HEATING PRIVATE BATHS

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26221, 19 September 1950, Page 6

HEATING PRIVATE BATHS

COST DISCUSSED BY CITY COUNCIL

SPECIAL COMMITTES TO INVESTIGATE

“It must be costing 3s or 4s for each private bath at the Municipal Baths and evidently people must be taking their washing along,” said Cr. W. p. Glue, when the City Council last ing discussed the cost of water heating by gas. A special commitee was set up to investigate the costs. The attention of the baths committee was again drawn to the large amounts be.ng paid monthly for gas used for the hot-water system, in a report bv the baths superintendent. J "There are no leakages in the hot water system and pool showers are turned down to give a minimum of water,” he reported. For May-August the amount for gas was £413, and the baths takings were £316. The baths committee recommended that the whole heating system of the baths be looked into by the electricity committee.

Cr. R. G. Brown (chairman of the baths committee) said that when the heating was done by the iron fireman the cost was £45 to £5O a month when leakages were not known. Tht gas charges were a “wicked cost against the baths.” The committee’s recommendation was that the M.E.D should look into the matter and shoulder some of the responsibility for the costs, after the changeover in the heating system. The Mayor (Sir Ernest Andrews)This should be referred to some committee other than the electricity committee.

Cr. G. D. Griffiths: The only thing for them to do is to pay the gas bill "This cannot go on,” said the Mayor “We are spending more in gas than we receive in revenue.” Cr. Griffiths said the electricity committee had "passed the buck” several times. The change in the heating system was made for the benefit of the M.E.D. He moved that the M.E.D. pay the difference between £5O a monte and the gas charges.

“It is not correct to say that the M.E.D. did not do anything about this,” said Cr. Glue. The change in the heating system was made because of complaints of the smoke and dust nuisance. He was astounded to hear that nearly a quarter of a million cubic feet of gas had been used in four months for heating private baths. How many baths a month did people have? The Mayor: It is not a personal question—(laughter). The baths committee should investigate- what was happening with the private baths, continued Cr. Glue. Cr. R. M. Macfarlane, M.P., said the auestion was not of excessive use of le baths but of costs. It might coet more to have a bath now because of the increased costs.

Cr. Griffiths said the system was not heated by imported gas-fire boilers. The job was not an economic one. "This is obviously a waste of heating,” said Cr. J. L. Hay. “Everybody knows to-day that gas is an impossible way of heating because of the cost.” “I’m a bit concerned that we should make a decision on the bare statements in the report,” said Cr. J. E. Tait. “We want some more information.” Cr. Griffiths’s amendment was lost by 11 votes to 4. The Mayor then moved a further amendment that Cr». Brown. L. G. Amos, Tait. Glue, and Griffiths be appointed a committee to investigate the matter and report back to the council. This was carried.