ALL-DAY BATHS ON SUNDAYS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 692, 17 December 1909, Page 8

ALL-DAY BATHS ON SUNDAYS.

PROPOSAL-REPEATED.' .Everi.since •the,city baths, wero opened,-.the council has been losing two of tho'best revenueproducing hours of the day by closing the baths botween. midday and 2, o'clock. Tho matter is to bo remedied now, howevor/the Baths Subcommittee having been empowered to 'make arrangements to provide extra assistance for the custodian of tho. To Aro Baths between the hours mentioned, in order that these baths may remain open for swimming during these hours. Another projected' improvement at tho baths will bo tho provision of a clock, so that bathers can see when they are over-staying their leave. , Councillor' Fitzgerald, speaking on the subject at- last 'nightf s* meeting of tho City Council, rpason Thy the comm,itteo should not go farther and keep tho baths open on Sunday, tho same hours as in week-days. Ho moved' an amendment'accordingly.' He did not think they shonld keep x the carotaker working all .Sunday, but it was'a'case of providing the greatest good for tho • greatest number, and a :substitute should be found-for the day. ' Councillor Cannichael seconded the amendment, but .pointed out that there -was no mention of, the Thorndon Baths; He:suggested the council .should include Thorndon in the'motion. .Councillor. Luke opposed the amendment put forward by Councillor Fitzgerald. He thought iPa.m. was quite long enough for Sunday. Councillor Cohen. thought, that if a' man could'not get ?a bath'before 11 a.m. he should go it, and Councillor Smith pointed ■qur that': there would, bo the added expense of replacing- tho caretaker. ■" ■ _/Councillor.M'Laren thought;the baths should bo' utilised, to the:'very : fullest extent, and he thought the experiment might be worth trying'. If' it was practicable,; it would be essentially in_the interests of public health. <• ; Councillor Fitzgerald pointed out that the opponents of :tho movement were elderly members of the council, who never went near the.woter. Ho.thought people should be given the opportunity of swimming all day, as it would only mean putting'a man on in place of the custodial. -■:-' '• : ;• : .:.■ -.-. Councillor; Morrah opposed the amendment, ana .Councillor Devine was also in opposition. He_ thought people who wanted an afternoon bath would prefer to go \ to the seaside and .enjoy mixed bathing. .-The amendment to keep the baths, open on bunday after 11 a.m. was lost by 10 to 5. '

Ono evening last week, while a Wyndhatn sottler was, enjoying. the air, and • at the same time having a chat with a neighbour, he was startled by two clouds of insects that settled on tho ground closo by ' him.'(says the "Wyndham They proved to be a couple of swarms of a species of beetle, and they wore there in thousands. Next morning, remembering that a tnessago had . come from North Otago,'to tho effect that "a cloud of brown beetles had raited gardens at Ardgowau oh a recent night, and caused consternation in the orchards, ... tho visitation resembling, a ftusfc cloud," tho local. man hied to the spot where ,ho saw, the" swarms alight, and there picked up quite a number of. dead"brown booties,- which had evidently -been suffocated by tho horde,pressing.upon them. ' Tho sottler in question has preserved some.of tho beetles, and it certainly would bo interesting to know, if possible, whether these insects are identical ,wi& ths that plagued North., Otaio.