ADVANCE INVERCARGILL.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 4, 9 April 1920, Page 11

ADVANCE INVERCARGILL.

MUNICIPAL BATHS. At tbe present time there is a movement afoot- to try and establish Municipal Tepid Baths. There has been a lo(ig-fe!t need for something of this kind in Invercargill as the natural faeilities for swimming are very had and cliinatic cor.ditions make it necessary that an artificial pool shotild be huilt and properly housed with all the necessary appointmcuts. The committee working under the leadership of Messrs A. Wish and R. ; M. Strang have bccn maliing preliminary enquiries and in their efforts have been assisted by Mr E. R. Wilson, architect, and Messrs CDpcott and Foster, the Town and Tramway Engihner. The position that seema to find most favour is the old Garrisen Hall situated in Leven street close to the Power House. This sit-c 'is handy to the tramways and is verv central. The advantage, how--ever, is that the Power House would be able to supply aii the necessary heated water and this would do away with the tioed of installing a separate heating plant and also co away with the need of a pumping plant to supply the water. The total cost would be somewhere in tiro vicinity of £10.0C0 or £H,CC0. This ) would be giving the town a bath similar to the Christchnreh Tepid Baths. The di'mensions oi' the bcilding would be | soniewhero about 150 by 55 feet, and the I bath itscif aboot 100 by 35 feet. The bath would be lined with white gla-xed ti'.es. Tbe tramway Engineer states that he would have sufficient water to allo-w the bath to be empt'ed four times a week, attd if necessary perhaps more often. There would be accommodation for the eantaker on the premises. The scherno has met with a great deal of support from the Education authorit-

ies, who state that from the primary schools, the approximate attendance. would he aboufc 939 pupik, average attendance 704 pupilsr From the secondary schools the approximate attendan.ee would be 52:0 pupik, average atter.dance 399 pupils. There would he capitation earned by the Council for all. pupils who were instructed in swimming. M iss Biiss, of the Charitable Aid Board, has spolcen very enthusiastieally regarding the scheme and the doctors are also giving it their support. "We corisider the financial aspect of ihe Invi raargijl baths would be very well assured i'as. there is no natural competition from the "seaside resort-s adjacent to the town. The great advantage would be the healthy cxerci.se for the children be- . sides adding an. extra attraetion to the town itself. In Christchurch and the majority of the towns in New Zealand they all have Municipal Swimming Baths and in some of the towns they have open air bath.s for the schools a-nd we consider that it is time that Invercargill had Municipal Baths too.