LIFE-SAVING SOCIETY.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 April 1920, Page 4

LIFE-SAVING SOCIETY.

NORTH TARAXAKI HEAD CENTRE. A meeting of the executive of the North Tiuanaki Head Cfentre of the Royal Life-Saving Society was held last night, Mr. W. C- Weston presiding. There were also present :Messrs. S. U. There were also present: Messrs. S. G. Darling, P. A. Matheson, and N. A. Christiansen.

The secretary reported that Messrs, Smith and Christiansen had collected a further sum, in subscriptions, of £25 Os, which brought the total amount on which a Government subsidy would be paid of £4? for the season. It was reported that a life-saving demonstration had been given at Warea by Messrs. Christiansen and Winter, and nlso that Mrs. Laurence (Warea) had sent a donation of 5s and offered to arrange a concert in the interests of the Society. The offer was gratefully Accepted. Mr. Wynn Irwin (Christclwrch) wrote offering the use of a set of lantern slides showing some excellent demonstrations of life-saving. It was decided to accept Mr. Irwin's offer and to make suitable arrangements for showing the slides. Mr. S. 0. Smith was elected a lifemember of the Centre.

A long letter was received from the Dominion Executive of the Society in which was contained a report of the conference held recently at Auckland, where it was decided to take steps to have the Council's headquarters removed from Christchurch to Wellington. The report also contained some references made by Mr. J. B, O'Neill to Mr. Christiansen, who, it was alleged, while acting as judge in the competition for the "Nelson Shield" had stated lie had "never seen a surf reel before, much less one in action . .

The committee took strong exception to such a statement, and authorised the sending of a letter to the executive stating, firstly, that they were not favorable to the removal' of the headquarters from Christchurch; secondly, that no delegate from this Head Centre had ever attended a conference where the question had discussed; and thirdly, that Mr. O'Neill's references to .Air. Christiansen, while acting as judge, were grossly inaccurate and uncalled for; that Mr. Christiansen could never have made the statements attributed to him by Mr. O'Neill ... as, on the contrary, Mr. Christiansen has had eight years' experience in surf reel contests' as a" competitor. instructor and judge; that his work is highly valued in this district, and that he has the confidence of all tfte swimming and life-saving enthusiasts of the province. It was also decided that Mr. O'Neill should be asked to tender a full apology to Mr. Christiansen.