THE TE ARO BATHS.

Evening Post, Volume LIV, Issue 141, 11 December 1897, Page 2

THE TE ARO BATHS.

♦ TO THE EDITOB. Sib— Mr. J. E. Evans, of your city, knowing the interest I take in swimming matters, has forwarded to me copies of the correspondence recently published in your paper in reference to establishing a bath in the Basin Reserve. The thought occurred to me while reading it that if I sent you some information in reference to the public school baths in Christchurch it might interest your readers and help forward the object you have in view. In the first place, some 12 or 13 public schools in and around Christchurch have a bath for the use of the school children and members of the clubs formed in connection therewith. In the city we have four schools, with an average attendance of 3500 children, of whom the minimum number of, say, 2500 daily use the bath during the summer months. This alone, from a sanitary point of view, must be a large factor towards keeping the children in a healthy condition. Moreover, at least 75 per cent, of the boys learn to swim, thereby acquiring an art that is not only a pleasure to themselves but of benefit to their fellow-creatures. An instance was recently brought under my notice of an old schoolboy who learnt to swim while at this school, and who was instrumental in saving the lives of three of his shipntates. - All of our school baths have been constructed almost entirely by voluntary contributions, assisted in a small degree by the Board of Education. In connection with most of them there is a swimming club whose membership ranges from 50 to over 300, the usual subscription being 5.s for boys and ladies, aud 7s Cd forad ul ts : one-third of this sum is allotted to the club, and the balance to the School Committee. After paying for cleaning, &c, this generally leaves a very satisfactory amount to the credit of the Committee who use it for providing prizes, &c, for the school children. The question of ways and meaus seems to be the chief difficulty in carrying out the project, but I think this can easily be surmounted. In the suburb of Richmond we have one of the most commodious and best constructed of our baths ; it was built at z cost of £500. A meeting of residents was called, and a Committee appointed to canvas for subscriptions. A suggestion was made that for every 10s given the subscriber should receive a ticket granting him the free use of the bath for one year. This was adopted, and within one month over £300 was collected, and this wai supplemented by a grant of £100 from the City Council for the use of the bath for fire prevention purposes, and the Board of Education supplied the water .supply and supervised the work of coustruction. Last year the subscriptions received amounted to over £80, while the expenses were trifling. After deducting the club's share of receipts the net results were about equal to 7 per cent, on the capital invested. Very few of those wiio subscribed availed themselves of their free tickets, as they recognised that t&e benefits their children derived from the bath amply repaid them for their outlay. Now, if this can be done in a suburb like Richmond, numbering only some 1200 inhabitants, and these nearly all working men, it would be a standing disgrace if in a city like Wellington sufficient liberal-minded men could not be found to subscribe the amount over and over again, lam certain that if half-a-dozen energetic canvassers took the matter in hand they would collect the requisite amount in a few days. Thai the bath would be of incalculable benefit, to the young men employed in the factories, &c, I know from experience at our bath ; all our members make a practice of using the slfower ' bath, where a liberal use of soap supplied free by one of our local manufacturers removes the effects of their day's labour. In conclusion, I shall be pleased to give any information within my power to further the project, and hope to soon hear of its accomplishment. Thanking you in anticipation, I am, <tc, A. E. Tatlob, Hon. Treasurer East Christchurch Amateur Swimming Club.