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Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 6376, 11 February 1892, Page 2

In the matter of sea-bathing oil' the beach at Napier, it. is sought to make out that the foolish by-law prohibiting this healthful exercise ,va.s made in the interests of public safety. Of course any stick is good enough to beat a dead dog with, and the "public safety" argument is merely in the nature of drawing a red-herring across tho scent. If the Municipal Counoil had any such idea as that, of preserving people from sharks, and from drowning, sea bathing would have been absolutely prohibited at any time of the twenty-four hours. But instead of that, the by-law allows people to bathe at night, and iv the early morning, wheu few persons are moving about, and when no assistance could bo rendered to a bather in distress. In sea bathing there is safety in numbers, and wo do not deny that there, is some risk

in bathing in front of the tow n. But just on tho eastern sido of the mole at tho Spit, at the back of Kinross's store, there is a lovely pioco of sandy beach gradually shelving into deep water, which is as' line a hashing place as any in the world. It is remote from all hou-es, and no persons in bathing - dress uould possibly shock tho delicate nerves of ancient male-females by flaunting their manly forms in siuht of nursegirls. This wretchedly stupid by-law, however, has equal foreo at tho Spit as it has in tho town, and a beautiful bathing place has to be labelled "No Bathing Here."