CORRESPONDENCE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2031, 20 September 1919, Page 3

CORRESPONDENCE.

(To file Editor.) Sir. —Now that Foxton is to have a place of recreation in the Centre of the town, a few suggestion's in regard to same may not be out of place. In the first place, we must remember that Foxton has had a liark for a number of years, and as a monument to the apathy of the residents of that time it is first-class, but an eye-sore as regards beauty. Now that things and times have altered, it would be a good idea for the Council to erect a few workers’ homes on it, so that it may be brought into usefulness.- As to the new site, this, in my opinion, would be ideal for public baths. We haVe heard quite a lot about baths, so why not erect them there. The question of water can be solved by putting down a six-inch well, and as a good supply can he obtained, the necessary pumping could be done by .installing a steam boiler in the gas works, doing away with the two gas engines used there, which alone would save a large amount of gas per month, all the fuel needed being coke, and not only would the gas works be provided with water, but, a few porcelain baths could also be put into the bath buildings, and hot water supplied per medium of steam. As to drainage, the babths could be provided with an underground pipe into the Awahou drain running through the property. As to the idea of forming- a Beautifying .Society, that idea I am not in favour of. In the first plaec, it is the duty of the Council to do these things, not the public, who arc forever being called upon to foot the bill. Let the Connoil consider the advisability of putting a man on who has practical knowledge of the work of laving out the grounds and keeping them up, otherwise what generally happens when amateurs get to work is that they all want to have a say, and (heir own way, and wind up with doing nothing, and making a mess of it as well. If the Borough of Foxton cannot afford through‘its Council to give a .mail a permanent job in the above direction, it doesn’t deserve anything. In most other towns there are caretakers of these places, subject to the control of the Council and nobody else, and nearly every case under the care of a committee set up for that purpose. Hoping my remarks will be taken in I lie spirit in which they are written. —I am, etc., BATHS.