PONSONBY BATHS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13649, 17 January 1908, Page 7

PONSONBY BATHS.

MATTER TO BE RECONSIDERED. SUGGESTED SHELTER sheds. The Streets Committee- of the City Council, in reporting at last night's meeting of the Council on the question of the proposed Ponsonby baths, stated thai; the city engineer had: reported that he had' had soundings taken of the new site ■which the Harbour Board had suggested should be adopted for the construction of the baths. The report showed that the cost of the hatha by the moving of the site 100 ft seaward would entail an additional expenditure of at least £850 to £1000. To facilitate the construction of the baths the engineer had asked the contractors to submit an estimate of the additional amount- they would require to carry out the work on the new site. Mr. •T. 11. Upton, the owner of the property immediately to the east of Shelly Beach lioad, had written to the engineer of the Harbour Hoard objecting to the proposed site. The engineer had prepared it .sketch plan showing an Alternative proposal for the erection of dressing-rooms on Shelly Befell l{oad about, high-water mark in lieu of an actual bath, at an estimated cost of £800 or £900; but the design could be modified to suit any sum. It would be well to ascertain the Council's legal position, both as regards Mr. Upton's letter and the dressing-room proposal. It was resolved by the committee that the city engineer should report on the question of providing additional bathing accommodation on another site, and that shelter sheds be erected at Shelly Beach at a cost not exceeding £200.

Mr. C. J. Parr said this was the second time that the committee had gone back on the proposed baths scheme by recommending the erection of shelters. The Mayor (Mr. A. M. Myers) said that the committee had recommended the _ acceptance of a tender for the baths, but since then the Harbour Board had altered the line of the proposed esplanade. This alteration would involve an additional expenditure of £900 or £1000. Under the circumstances the committee thought that the whole matter should be reviewed. The committee felt that it should obtain further information before carrying out a scheme involving an expenditure of over £4500. There was no desire to shelve the question. Mr. Parr did not think that shelter sheds would be of any use. All sorts of characters congregated there, and 'he was afraid that if sheds werw erected the last _ state would be worso than the first. He did not think thore was any possibility of getting a more suitable site than that already chosen, but the matter should 'be settled.

Mr. W. C. 'Somere agreed with Mr. Parr that shelter hods would be unsuitable.

Mr. A. J. Entrican said it seemed that they could not go' on with the baths until tho permanent line of the esplanade was fixed by the Harbour Board, Mr. Parr: It is fixed.

Mr. Entriean: If we spend £200 on shelter sheds it will probably defer the erection of the sheds for the n«xt two or three years. Mr. W. K. Hutchison said that the bathe would bo of no use whilst reclamation works were going on in the vicinity. Mr. R. Tudcliope said that at present they had not got. any decent salt water baths in the city. At present those who bathed at Shelly Beach had to place their clothes on tho beach, and he thought it would be wis© as a temporary measure to erect tho shelter sheds so that bathers could have some little comforts. Tho sheds would not interfere with the ultimate creation of tho baths. Mr. 11. M. Smeeton considered the sheds would bo of no usq unless they had a caretaker there. Mr. L. J. Bagnall said that he had previously opposed the site chosen for the baths on the ground that it was not central enough to meet tho convenience of tho bulk of the citizens.

Mr. Hutchison thought it would be absurd to expend £5000 on the batlis in view of the works that were likely to bo. undertaken in tho vicinity. /The sheds wero recommended by the committee as a temporary expedient. It. was agreed to allow the whole matter to stand over for a month, the engineer to further report as to the matter of site.