TE AROHA BATHS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIX, Issue 135, 9 June 1898, Page 7

TE AROHA BATHS.

THE NEW SANATORIUM.

OPENING CEREMONY,

May 24 was a great day for Te Aroha. Some thousands of people visited the little township to see the opening of the new sanatorium, which has been erected in the Domain grounds. The proceedings commenced with a procession of volunteers and school children, the latter numbering about 500, from the Te Aroha, Waiorongomai, Te Aroha West and Waihou schools. The volunteers, of whom there was a largo muster, were under the command of Capt. Whitely, and Colour-Sergt. Stanley acted as marshal. Headed by the band, the procession marched down tho main street to the Domain, where they formed up in line in front of the new building. -The feu de joie was fired by the volunteers, after which the children sang " God Save the Queen." Before the opening ceremony was proceeded with, the Hon. A. J. Cadman presented to Sergeant Salmon, of the local volunteers, a belt and handsome gold medal offered for competition by Mr W. 11. Knock, of the Hob Springs Hotel, and won by the sergeant. Mr Cadman then formally declared the new bath-house open. In the course of an address he spoke of the medicinal properties of the Te Aroha waters. In the muddy springs of the early days the Maoris used to wash their sick and wounded, and when Europeans came upon the scene they learned to ease their sufferings in the same health-giving waters. In years gone by a wise Government had set aside these baths for the public, and large sums of money had since been spent from time to time upon them. In all since 1883, about £6,195 had been spent on the baths by various Governments, and out of this £4,000 had been spent under the administration of the Hon. J. McKenzie. The Domain Board also had spent a large sum of money in beautifying the place. The receipts from the baths had been as follows -.—IBBS, £387 ; 1886, £539 10s; 1887, £503; 1888, £487 ; 1889, £463 ; 1890, £366; 1891, £411; 1892, £427 ; 1893, £466 ; 1894, £406 ; 1895, £421; 1896, £603 ; 1897, £729. This large increase he put down to the result of the opening of the line to Paeroa. Then during the four months of this year £310 had been taken. These figures, he thought, spoke well for Te Aroha, the future of which was assured, and in time the revenue would be considerably augmented. With a little care and |udicious management both classes of visitors, pleasure-seekers and afflicted, could come and enjoy the benefits of the Te Aroha baths. He thought they could look forward to a great influx of visitors when the railway line between Te Aroha and Thames was completed. As far as ho could see the line would be finished by the end of this year, so he thought the inhabitants of the Thames could look forward by then to receiving some benefit from the extension of the line between the two places. In conclusion, he remarked that as a result of his travels round the colony he had come to the conclusion that Te Aroha was the best bathing place in New Zealand, and. it -was only a matter of a little time when further additions would be made to the thermal springs district of Te Aroha.

The new sanatorium is built after the style of a Swiss chalet, and is a neat onestorey structure situated on the rising ground just above the lawn. A corridor Bfb wide runs the whole length of the building (98 feet), and 19 bathrooms open from this passage, each measuring about 6ft 6in by 9ft. Unlike the older baths, which were made of wood, the new ones are of enamelled earthenware, and four of them are sunk to the level of the floor tor the convenience of the infirm. Immediately off the entrance hall, which, as well as the corridor, is paved with tiles, are waiting-rooms for ladies and gentlemen, handsomely fitted up. Very complete drainage arrangements have been made. The water supply in unstinted. In addition to this building, two hot - water reservoirs have been built, and a hot-water swimming bath is now being added at a cost of £200. The total cost of the imSrovements is estimated at about £3,500Ir Vickerman, engineer to the Publio Works Department, has supervised the whole work at the baths.