PUBLIC BATHS.

During the past five years the City of New York has au¬
thorized the expenditure of nearly $3,000,000 for the construc¬
tion of free public baths. By so doing it has recognized both
the present impracticability of compelling an adequate pro¬
vision of bathing facilities in the tenements, and the existence
of a large number of people in these tenements for whom the
absence of home bath tubs constitutes a privation. It is not
believed, however, that any one justifies the expenditure of
vast sums of the city's money merely on the ground that by
such means certain members of the community are made physi¬
cally comfortable. On the contrary, the public provisions of
free bathing facilities involves two assumptions: First, that
bathing is a means of safeguarding the public welfare by the
prevention of disease and by raising the standard of personal
cleanliness and morality; second, that by the maintenance of
free public baths universal bathing is more nearly and most
economically accomplished.

In discussing the building and administration of the Man¬
hattan public baths it has seemed desirable to institute a com¬
parison in cost and method with the Brooklyn system of public
baths, managed with great economy and more in the interest
of the public. The comparison is wholly fair because the prob¬
lems of administration in the two boroughs are closely similar.
By means of the comparison it is possible to give just emphasis
to the inefficient and extravagant manner in which the baths in
Manhattan are operated.
 

HISTORY OF THE FREE PUBLIC BATH MOVEMENT IN NEW
YORK.

In 1895 the New York Legislature enacted a law requiring
cities of the first and second classes to establish and maintain
such number of free, public baths, other than river or ocean
baths, as might be deemed necessary by their local boards ot
health.

In 1896 an expenditure of $200,000 was authorized for the
building of one public bath and several comfort stations in New

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