The Washington times., 1917-08-22
MRS. RHODES
URGES MORE
BATH POOLS
FOR CAPITAL
Fairgrounds Supervisor win Ask
Congress for 100000 to Aid
Project-Present Facilities
Greatly Inadequate.
By BILL PRICE.

The inadequate bathing facilities
Of Washington, at a time when the
nation should especially desire to de-
veIop physically and morally It's
young, will be impressed upon Con-
gress by Mrs. Susie R. Rhodes,
supervisor Of Fairgrounds, through
the District Commissioners. ~.
Mrs. Rhodes viii ask the Commits
sioners to place in their annual es-
Inmates 100000 for the eonstruc-
ton Of large pool, sufficient to &C.
commodate 1000 people at a time,
just north of the pools of the present
bathing beach. In addition she will
ask for the construction of pools in
portions of the city that are remote
from the bathing beach
LamentabIy inadequate.
Bathing facilities in Washington
are lamentably inadequate" Mrs.
Rhodes said today. mo large city in
the country is so far behind in CIV
us 49, PCOPAN dNNNSS ~ hEdlAnN T6CIe-
alton OF swimming as Washington.
We need greater liberality in this d.
rection, as well as in the direction Of
more Fairgrounds for the children of
Washington. We have before US the
appalling statistics that In England,
since the war began, Juvenile crime
has increased more than 30 per cent.
Aany children are left without par
entail restraint, and they roam the
streets, falling in with the worst eIe-
noents. More Fairgrounds is the so
luton of this possibility for wash
fngton. We must look more closely
after the moral and physical welfare
Of our young by afrordlng them
healthy outdoor exercise and diver
sion
There ought to be not only a great
central bathing beach, able to accom-
modate all who seek this pleasure,
but there should be a swimming pool
within walking distance OF every
school, with teachers present to in
stTuct the children in swimming
Beach Is overcrOwded.
There are frequently four. times as
many people at the Washington bath
ing beach as can be accommodated,
resulting in hundreds going away dis
appointed. The plans 1 have. in mind
are for the construction of an addi-
tional pool near the beach covering
an area OF two or three acres.
"Washington's population is increas-
ing by leaps and bounds, with large
transient population Of soldiers. This
year soldier boys have visited the
bathing beach by thousands, and
many % them have had to go away
because they could not wait for hours
for their tuSn TO go in
Throughout all of last year the to-
tai number OF patrons OF the bathing
beach and the three OF four swimming
pools elsewhere was $4,000. Up 20
August l OF this year 12s,OO0 persons
had bathed at the beach alone, with
thousands at the other pools. The to-
tai for the year will far exceed 10000
bathers.
Statistics gathered in the high
schools Of the District last year show
that only 50 per cent OF the high
school pupils Of Washington can
swim, simply because they have never
had opportunity to learn. In some
cities Of the country pupils are not
allowed TO enter high school until they
can swim. and in others they
can not graduate until they learn.
Mrs. Rhodes. who is a member
Of the Board OF Education OF the Dis
trfct, once offered a resolution in the
board providing that school children