Evening star., 1925-06-09
Washington's Public Bath Needs.

with It's outdoor bathing problem. To-
day, owing to the failure of Congress
to make provision for public bath
ing beaches in the Tidal Basin, the
city, with nearly half million people,
is back where it was a quarter of a
century ago. Owing to the great in
crease in population and to the in
crease In the pollution of the Poto-
mac and Anacostia Rivers near Wash
ington, the situation really is much
worse than it formerly was.
When Congress does undertake to
solve this problem-and it could
scarcely be so lacking in appreciation
as to fail to tackle it at its next ses-
sion-it should undertake to build up
system Of public baths that looks
to the future as we'll as to the pres
ent. A few pools. here and there,
ing needs of a great city, growing
constantly greater, located in a sec.
ton where bathing can be partici-
pated in five months of the year.
Washington has a great river flow
ing past its doors. Always since the
city began its people have in consid-
cradle numbers bathed in it's waters.
1t is great potential source of out
door bathing, provided it can be made
reasonably safe from a sanitary point
of view and provided proper beaches,
lighthouses and guards are established
and maintained.
The United States Public Health
Service. under the direction of Surg.
Gen. Cumming, and in cooperation
with the public health officer of the
District. is about to begin survey of
the Potomac River which may point
the way for Congress to make Poto-
mac River bathing safe and sanitary.
The waters of the river are polluted
10y sewage under existing conditions.
But there is reason to believe that
through further development and i'm
provement of the system of sewers
and sewage disposal great reduction
in this pollution can be brought about.
The survey by the health authorities
will disclose the extent Of pollution
and the engineering projects needed
to clean up the water. These projects
ture of money; they may require time.
But such works are not merely for
today There are other reasons be-
sides outdoor bathing why steps
r1D "a rahGGp
ton in the Potomac River and to pre-
vent it's ever becoming nuisance and
a disease breeder as the population
constantly grows.
The criticism that Washington has
fallen behind other great American
municipalities, has not kept pace in
the development of its school system,
in its streets and highways, has been
made frequently. There is no shadow
Of doubt but what it has been and is
sadly lacking in public bathing facili-
ties when compared to other cities.
Chicago, New York, Boston and many
smaller cities have spent great sums
to provide their people with public
baths, and many of them have been
far more progressive than Washing
ton in the matter of disposing of sew
age so as to minimize the pollution
of the streams and lakes on their
borders. Washington has to look al
ways to Congress for relief In such
matters, for Congress holds the purse
strings and says where and how the
money shall be expended.
The report of the Public Health
Service on its survey of the Potomac
River, which will be completed long
before Congress assemblies, should pro-
vide the necessary information upon
which the legislators can act intelli-
gently and promptly to remedy the
situation here so far as public bathing
is concerned.