PUBLIC BATHS RESERVE.

Evening Star, Issue 4226, 12 September 1876, Page 4

PUBLIC BATHS RESERVE.

To the Editor.

Bm,—Your correspondent “Observer,” Whose letter appeared in your columns last treek, did well to draw attention to the fact that the Corporation of Dunedin are in possession of a valuable reserve originally set apart and Crown granted to the Superintendent, as a “site for public baths.” It may Interest those who are desirous of seeing proper pnblio baths established here taat the reserve in question contains 4a. 3'r. 21p., ' and Is situated on the banks of the V\ ater of Leith, north of Dundas street, having. a frontage of 1,840 links to Leith Street and 780 to Brook street. This valuable reserve was Crown granted to the Superintendent, on the 26tb Jane, 1866, in trust as a “site for public baths,” and has been, by virtue of the “Dunedin Reserves Management Ordinance 1807,” transferred to and vested in the City Corporation, ho be held by them for the like purposes for which it was held by the Superintendent. It has been divided into allotments which have been leased for terms “ not exceeding twenty-one years } ” and it may be presumed the Corporation are deriving a considerable .revenue therefrom. If then, in view of the health of the City popnlati n, it Is one bf the primary duties of the Corporation to establish public, baths, there can be little exouse for their neglecting to do so when they are the custodians or trustees of ft valuable estate created speoificially for that purpose. This is a case par excellence in which the original trust should be rigidly adhered to. It appears to me that the more the question of these reserves is inquired into, the more do the wisdom and foresight of the founders of the Province become apparent j and the citizens of Dunedin ought jealously to guard against any action likely to Yesnlt in the absolute alienation of the beneflcient objects that we had in view in the original creation of the City Ream,&&of

Balnilb,

Dunedin, September 11.