The San Francisco call., 1896-11-08
TEN CENTS NOW
FOR A LICK BATH
Otherwise Their Doors Must
:: Close to the Pub
lie.
Figures Show the Evolution OF
the Free Bath Into a
=. Pay Bath.
TRUST FUND WAS TOO SMALL.
Year After Year the Running Ex.
=. penses Have Far Exceeded the
Provided Income
TRUST FUND WAS TOO SMALL

Step by step and year by year the Lick
Free Baths" destined by their founder TO
be untrammeled as the air and freed from
the restraints of tollGates, are becoming
pay baths'' in the strictest sense of the
word, and those who have not where to
Law their heads have not now where to
bathe their bodies, unless they possess 10
cents.
So rapidly have the running expenses of
the great baths eaten into the reserve
fund that the trustees were forced to find
q new source of income or close the doors
: Of what was the dead phiIanthropist's fond
dream for benetiting the great unwashed.
The evolution of the free bath is an inter-
esting study, and its latest phase is told in
The following card, issued lew days ago:
NOTICE TO BATHERs.
At a meeting OF the board of trustees of the
James Lick Baths, held October 10, 1896, the
following order was adopted, viz:
"Res0lCed, That on and after November !,
1896, 10 cents each will be charged for baths,
the usual supplies accompanying same,
namely, towels, soap, etc"
This charge is necessary TO realize sufficient
revenue 10 pay taxes and expenses of main
tanning the James Lick Baths.
By order OF the board of trustees-John o.
Earl, James X. Wilson, II. E. Mathews. Jacob
Slerns trustees.
1t is the opinion of all who are familiar
with the Lick estate and the various
trusts that the old millionaire established
that the baths have been the weak spot
the one great failure.
The following language created the bath
trust and sought 10 maintain the enter
prise free'for all time TO come:
"And. in further trust, to eXpend the
sum of one hundred and fifty thousand
dollars $3.50 000) under the direction of
H. NJ. Newhall, Ira P Rankin Dr. J. D.
y G+if Toh, n
vivors OF them, IN the erection and main
tanning in the City of San Francisco free
baths; the site OF sites therefor TO be ac-
quired and held by the persons last
named and the survivors of them in trust
to forever maintain such baths Tor the free
use OF the public under proper and reason
able. regulations; SAID baths to be erected
as soon as practicable 10 raise the money
after the money mas been provided 10
erect said telescope"
Under the term proper and reasonable
regulations" the trustees get their au-
thority to charge for towels. They so con-
structed the expression and the courts
have upheld them In their construction.
These baths were opened in November
1890 and a charge OF cents was assessed
for towels. The fee resulted in an attack
on the management by many people. The
Federated Trades passed resolutions OF
censure and others denounced the trus-
tees.
A little mathematics, however, will
demonstrate plainly that there must be
an income aside from the reserve fund or
the baths must be closed. The original
sum of $150,000 has about melted and
there is no longer an income of interest.
The real estate and improvements cost
Sl2S, 600 and the furniture $1,000. Vacant
lands, worth about SIS, 900, remain intact
ana bring in small rental.
The following figures tell the story of
the first five years management of the
trust:
Taxes for five years $4,652 35, running
expenses $45, $50, renoTaIions and i'm
provements $39l1 81. Against this ex-
penditOre there has been the following in
COME: Rents $3.50 so, interest $247I 70, In
come on towels $26, 1885, Excess of ex-
penses $50, ,534 81.
The deficit has been made up hereto
fore from the surplus that has now melted,
thereby cutting off the income from in
terest. The expenses the past year have
been: Taxes $1306 So running expenses
$7823 10, Improvements $50. The income
has been: Interest $S4 %, rents spots So
from towels S5l42 60.
1t will thus be seen that the excess of
expenditures has been Tor the past wear
$lS56 81.
The trustees were confronted with the
alternative of increasing the income or
closing the baths. They spent too much
money1n building the baths to allow a
reserve fund that would forever maintain
them from the interest. If the 1O-cent fee
for towels does not maintain the baths
now they will have to be closed or the fee
will have to be raised