THE PEOPLE'S BATHS?

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 936, 1 October 1910, Page 5

THE PEOPLE'S BATHS?

crry council's policy criticised.

. SHUT IP WHEN MOST NEEDED. CLOSED ON- DOMINION DM, , The municipal baths at Clyde Quay' were closed for business on 1; Dominion' . Day. Why? Because it was a corpora-. ; . tion holiday! This, and tho generalpolicy of the City Council respecting itsi '.."Y baths lhas • brought to us an indignant ; protest -from .a. gentleman interested in all forms of outdoor athletics. His re- ■ ' : marks appear to -be worthy of attention-' on the part of the. city authorities/

"It. seems," says our correspondent,. '• "that' the_. municipal,.baths, are not tre- v.'-'-"' garded with the importance: they, do- • serve.. .They' are regarded by the mem-. ' '" bers of the council—who are mostly not of an age'to; go in for swimming (though : there is no : age; limit 'for: the swimmer)—-U , more, as; a. convenience than a'necessity., That thoy are an essential.to '';lK munity, most of all that of a sea-port such . as' Wellington, few will: doubt,r but. . - -ii'-i the ■; trouble; is . thai.. the : .council cannot- V: be got; to regard them; in that '• light... Do .the individual, members know, for : V ; - . instance, that on Dominion Day—a public holiday„ to -half i the people of Welling-.-Vi ton—that the baths were closed, and that" 1 people tried to gain admission and. could . - Srnot. It-was a glorious day; and • the: winter, nip-'.has, gono out'of 'the: water,yet citizens-were prevented from having an invigorating dip • simply because the -baths- were - hot . open: "I ihow -of some!< who " tried to gain' between v ' 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. yesterday—no chance, the baths do not open until 2 p.m., when . ' ; everyone has to bo at work, save, schoolboys playing truant-" "The baths are not even run on-busi- • . . ness lines..'."lf. they "would not some ; ~..' _.' •arrangement';, be" made:, whereby." .coukT'bathe'atall' reasonable hours. Why '•'• should the.baths be closed down on Sun-' ■ w day afternoons, right through .the ' 6um-p :j > mer? Ask (she Anglican missioners if ; the baths in English ports are closed; • down .in like manner. . Ask them if. ath- •: letlc 'activity is not tho first aid. to mor-vY..';'.: ality. Should Vv'e at this advanced age decry sea-bathing on the Sabbath as any- ! thing, that' , why not "open':iSie' .baths : tho whole day. ' '."-.:; long. . . With the council owning the; N'-: electric lighting monopoly tho • baths'' . .. .'• should 'be' Kept, open until 9. p.m. or V 9.30;: vj' a" pirn, on summer.nights,' so that.-.those . at work in factories, offices, and foun- - .-' • dries could be pven .facilities ior ming, : .and learning to swim. ; instead: of ; '.fj restricting - the : hours tho City Council J '--.V-' ''sMuld';.fawpr/..-..ppenihg}-&em :, -:ffom,,stiiUl , ;yjfs>;< rise to 10 p.m., and boom the place as an- v attraction.. They.: are \good baths:• now— peThaps the best: in New Zealand; should let people know - it, and - do-^aUi. .-j. ■■ m' our: power."to get the young people ... : tO. gp.-v; V',: - "It-is preposterous to me, and I claim s to, be : a -sane,sound-minded . individual, that tho baths should be closed during • the. custodian's dinner hour, or, on holidays, simply:beca.ii».vit.4.s.a;corporation. ;holiday..- No'.one .wants: the pfßcials .to m'ors-than' a. fair, days' work, and "if o'l' -'..' cannPf: attend '^to;- the',;: baths . :durinj^.'the i ;lo'ng.: hours advocated ; for: tho staff should be-strengthened.' . • "If the To: Aro baths - were privately owped, would they be closed , down /in--the middle:'of the' day: (when-maiiy-'might find time for a' ten minutes': splash)- or . - .on holidays'.; I think not. -Jn ihe,. mean- . . time; the council • should. not seek to disr.. ' ' cburage' ; '^wimming;.by;: ; keepirig': pepplei iii jvi'ViX doubt as to when the baths ■ are avail-t ■ 'able." . ;'-;v■;';;r--}.4'v.A■-

THORNDON BATHS HOURS. , : : ' [To the.Editor.] ' ' Sir,—Last summer the City Council mA'- / '..• the wishes of the To Aro bathers by ar-. . . ranging that; thebaths. should bo ; kept' %li'S;?open throughout the lunch hour, from 12 . .1 •.. noon to 2 p.m. -At Thomdon, where there 'is':, ofily; the one-bath, for bothsexes,-; tier luncheon''hours' for' some -inscrutable restson, have been set aside for. the ladies, - - who make comparatively little use of .theJ ; v,.baths at this timo of-the day.- . ; Large .'numbers. of workers arenow. em--' . ployed in the vicinity ofr Thorndon Baths,! and the council might well consider'thai question of giving them the.'same facili-j ties for a midday bathe as were allowed! . . the Te Aro workers last year. The ladies' .hours vat Mondays, 'Wednesdays, Thursdays, ,andj '-J; v.. Fridays, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; Tuesdays, lfrj v-.' :' : a.m. to. 4 p.m.; .Saturdays, 10. a.m. t0'.1',5

p.m. •: An alteration which-would not, only give--the men the lnnchcon hbur v but ■ sHotdd^g.[;;i ! find"favour with. the ladies,.'would; make r tho ladies'. hours, sayMondays/'-' -: .• and Thursdays, 9 a.m.-to coofi, 2 p.m/ to .. ; . 4 p.m.; Tuesdays and Fridays, 9 a.m. to- . • . noon, 2. p.m. to 5 p.m.; Wednesdays. : and. aaSaturdays, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. : vu I This would give a total o£ SO hours Av week for ladies, instead of- 21 hours-as.-at present, and: should. be a .much mora .• ftenerally.'satisfactory arrangement. . The-. : hour from 9 to 10.. a.m. is. very little ■ ; used by men, and the extra hour from 4 . ;. t0.5 p.m., would give don an opportunity; for tin afternoon swim which . they do:not 'now possess.—l-ain,; eta, LUNCH HOUR BATHEB-