SQUANDERED MONEY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21100, 6 February 1932, Page 2 (Supplement)

SQUANDERED MONEY.

BERMONDSEY'S " RED " COUNCIL. £195,000 FOR PUBLIC BATHS. NO MORE MONEY TO SPEND. The " Red " Council of Bermondsey, a suburb of London, which during the last few ytmrs has made itself notorious, says a London newspaper, by spending over £195,000 on public baths, nearly £BO,OOO on its own offices, sponsoring a scheme for a £45,000 Thames-side lido, and flying the Red Flag from tho Town Hall, is beginning to feel the draught. It has no more money to spend. Tho ratepayers have been bled white, and no\V there are sinister hints that the Ministry of Health is getting tired of .lending public money to spendthrifts. Recently an inquiry was held by the Ministry of Health to exam--1 ino the council's request for the loan : of " £48,705 Is sd, as excess expendi- | hire,*' incurred on tho erection of the municipal baths. In 1925 the Bermondsey " Reds " decided to construct municipal baths and j wash-houses by direct labour. They for an expenditure of approximately £146,000, all of which has been borrowed from the taxpayer. But before the work was finished the council needed a further £48,000 odd. Part of this vast sum was spent on expensive fittings, part on various " im piovements," which inventive councillors added as an afterthought, and part squandered owing to mismanagement, lack of experience and foresight, and other inevitable evils. Councillors' Fears Justified. The officials of the council had a thoroughly uncomfortable time at the inquiry. Misgivings had been expressed beforehand that the Ministry might refuse to " deliver tho goods," and these fears proved justified. The representative of the Ministry of Health drew attention to the fact that a large part of tho public's money had been spent on paying the council's employees at rates higher than Trade Union rates. Queries were raised as to the granting of money for certain purposes. And when the inquiry was completed no definite decision had been reached. The writer visited the town clerk of Bermondsey to ascertain what were likely to be the next developments in Bermondsey's "Rake's Progress." As ho approached the portals of the grandiose Town Hall, built with the ratepayers' money, an official dressed like a cinema attendant opened the door and directed him into tho vestibule, which is lined with Portland stone. After asconding an imposing marble staircase the visitor was shown into the presence of the town clerk. " I anticipate that there will be some queries as to certain items of expenditure," the town clerk said, " and I cannot say when the Ministry of Health is likely to sanction the loan. It is possible that objections may be raised to certain items, and perhaps a sum of ££ooo will be withhold." This £SOOO will have to be found by Bermondsey's hapless ratepayers, but 'the town clerk preferred to dwell on a more cheerful aspect of the case. " The baths are very well appointed," the town clerk said, and then added, with visible pride, " Part of the extra expenditure is due to the fact that we decided to insfal porcelain baths instead of old tin baths. As regards the running expenses, we do not try to make a profit, preferring to keep our prices low for the benefit of the poor. We believe that by spending money we can save it in the long run " Elaborate Baths Deserted. The writer adds:—" Overwhelmed by this last profound sentiment I left the Socialist Town Ilall, with its richly upholstered leather armchairs, its multitude of telephones—the town clerk had three by his desk—its recreation room fitted with a ping-pong table, and its municipal restaurant, and went to inspect the famous Bermondsey baths. " The building, which occupies a valuable commercial site, is surmounted by a magnificent clock. - At tho entrance a uniformed official stood—yawning. The Turkish baths were deserted. Not even the attraction of a Russian bath, with its hallowed associations with Moscow and Bolshevism, could induce Bermondsey's inhabitants to leave their homes on a coltl December evening and patronise the £195,000 municipal baths. Crowds wero queuing up a short distance down tho road—but for a cine;.ia, and not for a Russian bath. As an entertainment, Bermondsey's baths are a flop,' and as a monument of municipal extravagance they are a tragedy. " But there is hope for Bermondsey yet. At the last municipal election the municipal reformers increased their representation on the council by 50 per cent. The council is still overwhelmingly Socialist; but there are indications that if it attempts to embark on any further useless schemes it will not remain Socialist very much longer."