SWIMMING BATHS.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5109, 1 April 1927, Page 2

SWIMMING BATHS.

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE VIEWS POSITION OF FARM LANDS. . The question raising a loan of £2OOO for the purpose of erecting, municipal baths at Paeroa was discussed at length by members of the local Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday night. The chairman (Mr H. J. Hare) detailed the steps that had been taken to date in the matter, and instanced the good work that had been done by Mr J. W- Silcock, who 'had fatheied the project. Mr W. Marshall explained the details attached to the proposal to raise tiie money and about the site selected in Princes Street. The Borough Council liad carefully considered the matter, and it was agreed that the price asked for the site was very reasonable. It was hoped that an arrangement could he made with the Ohinemuri Club to use the right-of-way, so that access could be given from Hie main street in the event of the proposal being carried by the ratepayers. The site selected was ideal from a gravitation point of view, and tiie baths could be filled from watermains In cither Normanby Road or Princes Street. The special committee appointed had gone to considerable trouble to ascertain all particulars relating to the project. It would probably be necessary to collect a rate for a while, but as the town grew and the population increased it was reasonable to suppose that the baths would be practically self-sup-porting. It was desirable to have baths in the town, particularly in the interests of young people. The matter was in the hands of the ratepayers, and he hoped sincerely that the proposal would be carried.

Mr Silcock said it was unfortunate that the meeting was not a more representative one. Of the members present six were borough councillorsIn his opinion the council would be better off if it purchased the section decided upon, as it offered equal or greater facilities at less preliminary expenses. It was believed that outlying school children would be brought into Paeroa and taught to swim. The effects would be far-reaching, and it would all redound to the advantage of the town. Again, the local high school committee realised the necessity for the baths, and had undertaken to support the proposal in every possible way. At the present time the children were being penalised through lack of facilities by which swimming could be taught under proper supervision. If it could be done it would be a great relief to parents. Children would also have an opportunity of securing certificates from the N.Z. Swimming Association as soon as they could swim 50 yards. There was also a prospect of receiving capitation from the Education authorities if swimming was made a compulsory subject in the schools. The rate that would be required to. cove)- the loan might look a big proposition, but it was necessary to bear in mind that Paeroa was growing, and probably before long the baths would be sufficiently revenue-producing to pay overhead expenses. He did not think the ratepayers had much to fear, and if the proposal was carried they would be doing a big thing for the present and future generations. A . DISSENTIENT MEMBER.

A different note was struck by Mr G. Buchanan, who said that he objected to the raising of the loan for baths, not because they were not desirable, but because he thought there were other more important matters to be considered. He doubted if it was within the province of the chamber to deal with the matter, but rather it should be left to the Borough Council. In the event of the swimming baths not being revenueproducing the burden would have to be borne by the ratepayers. He was quite willing to pay his share of the rate on his smaller sections, but the fanning aspect had to be considered. The rate would amount to a large sum on his farm which was within the borough. People with large areas of agricultural land in a borough already had heavy rates to pay, and it was unfair to add to the farmers’ burden.

Mr Porritt drew attention to the number of drowning accidents that had occurred and the need for children being taught to swim had been brought prominently before the burgesses time and again and showed that facilities for teaching swimming were a necessity. He appreciated Mr Buchanan"s point of view, and suggested that it might be possible to create a special rating area and exclude the farm lands. Mr Marshall said that the council had estimated the annual expenses at £75, including £6O for a caretaker. The balance would be used for lighting and other small expenses. Quotations and estimates had been received from Thames, Morriusville, and Pukekohe, and as nearly as could be estimated at present it was .thought that the expenses would balance the receipts. The council had not resorted to subterfuge, and was willing to supply all information. The creation of a special rating area presented difficulties and would increase the rate. It would be difficult to exclude grazing lands because a special ratingarea was required to have continuous boundaries. In any case it was too late to make any alteration now if the poll was to be submitted to the ratepayers on April 27, as the whole matter would have to be gone over again. The Prime Minister realised the difficulty of farmers whose lands were within a borough, and he had stated that ■ ways and means would have to be found to ease the lot of the borough farmer or else exclude them from the borough. To have tanming lands excluded from the borough was most undesirable, yet it was recognised that the primary producer was having a -hard spin. MiMarshall assured the meeting that the council had not jumped into the proposal without due consideration. The estimate as to the cost of building the baths, etc., had been prepared by Mr Burmester, architect. Mr F. E. Flatt said he recognised that the farmers would be hard hit

by an additional rate, but the baths were both desirable and necessary. It was unfortunate that more of the grazing land in the borough had not been cut up. Under the circumstances it appeared that all the borough could do was to keep an eye on legislation and urge that such areas be 'given relief. For a person in the town to pay 2s Id as against a farmer paying £2-odd was unfair and inequitable.

Mr Porritt said that there was a strong feeling in the community that the town should have swimming baths, but as the ratepayers at the meeting were in the minority he thought the matter should be left to the ratepayers.

It was agreed that the meeting should support the proposal, but that the matter be left to the ratepayers at tile poll. The chamber recorded its appreciation of the information supplied by the Mayor and councillors.