The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 1877.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume I, Issue 98, 26 June 1877, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail. TUESDAY, JUNE 26, 1877.

Cannot something be done to resuscitate the question of public baths for Akaroa? We boast, and that right truthfully, of the beauty of our scenery, and the mildness of our climate, but we do comparatively little to make the place attractive to visitors. If we do commence a movement in that direction, it proves to be simply a spurt, which after a short time expires from sheer inaction. A few months since, an effort was made to establish public baths, the Borough Council was memoralized on the matter and promised aid ; a subscription list was entered into, several names were procured upon paper, for a time things seemed to go on swimmingly, but alas, alas ! Like most other schemes for the improvement of the town, and to carry out which the people would have to exert themselves, this has been suffered to fall through. There is an old ditty, the refrain of which is—" If at first you don't succeed, try, try, try again !" and the application of this we would most heartily recommend to the promoters of the late attempt to provide public baths in Akaroa. If this could be done, if suitable accommodation was provided by next summer, depend upon it that its fame would soon get abroad, and be the means of attracting numerous visitors, not only from the city of the plains, but also from other parts of New Zealand, nay, even from the Australian colonies. The Borough Council has already done much to improve the appearance and sanitary condition of the town ; let the citizens help their civic representatives, and in so doing help themselves, by pivviding the means, not only of enjoyment, but of a positive source of health, for nothing tends more to promote health than regular sea bathing. It is a great pity that a locality on which nature has lavished so much, and the beauty of ■which ought to be enjoyed by the many, should only afford pleasure to comparatively a few, and, that, too, becausethose few will not exert themselves to provide proper accommodation and extend the means of enjoyment so that many might participate therein, apparently oblivious of the fact, that if this were done, it would bring " golden grist" to the mill. Suppose a Company were formed having for its object the providing of public baths, we "believe that with a little effort there would be no difficulty in floating the shares, especially if they were fixed at a moderate sum, so that at least a share might be within the reach of every inhabitant. We bring forward this subject in the depth of the winter in order that no time may be lost in endeavouring to give effect to it before the ensuing summer sets in.