TE ARO BATHS

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2836, 29 July 1916, Page 11

TE ARO BATHS

' IMPROVEMENTS" WANTED. The municipal baths at Te Aro aro likely to lose caste with tho swimming public if steps are not taken to rectify tho nuisance that has been created by tho deposit of a gradually increasing bank of Silt in. the south-east corner of the men's bath. This silt has evidently washed through the wooden battens that form a part of the eastern wall (visible from the sidewalk at' Fitzgerald's' Point). Owing to the prevailing winds tho llots'am from the shipping in port is blown across the harbour until it washes into Oriental Bay, or that corner formed by Clyde Quay and the eastern wall' of the baths. Unable to wash any further, and buffeted by wind and waves, tho vegetation-is forced between tho battens or openings into tho bathsj aiid .eventually forms a noisomo deposit, which extends, from the inner cornor to just beyond the chute and'for about 10 yards out from the eastern wall. Mr. T. Shields, who lias examined the bank, states that there is nn ciuestio'n about it being decaying vegetable matter. He has swum along tho bank (under water) and seen the bubbles of gas rising out of the putrid matter; in places gasgenerating action has" been very lively. Jlr. Shields believes that the only way to euro the evil is to continue the concrete wall Tight into Clyde Quay, and then dredge out the bank that has been allowed to form in the men's bath. Mr. -Shields also draws attention to tho fact that no, improvements have been made to the ladies' bath, and protests that sooner or later there will be an accident on account of the deop water extending right np to tho wall of the small concrete bath, where tho little children bathe. Ho advocates a shelving bank of sand from" the smaller bath down to tho floor of the big bath. ' Tho City Engineer (Mr. AV. Morton), who was seen in connection with tho matter, is fully seized of the fact that one cud of the men's bath lias been silting np gradually. The remedy, ho thinks, will be the completion of the concrete wall to Clydo Quay, which would prevent the stuff percolating through into the baths. AVhile he is quite prepared to advise what should bo done, Mr. Morton: states that it is altogether another thing to get all the work that the public think should bo done. His staff has been very seriously doploted, owing to the war, and- even, supposing the money were available for the work— and-of that he knew nothing—labour of the kind necessary for such a work was very l scitrce.. >. It will be seen from this that the prospects of having any important improvements mado to the baths aro not very promising. " ;