SWIMMING FACILITIES

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 191, 2 May 1918, Page 3

SWIMMING FACILITIES

TE AflO BATHS MORE ACCOMMODATION WANTED Messrs. J. P. Maxwell, .1. Famuli. W. H. L. Foster, G. «. Hill; and Br. PlattsMills, representing the Wellington Centre of .tho JNow Zealand Swimming Association, tho Royal Life-saving Socioty, the Ladies' Swimming Club, and the State schools of Wellington, waited on tho Beaches and Kadis Committee of tho City Council yesterday afternoon, with a view to jputting tho ideas of the swimmers oS Wellington on To Avo BaVhs before the committee. Mr. J. P. Maxwell, after expressing gratitude for what the,council had dono in throwing the baths open to the, school children froe of charge, pointed dift that Wellington was singularly fortunate )n that, though the shipping and railways occupied tho waterfront \from Clyde Quay to Kaiwarra on the one side of the harbour, that part of the foreshore between Clyde Quay and Point Jerainghiun was available for public roereation, and was tho finest waterfront close to any city that he know of. For the purposes of sunshine and shelter tho place was unsurpassed in New Zealand, and tho bathing and general conveniences presented in its contiguity to both the city and rcsiI 1 denti&l area, mad© AYeUnigton valuable as a watering-place. The popularity of Ihe baths at Clyde Quay must increase as very few people could affoid the timo to go out to the sea beaches, and the school children, now admitted free, were till becoming swimmers—And here tho speaker broko off to remark that tho free admission of children to the baths was one of tho best things the council had ever done. Regarding the ladies' bath at Clyde Quay, Mr. .Maxwell said it was too small_ altogether. It needed space and Bunsmne, of which at present it got very little. They also wished to point out the necessity of enlarging tho men's bath. Now that the council was admitting hundreds of boya free of charge, tho bathing area should ho increased and the shed accommodation exfended. He advocated open sheds rather than "closed cells" so that they could got plenty of sun-bathing. Tbev also were of the opinion that nono of tho plat- J t.v.tos outside the sheds should be less i than nine feet clear, so that there would | be ample room for spectators and sun- ] bathers. They did not approve of tho I idea of mixed bathing at the baths for. I many reasons j Mr. Farnall said that the main obiect; of the deputation was to point out that ■ the ladies' bath was altogether too small [ and the men's bath was not big enough j for requirements. In tho warm weather ' there were times when the custodian had : to refuse admission to .hundreds of school j girls, because the place was full up, and j many of those inside had to dress and j undress in the open. Now that tho school j children were admitted free it was pos< j siblo on a fine day for 2000 children | to visit the baths, and as the Thorndon j Baths were not lit to swim in the peoplo were coming round to Clyde Quay. To make a comparison, Auckland, had three big baths, capable of accommodating allcomers. They thought that, although the timo was inopportune, a new ladies' bath might be built r.t the northern end. It would only mean the construction of two concrete walls; then the present ladies' bath and the men's bath could bo knocked intO'ono. I

Dr. Platts-Mills said she spoke as one who had loarned to swim in tho bath, whose children had been taught to swim there, and who had at one time attended the bath nn Wednesday, afternoons to help Mr. Shiolds to teach the schoolgirls to swim. She had not been since the school children were admitted free, 'but could understand the baths would bo frightfully congested.' ,To begin with the accommodation had always been poor. There wero ro separate boxes for adults, and as the children rushed them adult's were often kept waiting for a place to undress ;n. Tnen when the children did leavo the boxes they frequently left the j remains of food about and were sometimes ! sick there as the result of their bathing, and the attendnnt could not always get in between :imes to clear up, so that ono had to be a keon enthusiast to. attond the baths in such circumstances. Whilst it was the finest thing the council had ever dono to throw the baths open to tho children, it wn3 poor hospitality to invito more guests than they could accommodate. The depth of water was another trouble. They could only "breast it" at one coiner, but it was too deep farther out for even adults to leave tho steps or the rope, and \ery few adult women were able to swim in comparison with the number who attended. The tank had always been a mistake. The chairman [Councillor 11. F. Luckie) said that the tank was being abolished during the winter. » Dr. Platts-Mills said she was pleased to hear it, and there was nothing more to be said about it. She advocated grading the shore ond to make the baths safer for children. Tho aspect was shut in on both sides, so that the baths did not get the sun till late in the morning and lost it early in the afternoon. Mr, T. Shields spoke of the 'rushes which had occurred, necessitating the latecomers being shut out. He supported the building of a new ladies' bath at tlie northern end, and enlarging the men's bath, for though the boys should be encouraged lo s.vim, they must not deprive tho working of his dip morning and evening. The children should leavo at 4.30 p.m., but it had been found impossible to get them out of the water. Ho pointed out thnt whero they proposed to place the ladies' hath was a bad corner, where at present all the garbage of ihc harbour seemed to collect, and was' often on rough days thrown up on the road. Councillor J. Castle asked if tile swimming people could not raise a considerable sum of money to help to pay for tho proposed work. Mr. Maxwell said that they wero all bo busy raising money for various war funds that he was iifiaid they would have difficulty in getting peoplo to subscribe to build baths. Mr. W. H. L. Foster, in tlmnkimr (he council for having thrown open the baths to tho school children, said that he could endorse what had been said about the congestion.' He had been there when there had been more boys than water visible. , , Mr. G. S. Hill said the baths had been built for a numb, smaller population than Wellington now had, and he thought the baths were a disgrace, seeing that they had to cater for 75.0C0 people. It was not a bath fit for such a city, and thsy did not sufficiently enter for tho women. In other pnrls of the world the mumcipnl authorities did not expect baths to be paying propositions, and if it was at all possible the council should try to meet the deputation in the, carrying out of the 6Uggesled improvements. Tho chairman expressed his and the committee's fullest sympathy with the deputation, and their full agreement with {Tie suggestions put forward. Ho thanked them too, for the. suggested lines on which improvements could be most economically carried out, but stated that the City Engineer would have to report and the council to consider the proposals He also pointed nut that they could no. borrow money for such works at present without tho permission ot the Government', and doubted very much if it could bo dono out of revenue. '1 he labour difficulty was also very grave so that he could not give them much hope that the work would ho done this winter.