PROPOSED SWIMMING BATHS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1988, 10 June 1919, Page 3

PROPOSED SWIMMING BATHS.

FURTHER DISCUSSED BY COUNCIL.

At last night’s Council meeting a letter was road from the Foxton Harbour Board, agreeing to lease to the Council for a long term, at a low rental, a piece of the foreshore opposite the pound cottage, as a swimming baths site. The Mayor said that the Council would be foolish if it turned down the offer, but whether they would erect baths there was another matter. H the Borough went in for an artesian water supply they would require this ito for storage tanks, ami as the Board had now definitely offered it to the Council they should obtain it. lie moved, and Cr. Coley seconded, and it was carried, (hat the Foxton Harbour Board lie informed that, this Council would be pleased to accept their offer of a site on the foreshore opposite the pound cottage, preferably a site with 150 ft. frontage, to lie .used for any purpose the Council may decide, provided that a suitable nominal rental can be arranged.

In connection with the same subject a letter was read from llitSehool Committee, stating that they considered that the proposed site opposite the pound cottage was not suitable as far as the school children were concerned, it being too far axvay from (he school. They asked (he Council to endeavour to have (ho baths erected near the north end of Main Stree l . The .Mayor said that the School Committee had suggested at its last meeting that the baths should be constructed on portion'of the old Maori Cemetery. It this were done pumping would be necessary, and he considered the cost would be too great. There was a site at the end of Kavcnswortb Place, adjoining (he railway line, dial would be very suitable, as with some excavation it would bo possible to till the baths xvitlioxxl pumping. The excavation woxild no! cost more Ilian £l5O. The Tennis Club had sufficient land at the back of tlieir shed for the purpose, and he thought that, provided the engineer considered the site a suitable one, they should approach the Tennis Club Trustees with a view of buying or leasing this piece of land. A really good site-could also be obtained on the river foreshore at this point, but the danger to children in crossing the railway line would be the drawback. If an overhead footbridge across the railway line were erected it woxild do axvay with this danger. They should approach the Eaihvay Department on the qxxestion. The Council shoxxld make every endeavour to work in with the School Committee in this matter, a.s the Education Department made a big subsidy towards the cost of baths used by the schools. He thought the sites now proposed woxild he suitable for school purposes. He moved that the Railway Department be again approached re the matter of erecting an overhead footbridge over the raihyay crossing at the cud of Ravensworth Place, and failing a satisfactory reply, the engineer be ifbked to report on a site at the back of the tennis court sheds, and if satisfactory the Tennis Chit* trustees be interviewed re sale or lease of a site. This was seconded by Cr. Walker, and carried.