The Putaruru Press. PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY PHONE 28 P.O. BOX 44 OFFICE OXFORD PLACE THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 1934. THE SWIMMING BATH

Putaruru Press, Volume XII, Issue 562, 8 March 1934, Page 4

The Putaruru Press. PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY PHONE 28 P.O. BOX 44 OFFICE OXFORD PLACE THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 1934. THE SWIMMING BATH

ANOTHER summer is passing away and with it another year’s hope for a public swimming bath in Putaruru. For the past few years members' of local bodies individually have supported the scheme: this year a committee was set up to consider possible sites, but the bath is not one iota further advanced. The Town Board, Chamber of Commerce, School Committee and the Swimming Club have all shown interest in the scheme this season, but it appears that the laissez faire attitude so often found in the activities of town institutions and needs has once more predominated against the common good. - It has been stated that the cost of the work is not prohibitive, an excellent spot by the Oraka stream is ready for transforming, and the owner of the land is prepared to assist to his utmost. A strong case can be outlined for the baths: it is more difficult to produce as good against it. The bath, when constructed, will be the only one between Rotorua and Matamata. A campaign even now vigorously prosecuted by the District High School should be stressed. The headmaster admits that a child receives too much assistance from the running water when being taught and too long elapses before it becomes a really proficient swimmer. All the teachers can do under present conditions is to give the learner first lesand cannot hope to teach it to swim efficiently. “ Provide us with a swimming bath and I will guarantee that very few children leaving school will hot be able to Swim, and swim well,” ;Mr. Hutton said recently. ~;This is, in, itself, an appeal for action, A carnival, has been concluded in an adjacent town where a fine swimming bath has been ‘ built, and the children’s keen participation in the swimming section has been a matter for comment in that town. Such is eloquent testimony, tpo. The present facilities for the practised swimmer in the swimming pools in the Oraka stream, while allowing of la. fairly good stretch of water,. are far beneath the wants of a town the size of Putaruru, where a proportion of the youth are enthusiastic swimmers. This matter should not be delayed for another year and the town looks to those presumably working in the interest of the bath to take some action before next summer.