Baths For Tauranga Should Be Built Partly Above Ground

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 15117, 28 October 1949, Page 2

Baths For Tauranga Should Be Built Partly Above Ground

Facilitating- Swimming

Instruction

Opinion At Club's Annual Meeting

He had ben told authoritatively thai i' wou.d be advisable to construct the municipal baths proposed for Tauranga above, as well rn below, the ground, stated the president of the Tauranga Amateur Swimming- and Life-saving Club (Mr J. G. Crawford) at the club's annual meeting on Wednesday night. This feature, he said, would be most important in that it would facilitate the work of swimming instructors. ( He suggested that the baths should be built two or three feel above the ground, enabling instructors to bend to the water level more easily. Question of Tower Provision of a tower at the baths, he stated, would double or treble the cost of the pool. Jf a tower was provided, greater depth would be necessary at that encl cf the baths, which would also have to be more re-in:'orced. With the addition of a tower, the question of supervision would become more involved. "Supervisors can have a pretty nerve-wracking job," Mr Crawford said. "The ci::todian, or whoever is on duty, must be on the watch all the time." There was also the question, added the president, of whether Tauranga as it was now warranted the extra cost the tower would involve. Only a limited number would be using it. Mr Crawford recalled that the borough council had approved and granted the site fcr the baths, on which the layout was now tentatively pegged-out. About half of the site, which allowed for a tea kiosk, went into the Wharepai Reserve. While he considered that the baths should be constructed by the borough council, said Mr Crawford, he thought that it would be up to the club to raise the funds to set the ball rolling. When it had raised i\ certain amount, it should then ask the council to go ahead with the construction. Such a project—a pool with dressing sheds and facilities—was a tremendous one for a club with 40 members to go into. He had heard that the scheme could cost un to £30,000 or £40,000. There was also the point, he had learned, that an Internal Affairr; Department subsidy would now have to be for a tepid baths project, and this wouM have to be considered. Mr Crawford added that baths 100 feet by 50 feet had been envisaged but 'he had been advised that championship requirements now necessitated a pool 100 feet by 42 feet, with six lanes (if necessary) of a width of seven feet. It was the duty of the borough council to provide baths and he looked en it as a disgrace to this town that there were not adequate baths, stated Mr I. J. King. Swimming fatalities were too high and the need to facilitate swimming instruction was vital. Was the club trving to shame the council into making a move he asked. It was giving it a lead, at least. Council's Many Priorities Mr E. S. Marshall explained that Ihe need for baths had not been forgotten by the borough council and the project was incorporated in the Centenial Park scheme, he said. The council had many priorities—the reconstruction of Cameron Road

was one which, through their urgency, must come first. "Which ever way it goes," Mr Marsha'] added, "it will be the public's money that will build the baths." He considered the club had made a good move, however, in taking the initiative by its campaign to raise funds. Speakers paid tribute to the work done for the club by the president and the secretary (Mrs E. L. Barry). Both were re-elected to their positions. Other officers elected were:— Patron, Mr F. W. Doidge. M.P.: vice-presidents, Messrs J. L. Hare. E. S. Marshall, R. Polley, G. Odey and Mrs E. S. Marshall; treasurer, Miss J. Mackie; handicapper-starter-announcer, Mr Hare; men's club captain, Mr G. Ronavne; men's club vice-captain, Mr N. Smith; women's club captain. Miss A. Fcwler; chaperone, Mrs Barry; diving coach, Mr B. Marshall; committee, Misses J. Lane and M. Foreman and Messrs J. Short and N. Rodgers; auditor, Mr M. J, Eagles.