Evening star., 1933-02-05
HEAT, SOAP, TOWEL
ALL CONSIDERABLE
Hot Shower and Lot of 1t,
Is Gridironer's Delight,
and He's Humored.
BY WALTER TRUMBULL.

IN these parlous times colleges
and universities are seeking
i all possible economies, and
this applies to sports.
Yale and Harvard have ad-
vanced the date of their annual
rowing match to save money. The
Poughkeepsie regatta has been
called off by a sort of gentlemen's
agreement Cornell was named
as the leader in the me yement
to abandon the race on the Hud-
son for this season, but really the
thing is said to have come about
by general consent.
Less rowing IS a real economy be-
cause that sport is one where every
thing is outgo and nothing income.
In football, as Parke Davis has pointed
out. the thing works the other way.
Now, more than ever. the athletic as
sociation and football management
need games which are good gate at
fractions
So. colorful contests have been
scheduled wherever possible, in spite
of the demand by reformers Of athletes
that less stress be placed upon inter-
collegiate genes and more attention
be paid to cleaning up certain athletic
abuses.
A IL of which brings up another
"A point. Have you ever figured from
physical and economic stand
point how much cleanliness in athletics
actually figures in the budgets Of in
stitutions and associations? Consider
the overhead Of the shower bath
In most instances, the heating Of
buildings devoted to athletics is a cost
borne by the institution. 1t comes
under the heading of upkeep of build
where they have huge field houses and
gymnasiums, this must be quite an
item.
Look up the registration Of some Of
the largest institutions and remember
that many of them have compulsory
physical training. Naturally, each
student compulsorily trained is entitled
to at least one hot shower bath day.
In total volume. all the colleges listed
in the foot ball guide must just be
heating Niagara Falls.
THERE is nothing foot ball candi-
i date enjoys more. for example,
than getting under a hot shower
end letting the water run. He doesn't
hurry. but pauses to talk, whistle, and
aing before emerging to be replaced In
the shower box by another athlete Of
the training quarter nuoists colony.
The team managers CT physical in
structors do no. care how long 4 man
stays under the shower. Cold and hot
water are none of their financial
problems. What does concern them is
towels and soap. These are charged
against athletic funds. Let's be a bit
more concrete.
At Columbia and New York Univer-
sity the foot ball squads use between
100 and 300 towels per day. At small
or institution, such as Manhattan,
intramural sports cause a towel con-
sumption which approaches the larger
figure. Physical instruction at one Of
the larger universities must take daily
toll Ct at least 1000 towcis.
In many of these institutions there
used to be a good many towels lost in
action. Various precautions have cut
down this loss. One graduate manager
found that he lost only the more ex-
ptnsive towels. Now he supplies only
the poorer grade.
4 FOOT BALL coach established a
IA fine system. Every time a man
didn't return a towel he was
forced to contribute Is cents to a gen.
eral fund. which was used for celebra-
ton at the end Of the season. The
men grew so careful that the fund went
into bankruptcy. To launder these
towels costs from IL to cents apiece.
Soap is not as much Of an item.
Even when he reaches college age a
boy is not such terrific user of soap.
Where the very small cakes are used
you can figure perhaps 100 pieces Of
soap to every $50 towels. If the cakes
are large, 25 day will accommodate
the demand.
Still, that is considerable soap for an
afternoon. And when you take all
things into consideration-soap. towels,
hot water and coal-you will assuredly
come to the conclusion that the over.
head Of the shower bath is consid.
cradle item on the books
Copyright. 1893. bv North American News
paper Alliance. Inc.)