SIDE-STEPPED?

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 200, 25 August 1939, Page 10

SIDE-STEPPED?

TE AROHA COMPLAINT.

SWIMMING BATH PROPOSAL government criticised. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) TE AROHA, this day. A lively discussion took place at a meeting of the Te Aroha Chamber of Commerce when the question of a fullsized swimming? bath for Te Aroha was again discussed. "I don't think we have had a fair deal from Dr. Duncan, and I think we should replv to that letter. The least he could have done was to let us know that he was coming," said Mr. W. VV . Maingav. "We've had all sorts of plans and reports for this bath, but we are not netting anvwhere." said Mr. W. C. Kennedy. "What Te Aroha people want is a swimming bath, and the Department is purely and simply side-stepping it. I want a definite statement from them as to what they are going to do and whether they do or do not intend to give us these bathing facilities. The time has arrived to ask them straight out. I wouldn't waste any more time on them."

The President, Mr. .T. L. Otter: We still think there is sufficient water for a pool.

Mr. H. H. Wood: There is, but there seems to l>e some hostility about the proposal. It looks as if the tail wags the dog. The Mayor, Mr. R. Coulter: When bores were put down we got extra water. Mr. Maingay: And did they affect the springs ? The President: Dr. Duncan says they did, but the day he tested them I think the pump was defective. The Mayor: The temperatures of the other springs fluctuated. The President.: If this were Rotorua we would have had a bath years ago. "Matter of Bookkeeping." The Mayor: It was suggested that artificial heating could be used. That would be available between midnight and 6 a.m. and it would il>e just a matter of bookkeeping between the Public Works Department and the Tourist Department.

Mr. W. A. Clark: I am very disappointed from the statement, made by the Mayor. At the first Centennial memorial meeting I gathered that the project was to go ahead. That was the reason I withdrew my suggestion for a Centennial swimming bath. The Mayor: I don't know any more about it than the rest of us, and I have never said that the project was to go ahead. Mr. Clark: Yes. you did. You said you had a letter from the Minister. The Mayor: I want to say definitely that that is not so. I have never said that the bath would be gone ahead with. I could not commit the Government. I have always said that we would not touch it with borough funds or funds for the Centennial. Mr. Clark: You could with the Centennial funds. The Mayor: You would have to have the permission of the Minister.

The Mayor moved that the Department should l>e asked to state the position with regard to the bath and to inquire into the possibility of augmenting the existing supplies of hot water with artificially heated water.

The motion was seconded by Kennedy and carried unanimously.