ST. CLAIR BATHS.

Evening Star, Issue 23745, 28 November 1940, Page 13

ST. CLAIR BATHS.

TO THE EDITOR. .Sir, —As I am one who first learnt to swim at the St. Clair Baths and have patronised them continuously since, I feel compelled to raise my quiet voice in pretest against the remarks of certain city councillors at a recent meeting. It was claimed that the baths were a “ white elephant ” and should therefore be closed, and so save the annual loss incurred in running them. Surely this is an exceedingly short-sighted attitude to adopt towards one of the city’s amenities. Is there any talk of closing the Botanic Gardens or the Public Library merely because their expenditures exceed their incomes? I always thought that rates were levied for the purpose of providing institutions, etc., for the enjoyment of the general public, so surely part of our rates could be used to support baths, which from their very nature —namely, salt water and open air—must be of immense benefit to the community. For health reasons alone these baths should be maintained, because even if we built the finest Olympic pool in Australasia, if it was not open air and salt it could not possibly compare with the St. Clair Baths. I remember those happy days when the bath was clean and sandless and crowded with swimmers, but now when I go round and find less than a few inches of water over half the bath as a result of sand accumulations, I retreat to the surf. It might be opportune to point out here the one great advantage of the baths over the surf, which is the opportunity of learning to swim, which is seldom presented in a rough surf like ours. Although they might appear to l?e a little extravagant or even fantastic to our penurious councillors, I should like to sot down a few possible improvements which would once again make St. Clair Baths a thronged resort in summer time. Firstly, the problem of sand accumulation must be solved, and I would suggest that a competent engineer be consulted on this allimportant question; secondly, the whole of the equipment and fittings, such as divine board, conveniences, seating (concrete seems to become a little hard after an hour or two) could he renewed or repaired and painted; thirdly, the caretaker should be allowed sufficient remuneration to enable him to take a pride in the place and keep it spick and span. Again, the growing appreciation of the value of hot salt and steam baths by people whose brains and bodies are easily strained by the rush and noise of modern life has apparently been rather neglected by our present and past councils, for the baths and fittings in this department are in an absolutely disgraceful state. The caretaker endeavours to keep the baths clean, but how can one polish fittings which are eaten through with rust? v If only the respected members of our council could visit the baths and see what needs to be done themselves, I am certain that they would realise that the expenditure ot a large sum would bo more than justified to make them once again the daily visiting place cf hundreds of citizens. It is readily granted by all that it is socially desirabl© that all children . should be taught to swim, and I merely ask what better place could be found than in the healthy, sunny, warm salt water baths at St. Clair.—l am, etc., Salt Water. November 28.