G. Hatfield; qf Muldlesborougb, the I English champion.'succeedea in establishing a new British amateur record for lOOOyds in 13min 19 l-ssec. The previous 'best recorded in Great Britain was 13min 22 3-ssee, by T. S. Battcrsby, at Glasgow, on September 6, 1910.