BEAUTIFUL BATHS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12636, 22 May 1919, Page 4

BEAUTIFUL BATHS.

LATEST SYSTEMS DESCRIBED. MR G. E. BILLSON’S IMPRESSIONS Air 0. 10, Rill son, who before ho left New Zealand for service abroad was! custodian of tho local Municipal Baths, and who resumes his duties in that capacity at the expiration of his leave, about tiny middle of June, has supplied a “Star” representative with some interesting details regarding what ho saw of baths in the various centres ho' lias visited. “At Ocean Beach, Durban, there exists ono of tho finest open-air salt water baths in the world,’’ said Mr Billson. “It is situated just off the beach, and is surrounded bv beautiful gardens and grass plots. Its length is 100 yards, its width thirty yards, and it is open to both soxes all day long. At night it is electrically illuminated. Tho temperature of the water is about 80dog to 85deg, and bathing under such conditions is most delightful.” PADDLING POOLS. A feature of Durban is what are known as “ paddling pools,” which are from nine to fifteen inches in depth, where hundreds of kiddies daily disport themselves. It may bo pointed out that a similar institution, on a smaller scale, is installed ut the Public Gardens, and Hr Billson emphasised the advantages which would accrue if pools of the kind were established on the Sumner aud New Brighton benches. “ In tho suburbs of Capo Town,” said Mr Billson, “ I saw much the same thing, and both there and at Durban the baths were free to all soldiers.” A system of heating the water for private baths by electricity had just been installed at Capo Town, and was, Up till the timo of Mr Billson’s visit, a success. Since his return to New Zealand, he has written to the custodian inquiring as to tho progress of the. experiment, having in view the possibility of local development on the same lines. “At Camp Bay, Cape Town,” Mr Billson continued, “ is a hot salt water hath, practically of the same dimensions as tho Christchurch bath, and outside it is a 1 sun bathing ’ area,' where those who have bathed may he ou the sand basking in the sun. At certain times this bath is open to persons of both sexes. All round the beaches in. tho vicinity of Cape Town are baths something after the style of the Sydney rock-hewn baths. To Muizenberg, about twenty miles from Cape Town, a fast service of trains runs during the summer months especially for. bathers. B AT[tS IN ENGLAND. rtWheu I reached, England, I got irtto touch with a number of old swimmers, but found that, as in New Zealand, tho sport had suffered severely by the war.. It was not until I came back from Germany ■ that I was able to do much in the way of seeing bathing establishments. While waiting for embarkation on my return voyage to New Zealand, I secured twenty-eight days’ special leave for the purpose of visiting baths. 1 inspected oaths in Manchester, Leicester, Nottingham, Newcastle, Glasgow, Paisley, Dunfermline, Dundee and London. Andrew" Carnegie, wdio was bom iu Dunfermline, gave a couple of millions sterling to maintain in Scotland swimming baths, libraries, gymnasia and other public institutions, and to provide, free medical and dental attention to poor children. Something like £30,000 a year is available from this fund, and it all has to ho spent. In Manchester there is one of the finest and most up-to-date systems of baths and washhouses. The conditions that prevail there are totally different' from those in Now Zealand, and provision has to be made to permit of tile poorer class washing their clothes republic washhouses, on account of toe impossibility of their doing so at their own homes in tho congested areas. PUBLIC WASHHOUSES. “ These washhouses are largo institutions, and the facilities are available at a reasonable rate. They are under the control of Hr Derbyshire, lather of Robert Derbyshire, one-time English champion swimmer. Ho is undoubtedly one of the greatest authorities ou baths and bathing. Ho provided me Fitii facilities for seeing the best baths in Manchester, provided a guide, aud told me anything I wanted to know. The Victoria Bath cost something like £BO,OOO to build, and is one or tho show places of tho city. ' : The system of cleaning the baths is by filtration* by means of which the water can bo used again and again. I saw one bath the water in which had been used for six months, and it was just as clear as the wate'i; in the bath at Christchurch. The cost of ivater to fill the bath each day would bo prohibitive. Hie water is pumped out of the bath on to the top of the roof, aerated, or oxygenated, and then goes back into the bath, passing. through a filter en route, and the steam from the exhaust of the pump used in forcing the water to the roof passes into the W'ater and makes up tho heat lost in the process. Tliis, of course, is a great saving of heat. Practically the same system is iu vogue at many other baths which I visited, but in one town the water was only changed once a week, and ou ' clean water days ’ an extra charge was made for admission.” ENCOURAGING CHILDREN. Speaking of the attitude of local authorities towards schools and swim--ming dubs in regard to the use of baths, Air Billson said that without exception they afforded all the facilities they possibly could for school children. In some cases the children \ypre admitted to the baths free during certain hours, under tile coutrol of certificated instructors. He did not think swimming was actually compulsory in English schools, but children had no excuse for not learning the art. Mr Billson showed the reporter a copy of a scroll issued by the Chelmsford Corporation to school children, certify-, mg ns to the distance the holders hafl been able to swim. As far as swimming organisations were concerned, he said, the attitude of some of the local bodies was rather peculiar. At some places they were afforded every consideration, and at others they got none. GERMAN BATHS. Air Billson visited several baths when in Germany with the army of occupation. While at Cologne he obtained permission from the military authorities to interview too director of the Kaiser Wilhelm Baths at Kalk. The Gorman name for bath is “bad.” so “ Kaiser Wilbelm Bad,” as tbe baths wove called, looked like a belated and brief confession. The baths, said Air Billson, had been built at a cost of a million marks, and opened just about when the war broke out. “It is one of the most elaborate places I have seen,” he said. “It is fitted up with private Russian and Turkish baths, and a fine swimming pooh The British authorities requisitioned the use of the baths for three days a week for the army of occupation. Owing to the construction of the baths it is impossible for anyone to enter tbe swimming pool without first passim? through a shower bath, and this, of course, is a groat advantage.” Air Billson has brought home with him a number of illustrations, pamphlets. etc., relating to baths, which will doubtless prove useful when local bath requirements are being considered.