Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 1926. PUBLIC SWIMMING BATHS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3018, 1 April 1926, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, APRIL 1, 1926. PUBLIC SWIMMING BATHS.

A Committee of public citizens has been set up to raise a sum of £2OOO for public swimming- baths. An organiser has been appointed to supervise the efforts, which are to include a monster art union. In view of what has been done by local efforts in the past for deserving institutions, there is no reason to doubt the objective aimed at will be reached, particularly as the appeal will be Dominion-wide. Public swimming baths are provided in every municipality throughout the Dominion and the Municipal Corporations Act sanctions the expenditure of loan moneys for such purposes. In the matter of providing public swimming baths, however, Foxton is an exception to others communities, possibly for the reason that the treacherous river has been looked upon ns a substitute —it has also taken toll of many valuable lives. Some lime ago the Council selected a site for baths at the river side and obtained an approximate cost of construction, but the proposed site did not meet with popular 1 approval. Subsequently a public meeting approved of swimming baths in Easton Park, hut this was turned down by the then Council in favour of a site adjoining the Council Chambers. But no loan proposals were submitted to the ratepayers and the agitation lapsed. Assuming the present appeal to bo successful, the question of site and control must be dealt with as a preliminary, and not left to haggle about at a later period. We would suggest, therefore, that if the public provide the cost of construction, the Borough Council should find the site and be responsible for the administration and control of the baths.