SWIMMING BATHS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1590, 22 July 1916, Page 2

SWIMMING BATHS.

IN times past we have urged the necessity for swimming baths at the local I State School, and have also pointed out the advantages the children would derive physically and in oilier directions if baths were provided. We have expressed the opinion I hat provision should he made by the* Slate to equip every primary school with a swimming hath ,and that the art of swimming, life-sav-ing and lirsl-aid should he included as part of the primary school curriculum. In centres of population where water and drainage schemes obtain, special concessions are made to school children to acquire the art of swimming. We haven’t a water supply scheme in Coxton, hut; we have the flowing Maimwalu within a stone’s throw of the school. It would not he a. costly matter to provide a concrete intake cm the hank of the river at a suitable locality, say, somewhere between Messrs Levin and Co.’s premises and Mr Eraser's residence. Tin* cost of const meting such a hath with shelters and oilier safeguards would not exceed £5(10. Kinaneing the project should not present any dilUenlties once the site was decided upon. An effort such as the one recently held by the school stall: and children, supplemented by public subscriptions, would result in suflicient money being raised. The point is who will take the initiative, the Borough Council or School Committee? We think I he former, for obvious reasons. If Boston had a water supply, school baths would follow, but if we wait for the gravitation scheme from the Shannon hills, then we shall have to wait until our population is able to bear the burden of such a. loan, and the school, in the meantime, wall be buthless. If the baths are erected outside the school premises the Education Department would not grant a subsidy, and artesian baths at the school present too many difficulties. The scheme we have suggested, however, is feasible, and we believe the public, Sellout Committee and Harbour Board would assist the Council to carry it out. We take a great risk in allowing our children to bathe in

the river, and several drowning fatalities would have boon avoided in the past if an intake siudi as we have suggested had been provided. We eounnend the suhjeet to the earnest eoiisidcration of the Borough Couneil.