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freehold of 48, Poland Street, for the Guardians at the expense
of the Commissioners. As the house in Poland Street affords considerably
more accommodation than that in Marshall Street, and is
probably, five times its value, the Commissioners did not feel justified
in proceeding further in the matter, and with some reluctance
abandoned their original scheme. The Commissioners then
turned their attention to building on the site of the houses to the
south of the baths, and having visited all the more modern public
swimming baths in London, adopted the general design of the
Marylebone bath as most suitable for the suggested new site.
Provisional plans and drawings were then prepared by the
Vestry's Surveyor, under the direction of the Commissioners, and
in due course submitted to and approved by the Vestry. As
the matter now stands, the Vestry have approved of the appropriation
of the site of Nos. 14 and 15, Marshall Street, for the
erection of a swimming bath for first-class bathers of both
sexes, subject to the approval of the Local Government Board.
The bath, it is estimated, will cost less than £6,000 completed,
including all professional charges; the water service will be
about 62ft. by 23ft., and a superficial area beneath a portion of
the bath of nearly 2,000 feet be added to the stoneyard. The
Commissioners anticipate that the construction of the bath and
the enlargement of the stoneyard will prove a considerable boon
to the pariah, and as £3,000 is in hand available for the work, and
the remaining £3,000 is to be borrowed and the repayment spread
over a period of ten years, the additional burden to the ratepayers
individually will be almost infinitesimal. There can also be no
doubt that a considerable revenue is yearly lost in consequence of
the very inadequate swimming bath accommodation provided for
bathers of the better class, which the Commissioners hope to be in
a position to properly supplement during the current year.
The number of bathers last year(102,466) Show a falling
off of 2,300 compared with the previous year, but an increa.se
of nearly 5,(KM) compared with the year 1888. The number
of tickets issued for the laundry shows a decline of 187.
As to the laundry, the Vestry desire to emphasize the
following remarks of the Commissioners :—
The Commissioners would again impress upon all who art brought
into close contact with the labouring classes the immense con-