Business of bathhouses, fiscal year ended June 30, 1911—Continued.

The attendant's fee charged in all bathhouses is $3 per course of 21 baths, $1 per week, and 15 cents for a single bath. The reports show that the net amount paid the attendants from July 1, 1910, to June 30, 1911, inclusive, is $106,079.95, which exceeds that of last year by $3,342.57. This amount is exclusive of any tips or presents received by them.

Frequent inspection of bathhouses and the close watch over them exercised by the medical director have given the public scientific administration of the waters and wholesome sanitation and hygienic conditions. The bathhouses, as will be seen by their annual reports, have had a splendid year. Never have they known such prosperity as this year has brought them. The bathhouse lessee is now willing to comply with the regulations because he realizes that they are beneficial to him as well as to his patrons.

The spirit of hopefulness for the future is as much manifest by the acts of the bathhouse lessees as anybody, and each appears to be vying with the other as to who will have the best and most up-to-date bathhouse. Early in the spring agreements were entered into between the department and the Maurice and the Rammelsberg bathhouses (the latter now designated as the Buckstaff Baths) for leases for certain periods provided new, modern, fireproof bathhouses were erected in the places of the old ones. The result is that both houses named were demolished, and there are now in course of construction on the old sites two as magnificent bathhouses as can be found in the world. Each will represent an investment of approximately $125,000, and when completed will certainly be an ornament to bathhouse row and a credit to the lessees and the Government.

I have never favored taxing ground rent, but have always advocated that the lessees be required to erect and maintain the very best, high-class bathhouses. This policy met with departmental approval, and I am gratified to be able to report that it will result within the

next five years in a bathhouse row consisting of the best and most magnificient bathhouses in the world.

Owing to disagreement between the lessees of the Superior Bathhouse, and their inability to comply with departmental requirements for improvements, that house was closed on March 31, 1911, and still remains closed.

The Imperial Bathhouse lessee has recently entered into a contract with the department for a renewal of his lease, conditioned on his making certain improvements. This has resulted in the closing of this bathhouse, which is now being torn down, and will be reconstructed and beautified at an approximate cost of $50,000. When it is taken into consideration that the Imperial was one of the newest and best bathhouses on the reservation, and that it will be enlarged and practically made new, it will be readily seen what the future promises for the resort in the way of superb bathhouses.

The different individuals and corporations now holding leases for hot-water privileges from the Government reservation, also ground leases, together with the date and expiration of said leases, are given in the following table:

What has been the worst detriment and curse to this resort for over 40 years is what is known as doctor and hotel drumming. Formerly it was not at all unusual for 20 to 30 hotel runners to meet the visitor at Little Rock or Benton on every train, and frequently some

drummer went as far as Memphis and St. Louis. The hotel drumming was but a mere subterfuge in most instances, the real object being to place the visitor in the hands of some physician who would give half his fee to the drummer. I am happy to be able to report that since October 15, 1909, when United States inspectors were placed on all incoming trains to notify the public what to avoid and to give full information as to how to proceed, the drumming on the trains has entirely ceased, and the practice of the doctors dividing fees for drummed patients has been reduced to the lowest ebb ever known.

The announcement made by the United States inspectors on trains is as follows:

The public is notified that the waters of the Hot Springs are owned and controlled by the United States Government, and it is a violation of the law for any person to drum or solicit patronage on the trains in this State for hotels, boarding houses, bathhouses, or doctors. No one will be permitted to bathe who stops at a hotel or boarding house which drums or employs inside men to drum or solicit for doctors.

The baths are open to everyone without a doctor. You are requested not to take the advice of any hotel man or inside man as to whether you should employ a doctor; but should you employ one, be sure that he is one registered by the Government and permitted to prescribe the baths. If you treat with a nonregistered doctor, or one not authorized to prescribe the baths, the baths will be denied you; and if you bathe or attempt to bathe while treating with a nonregistered doctor, you lay yourself liable to severe penalty. A list of registered physicians can be found in every bathhouse, posted on "bathhouse row," and at the superintendent's office. All information regarding doctors and the baths will be cheerfully given at the superintendent's office, the first office on "bathhouse row."

I do not assert that doctor drumming has been entirely eliminated; there may be isolated cases now and then, but on the whole I can assert without fear of successful contradiction that such cases are few and far between. I am firmly convinced that as long as the list of registered physicians contains doctors who have heretofore drummed, and who believe it their vested right, that drumming on a very small scale will always exist.

I have, through my detective force, kept continually investigating, with the result that the evil has practically ceased; but to completely cut it out, root and branch, would necessitate one of two things: (1) To have annual examinations of all physicians, who would be required to show a clean slate on this subject and also pass such examinations before the Federal Registration Board as it might prescribe. This would in time eliminate all objectionable physicians and materially raise the professional standard. (2) To employ Federal physicians, who shall attend the ill at nominal charges. This may appear at first glance to be Utopian, but I have no doubt that.it would result in a great increase in the number of visitors and insure every visitor who comes here an absolutely square deal. These suggestions may seem radical, but the thousands and hundreds of thousands of patrons of this resort are entitled to the very best treatment which human minds can devise.

FEDERAL REGISTRATION BOARD.

The Federal Registration Board as now organized is composed of five physicians who stand at the very top of their profession, and are earnestly and zealously assisting this office in the enforcement of every rule pertaining to the protection of the visitor.

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MEDICAL DIRECTOR.

During November, 1909, complaint was made that patients bathing at the public bathhouse suffering from different diseases were not properly segregated; that any person could bathe in any pool he desired. This was true. There were no means of discriminating between diseases, and I suggested to the department that the only remedy I could name which would obviate such condition was the employment of a medical director. On August 1, 1910, the department created the office of medical director, and Maj. Harry M. Hallock, United States Army, retired, was appointed to fill that position. Maj. Hallock assumed his duties on September 4, 1910, taking charge of the public bathhouse, and having supervision over the sanitation, hydrotherapy, and hygiene of all the bathhouses. By his untiring efforts the medical director has brought about a scientific administration of these waters.

IMPROVEMENTS.

During the year many improvements have been made, and I have endeavored in every instance to build not merely for to-day, but for years to come. There has been built a substantial six-room brick cottage for the keeper in Whittington Lake Park at an approximate cost of $2,500. The superintendent's office, which was originally erected for a central pumping station, was completely repaired, a tile roof put on in place of the old tin and composition one, the rooms divided, new floors put down, the interior redecorated and refurnished throughout, and the exterior well painted.

The official residence of the superintendent was completely repaired, a new tile roof was put on, new polished oak floors laid, and everything put in first-class condition.

On the top of East Mountain has been erected a beautiful stonecolumned, tile-roofed pavilion, in which it is intended to place a drinking fountain. A contract for a deep well has been let, and I expect shortly to have in operation not only a drinking fountain for the public, but also a place to water stock.

All the pavilions in Whittington Lake Park were re-covered and repainted, as was also the pavilion on Fountain Street containing the only cold springs on East Mountain. There are two of these, one of which, in compliance with instructions of the department, I have named "General Kelley," and the other "Colonel Hamblen," in honor of former superintendents.

A 6-foot concrete sidewalk has been laid in front of the Government lots in blocks 188 and 189, a watering trough for stock has been placed in front of the "Whittington Cold Spring" on block 188, a stone wall with large stone columns on either side, similar to those on the Whittington Lake Park side-gate entrance, is now being erected around this spring. This will add very much to the general effect of the Government properties in that section of the city.

In Whittington Lake Park the six worn-out wooden bridges have been replaced by fine, substantial, reenforced concrete bridges. There is now in course of construction in this park a public-comfort sta

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tion, which has long been needed. It is contemplated to erect during this year at least two such stations on East Mountain.

A vast amount of ornamental shrubbery and flowers have been planted both in Whittington Lake Park and on East Mountain. On East Mountain a border of flowering shrubs has been placed along the mountain roads to the summit. By trimming the slopes and getting a good stand of Bermuda grass, the picturesque feature of these roads have been much improved.

The maintenance in first-class condition of the 10 miles of mountain road is no small work, and with the limited force available it consumes a great deal of time. The labor is well expended, however, as nothing in Hot Springs, where walking, driving, and horseback riding is so much in vogue, affords the visitor more pleasure than do these mountain roads, all of which are in first-class condition. Substantial improvements have been made on them during the past year. The stables have been thoroughly repaired and painted, as were also the two reservoirs on East Mountain.

The greenhouse was completely overhauled and reconstructed, so that the reservation has now a first-class greenhouse, and should be able to propagate and raise sufficient plants to fill all requirements. This should prove a material saving, as heretofore it has been necessary to replenish the flowers and shrubbery annually.

In the places of the pine flagpoles that were in front of the superintendent's official residence and office building there have been erected two 60-foot standard iron flagpoles, which were embedded in cement, so that for years to come no charge or expense will arise for this necessity.

This year has been an exceptional one for the forests, the flowers, and the shrubbery. Never have they been more beautiful and luxuriant or in more perfect condition. The park in front of the bathhouse row had several inches of rich earth spread over it in the spring and new grass seed planted, and with the almost perfect seasons we have had this year both the grass and flowers have grown in profusion the entire distance from the superintendent's office to the Arlington Hotel, especially the flowers, which are in splendid condition and elicit favorable comment, satisfaction, and keen enjoyment on the part of the visiting public. This park should each season be replenished with fresh rich earth, so as to maintain it in its present condition.

GOVERNMENT BATHHOUSE.

The act of Congress approved December 16, 1878, provides:

That the superintendent shall provide and maintain a sufficient number of free baths for the use of the indigent, and the expense thereof shall be defrayed out of the rentals hereinbefore provided for.

Owing to the inadequacy of the present bathhouse I suggested, in my last report, that a sworn statement was necessary, so that the baths given would be only to those contemplated by the act of Congress referred to. There has always been a belief that more cures were effected by the public baths than by those taken in individual tubs, by reason of the fact that in the public bathhouse there are