SUMNER BATHS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19063, 27 July 1927, Page 11

SUMNER BATHS.

COUNCIL DISAPPROVES. NEW SWIMMING POOL SCHEME. By a margin of five votes to three, the Sumner Borough Council decided on Monday night to disapprove strongly of the swimming pool, at present under construction between the tramway causeway and the road near Shag Eock. Cr. V. E. Hamilton opened the discussion by asking for an explanation of the advertisement appearing in the newspapers calling for tenders to complete the wall. Cr. B. J. Ager immediately movod that a sub-committee, consisting of Crs. Y. E. Hamilton, T. Newburgh, and W. Henley, be set up to investigate the history of the construction of the swimming pool wall, but owing to there being no seconder, the motion lapsed. The Mayor asked Cr. Harris to explain the history of the scheme. Cr. H. W. Harris said the scheme was the idea of certain individuals and had the approval of two Associations in the Borough. Cr. V. E. Hamilton: Be frank. Tell us who they were! Cr. Harris: You know perfectly well who they are. Cr. Hamilton: We know nothing whatever about it, and we want to know the names of the persons concerned. Cr. Harris then continued with his explanation, but was so interrupted by interjections from Cr. Hamilton that he declined to go on. The Mayor Explains. The .Mayor then proceeded to outline the history of the baths. He said that the inspiration was the outcome of the visit of 40 or 50 orphans who were j staying in Sumner during the hot I weather. He chanced to be in the same tram one day as Mr Geo. Humphreys, who remarked that it would be a good thing to make this spot safe for children, and offered to give £IOO towards it. - Further assistance was promised, and the permission of the Tramway Board and the Harbour Board was obtained. Cr. Harris drew up a plan and people in a position to know, said that there would not be the slightest difficulty in the construction. The plan was submitted to the Council, not officially, but in order to be sure that the work would be done in a manner to suit the possible taking over of the pool at a later date, and to make sure there was nothing which met with the disapproval of the Borough Engineer. The speaker said that a mistaken idea seemed to prevail over the services given by .the Borough employees. He wished to state emphatically that their services were rendered free, and in their own time; this being their gift towards the pool. The position now was that work had been done on the causeway side," and work had now to be done along the Council's side which was along the road. After hearing the Mayor's explanation, Cr. Hamilton moved that the Council strongly disapprove of the whole scheme. This was seconded by Cr. C. J. Wilson. Councillor's Criticism. Cr. Hamilton said that in doing this he was carrying out his promise, made at election time. He considered that in time the road under the cliffs would have to be built parallel with the tram causeway, and it was just as wrong to build, a footpath under the cliff as it was.to construct a swimming pool, which should be filled in. He thought it highly undesirable to encourage bathing there with the beautiful beach available. A swimming pool, to be properly built, would cost thousands. He had some experience in building baths, and knew the difficulty of keeping them clean. The pool at present was a mass of slime, and difficulties in keeping ft clean would arise, owing to horse manure and lunch refuse, which were bound to find an entrance. He had been credibly informed that it had been reported that the work could be done by claying the tramway wall. The Mayor: No, that is not true. Cr. W. Henley asked why the whole position had not been made public before. He had heard that in reply to questions the previous Council had stated that the work was outside the jurisdiction of the Borough.

The Mayor said that he wished to make it quite clear that there never had been any idea of clay-stopping the causeway wall. On receiving such « good offer as that of Mr Humphreys he .thought it a pity to turn it down. Before the work had been started, it was outside the jurisdiction of the Borough, and the Council had been quite clear of the' position. He said that realising that the work was outside the Council's jurisdiction, it was considered that money from outside sources could be spent.

Cr. T. Newburgh Baid that the Council knew perfectly well that to complete the work it would have to be a borough matter. It would be ridiculous to build the wall along the causeway, and to leave the side nearest the road unprotected. He considered that the Council should have a plan before it, and that it should give its consent or disapproval accordingly. .The Mayor stated that the work already done was the start of a firstclass swimming pool. It was not a question of asking the Council to stand the cost, as all the committee wanted to do was to complete the wall with the money collected.

Cr. Hamilton: The whole scheme is a direct slap at the bathing facilities scheme.

The motion was put to the meeting, Crs. F. C. Cooper, H. W. Harris, and C. I. Denham voting against it.