New-York tribune., 1902-02-21
FOR MORE PUBLIC BATHS.
OF A SUM APPROPRIATED IN 1896 $4,000
Is STILL AVAILABLE.

A special report on the subject Of free baths in
this city is being prepared and will be submitted
President Cantor early next week by a com
mttee OF the New-York Association for ImproV-
ing the Condition of the Poor The members OF the
committee are John S Ward. tr. Constant A An
drews. Robert S. Minturn. Percy R. Pyne. William
". Hoppin, Eugene Delano Leonard z. OpdycKe
and Frank Tucker general agent of the associa-
ton
Mr.. Tucker who is the secretary Of the com
mittee, told a Tribune reporter yesterday IN the
United Charities Building that under law OF 1870
providing for system of public baths ana coHlioIl
stations, the city authorized to issue bonds IN
the of 800 carry out the provisions OF
the act. OF that sum s12500O had been appropriated
and spent follows: For the Rtvlngton-st PAIN
$4,000. and for the public comfort stations III
City Hall Park, $4,000 The sum OF S16,0o was
therefore available for appropriation by the Board
of Estimate for a further development Of the public
bath system
Mr.. Tucker remarked, however, that $4,000 was
Inadequate for any considerable Development OF me
public bath system The committee VIII report 10
President Cantor certain findings, showing the de
mans one for a hat building on 50 foot lot and
another on a 25-foot lot Estimates will be given
certain humber Of sites viii be Indicated by the
committee where in their Judgment pup Pn9hc M paths h
a Comprehensive statement on the subject OF puonc
bare ~ T he " comnittec have made investigations
not only in this city hut in Boston Philadelphia
BY the city; Baltimore has two. PHILADELPHIA . has
one public bath owned by n privat9 6sS2gaC4I b if
and Buffalo has
The New-York Association for Improving the
Condition of the Poor In 1882 spent $4,000 in build
ing public bath for the benefit Of the working
people in Mott-st-, near Grand-st For elSht years
II well patToniZcd. and then discontinued
for lack of patronage. No attempt was made un-
Ill 1891 either by the public authorities private
bodies. provide bathing facilities for people or
small means forced 10 live in tenement houses. In
that year, however. the association built the REQ
pies Baths at No. Centre Market Place, at cost
of S2S.Oo0 They became at n great popular
success. There a large increase every year
in the number Of baths taken, until IN the year
ending September So 1900. 13l 900 baths taken
by men, women and children in the city.
Mayor Strong. in July, 1885, appointed a commits
sion to investigate the question OF public baths
and after exhaustive investigation, the commits
sion advocated the establishment of q system or
public baths be maintained by the city. Legs
lation obtained in 1886. authorizing the city to
spend 500 900 public baths and comfort stations.
and the Rivington-st. bath was planned as the
first OF this system of public baths The bath was
opened the public March %. 1901.
Other free baths in New-York open all the year
round not maintained by the city. are the baths in
the University Settlement Building, in RiVington-
st: the baths OF the Riverside Association. at No.
80 West SiXty-ninth-st., and the baths in the new
Settlement House at Fifticth-st. and Tenth-ave-