The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-09-29
Weekly Letter on
Municipal Rffairs
xvII.-MUNIcIPAL HEALTH RE-
SORT.


SORT.
~REAT BRITAIN seems to have gone mad on
the subject ot municipaization Starting
NJ in with the more practical Of the public
utilities II apparently proposes to run the
entire gamut Of municipal possibilities before
resting its aurels. Enormous sums OF money
have already been invested in water, gas, ecc.
trio lights, tramways and lodging houses hy the
municipalities until IL would seem that the end
OF the enterprise in this direction would soon be
reached. But the end is not yet
Glasgow has filled all America with Utopian
ideas as to how the modern city should conduct
its affairs and has led all other British cities
in the establishment of municipal plants. But
now the smaller city Of Brighton comes forward
to share in Glasgow's possibility, or probably,
to lead in the race. IA health resort it has
long been famous, but for many years past it has
mad strong competition, so much SO that the
power Of its attractions seemed to be on the
wane The municipality as a corporation put its
shoulder to the wheel, proposing to once more
| turn the tide of popularity in its favor. For
years 1t has been living on the glories Of its
past and its natural beauty and advantages and
| comparatively little effort has been made to
maintain the prestige of its undisputcd popu
| larity For this reason Of the features
which have been capable of development have
| been almost wholly neglected. The most no.
| ticcable asset of this nature is the aquarium.
| The aquarium was Professionally opened in 1872,
and was finally thrown open to the general public
| in the following year. The scheme originated in
| 1860 in the mind of the city engineer, who had
visited Boulogne and been greatly impressed
| with its magnificent aquarium. lie returned to
| Brighton with the idea that a marine aquarium
| might he constructed in England upon scale
| hitherto uninterrupted. The idea speedily took
shape, the vast popularity Of Brighton suggested
1t as the best locality, and without delay bill
! Itrag t,tr, ,,,, t1,p
| projectors to acquire the real estate necessary
to its establishment. And the scheme was
| launched, developed TO a limited degree, but
| never carried out on the grand scale marked out
by its projectors. Until recently the property has
lain in this dormant condition. but still full Of
| latent possibilities.
| Now Brighton secs her opportunity and intends
| to make the most Of it. The bodncss with which
| the municipality plunges into any venture which
| is likely to improve the status Of the popular
| health resort and which will help TO attract
visitors from the busy metropolis and other crowd
| ed cities, has always been a noticeable feature
| in the municipal life Of Brighton. 1t was bold
| stroke, for instance, on the part OF the cor
| poration to secure possession of that fantastic
pavilion which George " erected in a moment
Of extravaganza when It became vacant, and the
uses to which 1t has been put add not little
to the attractions Of the town. The corporation
has for years past sunk huge sums of public
strike terror into the hearts of some timid
| Americans in developing the parades, the Ma
| deira walks, and the promenadcs along the sea-
| shore, until at last the corporation has out
| stripped seaside rivals all along the coast in
the matter Of luxurious attractions for the visi-
tor This latest venture then, is in keeping
with the progressive tendencies Of a progressive
municipality.
| For some time past the poor aquarium-stocked
with all manner of good things in the fish line
has, somehow or other, come to be regarded as
| place to he left unviSited Whether it be
that the entertainments provided are not of
| sufficiently high class character, or whether the
seaside visitor has lost his interest in things pis
| cotoria it is difficult to deCide it is sufficient
| to say that the aquarium company was not sat
isfed with the return on its capital and recently
the opportunity was seized of dsposing Of the
undertaking, at a very fair price, to the munici.
pality.
As has already been indicated, the corporation
| has lost no time in taking steps to restore the
| popularity of the aquarium and thereby add to
| its own attractivCncss. OF course, the scheme
| agreed upon is yet in its embryonic stages and
months, maybe years, will elapse before all the
details are filled in But with the true American
instinct for getting the worth of its money, the
| proposed plans are to he widely advertised and
the impression given that many of the features
will be among the attractions OF the coming sea-
SON. 1t is suggested that in addition To the
aquarium the city should provide winter gar
den, a concert room, an improved terrace and
sea baths. Opinion seems to he divided, among
the city fathers, as TO the wisdom of the last
proposal, for whereas some members are confident
that the aquarium site the council could make
the finest sea water baths in the world, others,
more timid. point out that Brighton is already
| provided with a municipal swimming bath, and
the lack Of success which has attended other
sea baths projects in the town should have de-
| off the council. However, the
small majority of the city fathers have set their
minds on municipal baths and the develop
mcnt of the larger project, and for the present
seems more likely to he carried through
With Barnumke enterprise it dwells upon the
| spectacular side Of the scheme. 1t proposes to
show how the masses and the classes can be made
to enjoy the benefits of this great municipal play
garden and yet not conflict with each other 1t
| will be thrown open to the general public at
certain hours of the day, and at another period
opened only to the "uppcr class" The price
of admittance will he graduated to the several
pocketbooks represented by the patrons and the
more sanguine of the projectors are already
counting up the profits which will accrue to the
municipality.
1t is proposed to expend s., 800 Immediately in
the development of designs, which will call for
| an outlay of more than 81 l,OO00OO during the next
twelve months The best architects in England
will be brought into competition, through the
offer OF large premiums who will submit elabor.
ate plans for the alteration and enlargement OF
the old aquarium, as to harmonze with the
larger scheme.
In addition to well.stoCked aquarium, there
is at the present time on the site a theacr organ
shooting gallery, billiard room, restaurant and
reading room. The whole building is over 7OC
feet in length, and has average width OF lOC
feet. The old building will be literally swal
lowed up by the larger and magnificent
structure which will ultimately be erected upon
this site. The winter garden, the concert hall
and the ball room will be fitted up with every
modern convenience which inventive skill has
made practicable, while the appointments Of the
ball room particularly, will rival anything of the
kind in Europe, for that is one of the features
which will be set aside for the Use of the titled
classes only When completed this will be the
largest venture of its kind ever undertaken by
municipality, and its operation will be watched
with considerable interest both side of the