CORRESPONDENCE.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 11816, 13 November 1901, Page 1

CORRESPONDENCE.

We are not responsible for the opinions expressed by correspondents. The writer's name, as a guarantee of good faith, must be enclosed in the letter. SALT WATER BATHS., (To the Editor). Sir, — Efforts to secure support \ o a scheme for supplying New Plymouth with public baths have as yet met with no success, and 1 tJhink that" the reason is probably that few persons have any idea of wihat is proposed. 1 confess that i am one of these, and it is with a view to eliciting information ami giving an opportunity to those who wish to collect money for the project of putting their case the public that I now write to you. In the first place I assume that it cannot be seriously urged that public baths are a necessity in a small town like New Plymouth. Evei^ one here has' a plentiful supply of pure fresh water, and can procure for a few shillings all necessary means of washing his body. Salt water bathing (except when pryncribed for health purposes) would only be indulged in under any oivcumstances by about one person in^a hundred, and it is not surprising, from this point of view, that ninety nine persons should object to. gaXio any .^xpenso f,or tlhAgto^&bm'fop*. But whilst it /is doubtless tins view that has properly prevented the>Borough Council from consenting/ to, de- „ vote any part of the rates * which we pay (sand they ai'e^high enough in all conscience and badly wanted-, .for actual necessaries), there is another aspect from which to consider the subject. No doubt New Plymouth is i so situated that it would be absurd , to construct baths unless such a* would. be within the rise of the tide i and thus be kept pure and sweet by J its action. Salt water soon becomes putrid if stagnant, and sILJy accumulations would quickly render disgusting any baths the water iv * which is not constantly changed , and to change the water effectually by artificial means wo.uld be so cosY ly as to be quite out of the ques- ' tibn. There are, it seems to me, only two means by which sea bathing can be afforded here — except near tho breakwater on the one side, and I near the Henui river on the other side, where there is still sufficient sandy beach to render bathing enjoyable. I am not an engineer, but i taking into consideration the almost irresistible force with which ~ the surf breaks on the sea shore here, I fear that no baths ("unless costing several thousands of pounds,, would stand if constructed below high water mark. If this be so this r disposes of the project from this c point of view also. Besides, artificial baths of such a nature as could be constructed are not by any means attractive, and would certainly not be used "by many persons — especially as fresh water is almost essential after a sea water bath, and those who are contented with a fresh water bath alone are enormously in the majority. There is yet another 1 point to be considered, and this I think a most important one. Whilst x (except of course in cities of large population') no artificial baths attract any bathers, there cannot be the slightest doubt that bathing and paddling on the sandy beach ia n found to be a most absorbing past- T ime by almost all those who live in g proximity to a suitable sea beach. J cannot but f ancy that if we had ■ a suitable sea beach at New Plymouth such as there is .near the breakwater it would not- only be a blessing to those who live here-~men, women, and children, — but also a means of inducing others to visit our town during summer, and probably to re- _ side here.' Some time ago you pub- ' lished an article on this subject, and reprinted from a Magazine a full b description of some patent groynes f< the use of which had converted rocky g) shores like our own into sandy b^a- v ches, on which thousands of men. _ women, and children disport themsel- ™ yes every summer. In our case such a S1 reclamation from the ocean wouli be especially useful as it would effectually protect our railway reclamation and pz-event the erosion whi-jh is gradually taking away acres of j. valuable land. Some tune ago I un- r deavoured to induce the Minister for Railways to construct a few groynes and I consulted our then local En gineer, Mr G-. F. Robinson, on the subject . He was Kind enough to prepare arid furnish me with plans - and specifications of the necessa-v groynes, which he was of opinioa could be built for £40 each. I also t consulted Mr Strauchon (Chief Sur- I veyor) on the subject, and found that he had already 'drawn attention to it and endeavoured to induce tha Railway Engineer to construct some groynes. However, nothing has been done by the Railway Department in this direction, and, as 1 cannot wonder that the Borough Council declines, in the interest of the majority of the ratepayers, to expend rate 3 in such an experiment, I fear that, unless a sufficient sum (say £160 for four groynes) can be raised by sub- " t scription nothing is likely to be | attempted. For such a purpose I may add I for one am quite willing . to subscribe, and 1 feel sure that Mr J Strauchon would willingly : give his valuable aid and counsel in carry in £ out the necessary operations. Trusting that some of your readers whl pursue the subject in your columns, —I am,&c, OLIVER SAMUEL. New Plymouth, 9th November, 1901. MUNICIPAL REFORM. (To the Editor.) Sir,— lf anything were wanting to prove the need of a reform in , the - management of Borough affairs the ' state of our footpaths supply "\v-the I evidence. Flimsy as was the method * of tarring the paths, the result was enjoyed *ir.. smooth walking and less dust. Latterly, however, the paths are being allowed to wear into holes the veneer of tar is rapidly disap- ' pearing One naturally fears that we are in for a very bad time this summer Apart from the misery and inconvenience to olirselves what can I visitors think of us when they sco 1 our streets. Our Mayor is all very well as far as the ornamental pa-t of his office is concerned, and he does his best in other respects, bul. it seems to me that both as regard -3 the Mayor and the Councillors we want more progressive and up-to-date men, and an engineer appointed at a salary, who would be held responsible for all public works.— l

RATEPAYER.