Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1901-08-02
FREE PUBLIC BATHS.
DEMAND FOR THEIR INSTITUTION IN
MANY CITIES.

Public Health and Good Citizenshfp
Are Encouraged and Advanced by
Cleanliness A Helpful Movement
For Mans Retirement.
Free public baths was the subject OF
a paper read recently by Il. +. Filling
hast, editor of The Democrat. before
the Contemporary club of Davenport.
Ia, Mr. Tillinghast said:
According to all the light | have
been able to find, the world and the
particular part of it we live in is al
most if not quite as much in need of
baths as of books, of water and soap
in liberal quantities, as of art CALLER
les, of swimming pools where all may
plunge as of parks which are available
for use but half the time.
Il am not Indifferent to any institu-
ton which makes for the public good.
/ is not easily possible to overestimate
the value to community of free libra
ries and reading rooms, of public parks
with free concerts in them. of all the
expressions that show the kinship OF
the people. They are all worthy and
absolutely essential to the higher social
balance.
But who would think of building
museum before provision had been
made for an abundant supply of pure
water or of putting the peoples money
into a driveway before the establish
ment of a fire department? So when it
comes to paying out the revenue Derry
ed from municipal taxation there must
be discrimination between necessities
and luXuries. 1t does not follow, how
ever, that all necessites-those Of the
more practical sort mean-are to be
acquired before considering the Gull
tural, the ornamental and those which
look toward the cheerful side of life.
\ symmetrical city is like n we'll bal
anced man. 1t is not given to one sided
development.
"In further explanation of the posi-
ton taken in this paper it should be
understood from the first that the pub
lie bath advocated is not a summer
plaything for children or a winter char
ity for their elders. 1t is given the dig
nifty it deserves, that of an educational
institution, one which may properly be
made a part of the public school syS-
TEN, one which would not be inconsist-
ent or incongruous if brought under the
same roof with library. The ultimate
as we'll as the immediate aim is the
public health and its preservation. IL
any municipal function transcends this
in vital interest, l must plead igno-
rance of it,"
Concerning the needs of Davenport
Mr. Tillinghast said:
THE population of Davenport today
nears 10000, and the growth is not less
than 1000 annually. We are advancing
beyond the country town period and
entering the progressive city stage. We
want to increase materially, but not by
fakir methods. How can it be done
best and most permanently?
by providing those means which
make for better citizenship-by i'm
proving the schools, by charging the
parks, by building and using the libra
ry and so conducting it that it will be
increasingly patrOnized. To these edu-
cational and recreative advantages let
us add free public bath in the name
of health, comfort and content. Let it
be open every day in the year to men,
women and children-to the young wo-
man who works for her living and can
not afford the necessity she is often de-
prived of, to the mechanic. the artisan
and the workingman of every class.
I'VE have thousands of toilers who
spend their days in the shops and fac
tories They live in modest, too often
not the most cheerful, homes. y bath
will uplift them. make them more self
respecting. y plunge after the day ia
their dngy working places will be an
inspiration. 1t will invigorate, it will
stimulate ambition. All this can be
demonstrated beyond any question. IL
has been proved as often as it has been
fairly tried.
THE we'll to do citizen in building
his home provides for his bath. This
often comes before the library. But it
is fact that here in Davenport, with
an abundant supply of pure water.
there is nothing better than the pri-
vate tub. This is inadequate even in
the best of homes. The private home.
however we'll appointed, cannot have
the swimming pool. And this city Ia
poorly supplied with the simplest or
bathing facilities. The best are utterly
unknown. The exact number of build
ings in Davenport is not material, bur
the board of health gives it as 7,03S
and the number of families as 1857.
The number of houses taking water Is
1914, one-half the dwellings without
the public water supply and conse-
n1pntlU without hMt tho
primitive bathing facilities. The total
number of bathtubs registered is but
1,133, and the total number using these
bathtubs. estimated very carefully. is
5,665, or less than l6 per cent of the
population. This more than sustains
my contention and shows a condition
not at all creditabe so far as sanitary
opportunities go. The need OF i'm
proved conditions is urgent. Thou
sands amODU Suffar tho nOrSnnqs