BATHING.

Evening Post, Volume L, Issue 114, 9 November 1895, Page 4

BATHING.

TO THB EDITOR. Sm— A letter from Mr. Langley that latelj appeared in your paper, relating to the ereo tion of publio baths, has received leas notioc than I believe it deserves. Aa a citizen ol Wellington, I think this mailer is one of the most important measures that the Counoil has nnder consideration, and tbe fact tbai we have no public baths where residents am: strangers can, for a small charge, have 0 comfortable and olean wash I consider should at once bo altered. Tho proro°<td fencing ii of the foreshore will not meet thia matter, at ■ome seem to think, ond Mr Luke, in hh address to the ratepayers last night, onnnot have the interests of 1 ho " groat unwa>hed " at heart, as lie claimed to havo, if be favours the ereotion of another soa bathing-place at Te Aro, for salt water is not noted for its oleansing propertied, and the only wash that many wonld have in auob a bath is npon the towel. The ereotion of a proper swimming bath is, however, a very important matter, and closely concerns all the youth of the oity. Those who know anything at all about swimming and the teaohing of it, and who have read Mr. Langley's letter, will know that he understood what he was writing abont, and it is very oertain that until a modern swimming bath is ereoted a very small portion of the publio will learn to swim, bs the proposed baths will not have any tendency towards inoroasing the public interest in that important exeroise. Even were tho water always fit to batbe in, the proposed baths are not suitable, and, now that the Council ia about to expend a oertain sum of money in this way, it will be well if Councillors oan bn Bhown that the project does not meet the needa of the people most interested, namely, swimmers and athletes, but if the money were expended on the ereotion of private and swimming baths on tho roolaimod land and under covor, even if the baths are not very imposing or large, it will be a great deal better to have them than to wosto another few thousand* as jb now proposed. Tho aite can be obtained on the reclamation now with comparatively little difficulty, but it will not be so a few years hence. There will always bo plenty of fureshore to fence in for the few romantio and robust folks who delight in bathing in the " moon's palo beams." The only way to mako swimmers of our young people, and to send the sport of swimming ahead, is to do as 1 have proposed. Whether the water in tho swimming baths is fresh or salt is a matter of detail, and matters little; but we should put onr youth on an equal footing with those of tho other large oities of New Zealand, and build a modern bath, where swimming races, &c, can be held and the art properly taught. I trust this matter will not drop whilst there is a ofaanoe of converting the Councillors from their present ideas. I am, Ao., „ _ , . Natator. 31st Ootober.