CITY BATHS.

Evening Star, Issue 4213, 28 August 1876, Page 3

CITY BATHS.

At three o'clock this afternoon Messrs K. Ramsay, John Hielop, ■■ J. Marshall, and W. Tait waited upon the Mayor and presented the following memorial:— Your memorialists would respectfully bring linger the notice of Lis Worship the Mayor and City Council the urgent necessity for providing adequate bathing accommodation next summer for the population of the City. Notwithstanding the'natural facilities for sea-bathing afforded by the {proximity of the City to the Harbor and Ocean Beach, the only bathing place open to the inhabitants ot Dunediu, of both sexes, is a small enclosure at Pelichet Bay, which is'obviously unstated to the requirements of a large city. For the most part of each day there is not a sufficient depth of water in the Pelichet Bay. Baths, and this evil will probably . be iL creased by the dredging operations in" the harbor. Por time past the mud dredged in;the neighborhoods! therwharves has'been deposited in the immediate vicinity of the Pelichet Bay Jetty; and this unsavory material not only renders the - water in the baths unfit for bathing purposes, but it is likely to increase the shallowness of the water by silting up the enclosure. Another objection to ..the present baths arises from • their"! Very limited size, which causes constant Overcrowding during the bathing season. . Your memorialists desire to point out that of late increased interest has been manifested in the practice, and acquirement of the mt of swimming, and we feel persuaded the members of the City Council will not. discourage a movement so commendable by declining to provide muoh-needed bathing accommodation. Your memorialists are informed that two professional gentlemen-have reported to the City Council that floating bath a would be admirably suited to the harbor of Dunedin, and could be constructed at a comparatively. small cost. Your memorialists earnestly and respectfully ask the Council to take the Subject intj consideration, so that steps may be taken without delay to promote the health and comfort of the citizens by the construction of a suitable bathing-place.

Mr Ramsay explained: that the object of the deputation was to secure his "Worship's food offices in either getting the present aths at Pelichet Bay greatly improved, or getting fresh ones erected. Though the deputation "was a small one it represented a large number of the citizens, the memorial tfeing signed by between 260 and 300 people. A few figures Bad been prepared, which showed that during the past, season the baths had been. much availed of by the public. The season "ticket-holders numbered forty-six ; weekly, bathers 454, and those who took single ticket^,s,B24. These figures excluded a large number of youths under fifteen, who, through the Council's generosity, were admitted to the free use. of the baths. ; From the baths the Corporation received during the past season. Ll2O, while the amount.paid to the man in 'charge—and an excellent man he - something like LBO, which gave. L4O actual profit to the Corporation from this item alone. Of course when he said profit he meant keeping out of view expenses such as repairs. The view' of the , deputation—he knew it was that of his Worship and a large number of the Council —was that "the Corporation did not look to making anything in the shape of profit, out of < the baths.lt was estimated tHat a floating bath, capable of accommodating twice the number who couldjuse the Pelichet Bay baths> could be erected for between Ll,sooandL2;ooo, and it was estimated if k sach an establishment were built that a yearly income of between L2OO and L 250 would be *e\seived from them. -■

His Worship, speaking for himself, was quite of the deputation's way of thinking, that the Corporation should not look to making a profit out of the baths. It was an important matter that the baths shonld be established and maintained in a proper way —not only : on the score of their usefulness to the'establishment, but that public bodies 'should encourage our youth being taught swimming. He would lay the matter before-the Council in as favorable a light as he could, and he had no doubt they ! would give it full consideration. He agreed that the present baths were by no means suitable now. Last summer they were found to be objectionable, and next summer they would be very 4 much worse: in fact-people-would not be able to bathe in them on account of the thick mud about them from the reclamation going on, so Hint something was required to be done. The other membeis of the deputation urged that the- present baths were not suitable, and that unless something was done there would be no bathing next season. Plans prepared by Mr Napier, 0.E., of a floating bath, on the plan of those now in use on the Thames, and giving an area of 33£ ft by 26ft for swimmers, were produced.