The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1856-04-13

We publish In another column some extracts
from British journals showing how the London
authorities are getting up public baths for the
people, and giving them musical entertain
msnts gratis, in the open air, on Sundays. An
association has been formed under the title of
the COMMITTEE for Promoting the Establish
ment Of Public Baths and Warehouses;" and
has met with ouch success that several baths
have already been established under the au-
thority of the Metropolitan Board of Works,
and expect to prosecute their work, until, .
short while hence, all London can wash itself
all over every day of the week for the mersst
tride. At the same time q military band has
been ordered to play in Kensington Gardens
on Sunday evenings, and in other public
places. These reforms have not been carried
out without opposition from the clergy. That
was to be expected Quite a number Of
reverend gentlemen, religious dilenanh, and
the performance Of music on Sundays, and
have done their best to drive the people to their
old eDjOyAents Of the ale house, the gin shop
and the private wife beating afterwards.
They have succeeded 30 far as to prevent the
opening of the National Gallery and the British
Museum on Sundays But hitherto they have
been unable to prevent the band playing in the
parks on the same day. In the extracts we
give, il will be seen how o deputation Of white
cravated gentry were choked of by Sir Benja-
min Hall when they came to demonstrate on
this very question.
T. 10
is in advance OF England in political science
and political economy. and such is no doubt
the case. But it is quite plain that in the
smaller matters of social life and social econo-
my, the European cities are in advance of US
1t is easy to account for the fact: their necessi
ties have been greater than ours; their poor are
more numerous and suffer more; their attention
has been longer directed to the subject. But
without stopping to look for the cause we may
take the effect for granted. The cities of
Europe are better paved, better lit, better pc
Iced, better governed than ours. Property is
no doubt safer there; and, quite certainly, life
is more enjoyable. A poor man in Paris
which may be taken as type both of we'll
regulated city, municipality speaking, and of
city where it is pleasant to ive-has far more
wholesome eDjoyments than the same man
here. He enjoys the sight of the finest streets
and seine Of tie finest edifces in the world for
nothing. He has access to the Louvre, with its
paintings and statuary, to the Pantheon,
to the great churches, to the noble
libraries, even to the imperial palaces at GER
tain seasons, ali for nothing. Of an afternoon
he is RECALLED with the finest music that has
been written, in splendid gardens which are
thrown open to him; he can go to the univer
sity or the colleges and hear the greatest men
OF the day lecture upon every subject history,
law, medicine, science, agriculture, &c.-all
for nothing If he is i'll he has access to hos.
pitfalls where the first medical talent crowds
round his bed. When he is well the whole
imperial power is exerted TO keep him in
health; no man can deposit unwholesome mat.
ter near his door or his window; no man can
sell him BAD meat or sdulterated wine, or
unwholesome bread; In summer he can battle
for two or four cent?, (but the latter is aristo-
cratical and almost foppish,) and disport him.
self in the cool Seine by the hour; in winter
thousands of cafes offer him warm, comfort.
able and respectable resort with a cup OF
coffee and a newspaper, for few sous; and
whatever he does, so long as he does not try
to injure his neghbors or plot against the EN-
peror, he is safe from annoyance or question
of any kind. The same eujoyments here can
not be commanded by the man who spends
twenty thousand year. Many of them can
not be bad Of all
And yet there does not appear to be sny
coed reason why we should not do something
here towards providing wholesome enjoyments
for the million at small cost or at no cost a.
ALL Batbhouses, for instance, would be
great blessing, an infinite blessing
in these dreadful summer months Of ours, and
there is no reason why they should not be self
supporting. Commodious bath houses, pro-
perly situate and well administered, could not
fail to command an extensive support, if the
price were go low that every mechanic could
afford to send his sons frequently. Three cents,
for instance, for gambol in the cool Hudson
on July evening, would be cheap enough IL
every man, and yet what a revenue might pe
raised from few thousand bathers In old
hoiAe; ~nlSA may NAVE peeu HALL Hs large
again as New York, or perhaps trife more,
there were $50 public baths; and after the ad-
ministration of Agrippa, the largest of thee
were fed with hot and cold water gratis
Throughout the East, at the present day, there
is hardly village 80 poor that it has not its
public bath; indeed, Mahometan cannot dis.
charge his religious duties without washing.
st. Petersburg, Berlin, Vienna have all admi-
rable public baths. So has Paris; and 30 in q
short time will have London. Who W., take
the initiative in the public bath movement
here?
The question Of Sunday enjoyments is
equally important. As general rule, the
people of New York may be said to sleep on
Sunday. Many go to church; a few, .Sice
but even thaso have a holarna of TINA ora 2