CORRESPONDENCE.

Te Aroha News, Volume XIV, Issue 2096, 21 April 1898, Page 2

CORRESPONDENCE .

Under no t-ircuinslaiu'**) w It.never is the Editor responsible for uiatter contained in correspondence ] -Jaf' *

Stß, —As. on old resident of Te Aroha, 1 I wish to thank you fori your temperate, and timely article of Saturday on Domain' matters. I think no reasonable man will complain about the hours of closing on week days, after its perusal. Surely 9 o’clock at night LI late enough for any invalid to be bathing, intact, too late, iu view of the danger of catching cold after eeiuiug out of a hot bath into the cold atmosphere ; and 'as work is generally over at 5 o'clock there is ample, time for those in health to get a bath between that hour and 9 o’clock and for such to complain shows little consideration for the caretakers. W ith respect to the Sunday closing I have no doubt that some inconvenience may be caused to those who are in the ‘habit, of visiting the baths from outside' districts, and I have n© doubt the Board will keep an eye on this phase of the question, seeing that more than one of them are interested iu the matter from a business point of view. I hear rumours that it is intended to make differential rates in favour of local residents, and would like to poi.it out some reasons why it should not be doue. Lie d residents enjoy the advantage the baths at any time at the present rates, whilst visitors from outside are put to considerable expense in railway, boat, or coach fares, etc., in addition to the cost of subsistence whilst here. Then again* :as you point out, the baths are the property of the colony; and a resident say at Dunedin* at Christchurch* or Wellington, has as good a right as the inhabitants on the spot to cheap baths. Let us suppose for a moment that the system of local cheap baths were in opei ; ation, and Mr Pirani or Mr Duthie were to pay us a visit; and further let us suppose the Colonial Treasurer in his usual appropriations puts down say a sum of £509 for improvements in the Te Aroha Hot Springs Domain, what would be the result ? I dou't think that vote would pass. I think the prices for the private baths, and Nos. I. 2, and 6, are reasonable * and that with the increase of visitors we are justified in expecting i 3 the near future will tax these baths to their utmost capacity at the present prices. But whatever changes may be made by the Board in the future, I would respectfully submit, that iu view of the fact that the baths are Colonial property, we should give such change a fair trial before commencing the We are the people ’* busiuess.— 1 am, etc.* Observer.