SPENDING £14,000

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 6, 6 July 1935, Page 10

SPENDING £14,000

BATHS AND BEACHES

ORIENTAL BAY PASSED BY

CITY COUNCIL DIVIDED

}t was made quite clear during the brief discussion by the City Council last week of the proposals of the reserves committee for the allocation of the £14,000 which'still remains of the £20,000 compensation for the Thorndon Esplanade that councillors are by no means ready to accept the committee's suggestions without argument, and, further, that the members of the committee itself are not agreed about it. The matter was deferred until the next meeting of the council (next Thursday evening) so that councillors, some of whom had not had a full opportunity to consider the proposals, might have more time to think it over. A windfall of £14,000 comes but seldom, and the division of such a sum is not a matter that can be rushed. As stated above, the full cash amount received from the Railway Department as compensation for the taking of Thorndon Esplanade was approximately £20,000, but some years s ago, long before the actual amount was fixed, authority was. obtained by legislation for about £7000 to be used towards the cost of widening Wakefield Street, notwithstanding that the terms on which compensation should have been paid restricted the use of such money to reserve or allied purposes, of which street widening definitely was not one. A protest was made at the time, but it was not a particularly loud one. A hope has been expressed that even now the position might be remedied, and a refund of the money obtained, but it is generally thought that it is rather forlorn and that further yearning is merely to take a longer farewell. Interest has gradually brought the remainder of the compensation payment up to £14,000. THE PROPOSED DIVISION. Of the £14,000, £7622 will be spent, if the committee can persuade the full council, on two bath construction works, £4822 for Karori and £2800 for Ngaio, both districts which have j long waited the fulfilment of promises. I The remaining sum it is proposed I should be spent on bathing shelters, as follows:—Ohiro Bay, new shelters (men and women), £450; Island Bay, extension, renovation, etc., of women's sheds, £175; new . bathing sheds for children, £475; total for Island Bay, £950; Houghton Bay east, new sheds ( men and women), £400; Lyall Bay, new shed (men), £750; Scorching Bay, new sheds (men and women), £450; Worser Bay, additions, £500; Miramar Wharf, new sheds (men)! £300; head of Evans Bay, new sheds (men and women), £1500; Evans Bay, renovating existing sheds, £150; total for Evans Bay, £1950; Balenaßay, additions, £300. NOTHING FOR ORIENTAL BAY. The committee dismissed the question of accommodation at Oriental Bay with a couple of lines, stating that no action was recommended, though during the past two or three years the thousands of men, women, and children who have bathed there have used friendly backyards, garages, the scant screen of shrugs in the. road reserve, the narrow beach at the foot of the seawall, motor-cars, and even the public conveniences as dressing shelters, the last suggesting a curious conflict of modesties. ' A few years ago, when neck-to-knes was supposed to be insisted upon, the "scandals" of Oriental Bay would not have been tolerated, and the council decided about three years ago to object but relented as the number of people undressing increased. There might be some defence of careful dressing at the I jot of the sea wall, but the use of public conveniences as dressing shelters could not be defended. The Police Department apparently is not looking forward to another season of Rafferty rules in Oriental Bay, for last season a good many complaints were made by residents. The position of the residents is not altogether happy, for though they do not want past conditions to continue, 'they equally do not want to see bathing in Oriental Bay forbidden, and they agree, too, that to prohibit swimming in the most accessible and a most popular bay would be to throw away city opportunities. During the discussion next Thursday evening there is sure to be a good deal of reference to Oriental Bay, where, if the complete scheme for which plans were prepared some time ago is carried out, an expenditure of about £5000 would be required, but opinions differ as to whether so large an expenditure would be necessary or even advisable. . £7000 FOR KARORI. The second point on which the council is likely to be divided is the expenditure proposed for Karori baths, on which £2000 has • already been spent in preparation and levelling. A number of the councillors maintain that £7000 is far too large a sum for one suburban bath, and that tiles, a filtration plant, and other desirable but not by any means essential elaborations are not called for, though no councillor is suggesting that Karori should not have a bath. It is quite evident, that the Karori bath could not show a reasonable return on that figure, though profits are of course not the aim and end of public baths. " The maintenance of filtration and other special plant is a considerable item, .in power, materials, and attention. . . . The Khandallah bath, which is a fair example of a suburban swimming pool, with concreted sides and bottom, sheds, showers, etc., cost only about £1100, but in no season has .it shown any interest return on even that small amount. ' Last year, with a record summer, the returns fell short of the expenditure by £62, notwithstanding that the Khandallah Domain is a popular picnic place for city people, of whom hundreds no doubt used the P°On still another point is there likely to be division—the wisdom of dividing a considerable lump sum over so many minor works which might be taken in turn, instead of carrying out a small number of more costly major improvements to baths, beaches, or reserves for which provision in the annual estimates would occasion expressions of dismay and astonishment, for instance, accommodation at Oriental Bay.