ROTORUA BATH FEES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18018, 17 February 1922, Page 6

ROTORUA BATH FEES.

THE RECENT INCREASES.

PROTEST BY RESIDENTS.

REPLY BY MINISTER.

The 7 inereaso in the charges for the use of soveral of the baths and for treatment at Rotorna, and the discontinuance of the issue of commutation tickets, was tho subject of an adverso resolution passed recently by the Rotorua Chamber of Commerce. The resolution was conveyed to the Minister in charge, of Tourist Resorts, the Hon. W. Nosworthy, who has forwarded a reply in defence of the department's action,

In its letter to the Minister the Chamber of Commerce submitted that an increase of 100 por cent, on tho previous charges to visitors and 200 per cent, to residents was unreasonable, and that it would debar tho poorer class of visitors and residents from taking tho thorough course of baths required in the treatment of soveral complaints. In regard to the Blue and ladies' swimming baths it was remarked that in the chief centres of the Dominion swimming baths were established by municipalities in order to induce all classes, especially children, to learn to swim, and by increasing the charges for this class of bath by as much as 200 per cent, the department was adopting a policy quite opposed to modern practice. The chambor ventured tho opinion that tho anticipated increase in revenue would not materialise to tho extent expected by the department, owing to the lesser number of baths that would be taken. The Minister, in his reply, stated that tho fees were not raised without deep consideration. Tho increases, he said, were necessitated by the increased cost of maintenance and tho great loss incurred in running the baths on the old chaises. The new fees wero less than those charged at the celebrated English spas, The increased charges for the Priest, Postmaster, Electric, ond Blue baths wore not unreasonable, and the public received full value for what it paid. It seemed that the previous scale of fees charged to residents was unjustifiably low, and he could not see that the system of commutation tickets was at alf necessary. He said he saw no reason -why mineral waters should be considered in tho light of an ordinary commercial commodity, and a reduction made for the quantity used. Tho increased charges had justified themselves by resulting in a marked increase in revenue, and the average number x of bathers had not diminished. ,1111 Due provision, tho Minister added, had been made in the Sanatorium charges to enable the poorer class of the community to avail themselves of the baths and treatment.