St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1905-07-05

discuss 1t by sections. The lord mayor
moved the passage Of each section and
called on some member Of the council
to second his motion. The question was
then open to general debate, and any
citizen of Manchester could speak for
or against it. Many speeches were
made, and as a result some unimpor
tant amendments were agreed to- and
when every one had had his say the
motion to indorse the action Of the
council was put and passed without
dissenting vote.
What struck me as extraordinary
was this: Here was measure which
combined in itself all that Is radical In
the movement for public ownership.
1t committed the city to q closer part
nership with O private business cor
poration. 1t authorized large expendi-
ture for houses which would compete
with those owned by landlords. 1t pro-
posed an extension of municipal tram
ways beyond the corporate limits OF
Manchester, thereby establishing new
precedent which may gridiron Great
Britain with steel railways owned and
operated by municipalities. 1t bestow-
ed other powers Of constructive ma
ture on the officers Of the council, and
yet not a citizen of Manchester nor an
accredited attorney of any vested In
terest uttered one sentence or express
ed one sentiment against the general
principle Of the establishment and ex
tension Of municipal enterprises.
One of the distinctive features Of the
modern British city is its system Of
public baths and laundries. The latter
are termed "washhouses.' Liverpool
and Manchester are especially progress
i've in these institutions. Liverpool has
expended or appropriated more than q
million dollars on its public baths.
The CORVALLIS street baths of Ltv-
erpool compare favorably with any
public or private establishment, no mat
ter where located, save perhaps in the
matter of useless adornments. Liver
pool has a comprehensive system Of
public lighthouses, and 1t is its proud
boast that no citizen is more than a
few minutes walk from a public bath
ing establishment.
The CORVALLIS street baths cost
about $125,0OO, and Liverpool has
begun the construction of buildings
at Pier Head which will demand an
expenditure of $375,000. l made a
careful inspection of some of these
establishments. The swimming pools
are large, and the temperature of the
water is automatically regulated.
There are several classes Of baths with
varying prices, and one can have a
plain tub bath with hot and cold wa
ter, soap, sponge and towels, all for
the sum of cents In our money or a
penny in theirs. Two days in the week
this price is cut in half. You could
not get as good a bath in the best ho-
tel in Liverpool or London for fifty
times the money.
The average price Of plunge bath,
with the use Of the pool as long as de-
sired, is less than 6 cents. But the
free open baths Of Liverpool are more
interesting and hardly less attractive.
Whenever it is possible to secure an
open space the baths department con
structs q pool, provides warm water
and erects shelters for the little ones
One day last summer $500 lads used
one Of these open baths.
While the receipts from LiverpooPs
baths are large, there is, Of course, ar
annual deficit Last years receipts
were about $4,000, and the deficit was
not far from the same amount. But
this is one Of the enterprises conduct
ed without hope Of financial gain. The
city is fortunate in its baths engineer
and chief superintendent W. r. Court
a man who has been connected witt
bathing establishments for years and
| to whose energy and forethought is
due the planning and success Of the
''slum baths"
1--WE believe" said Mr.. Court in the
course of thorough inspection Of
these baths, that it is as important tt
teach the children to battle as 1t is tt
teach them to read and write. The boy
who acquires an ambition to have {
clean body will find way to an educa
ton. If l have any criticism to maxi
concerning our system as it stands to
day it Is that we have paid too mucl
attention to first class baths and no
enough to those within absolute toucl
of the mass Of our working classes
We shall accomplish that in a very fey
years from now"
A picturesque and practical adjunc
to many Of these bathing establish
ments is the system Of washhouses
or public laundries. The average tene
ment house dweller in Liverpool and 1