When several bills were before the City Council asking for small appropriations to build public bathhouses, our English language newspapers failed to make any comments on this important subject. It will be remembered that all these proposals were defeated by the majority. Despicable indeed. Now one hears that the "highly cogent reason" for the refusal of these bills was the fact that Communist Stauber [alderman] advocated their passage so vigorously.

Now, that the budget question and that of the tax levy have been settled, and construction of bathhouses is out of the question during this season, it suddenly occurs to the Evening Journal that bathhouses are a necessity and that the absence of such buildings is a disgrace for a cosmopolitan city like Chicago.That newspaper [Evening Journal], which professes to have the welfare of Chicago at heart, also obtained a statement from the Health Commissioner wherein the necessity of four public bathhouses is properly recorded, and the paper also ascertained that the project requires twenty thousand dollars, at least.

Bathhouses cannot be built this year, but, if the City Council is sensible, it can procure suitable sites and pay for the necessary arrangements and supervision from the contingent fund. It is only necessary to select a suitable place on the lake shore and erect a wooden structure to hide the bathers from the inquisitive stares of an overly morbid stupidity.

It would suffice to have one or two policemen in attendance at each place for supervision and to prevent accidents. These bathing places would establish the need for such improvements so definitely, that no objections can be raised, next year, to building permanent structures. To make the plan feasible only an amendment to the present bathing ordinance--or restriction--is required; the cost is so insignificant that it can easily be defrayed from the contingent fund.