England..,... Jan, 15 Hankow Jan Francisco 16 Yokvbama Hongkong... Feb, 19 Nagasaki Tientsin " 9] Foochow paratively innocuous; but according to an analysis made by Professor Way, "the water contributed to sewers in time of rainfall is quite as impure as that of any sewage and Mr, Mayne adds, "any one who has watched the water flowing off chip-paved streets in Shanghai during heavy rains wil! understand this." It has been a satisfaction to those who have walked up the Maloo during the last few months, to see shafts going up against the houses for ventilating the sewer. We learn that twelve ventilating shafts have already been fixed in the English and Hongkew settlements, the sanction of the owners of the properties having in every case been first obtained, and it is intended, during the coming year, to erect shafts consul taking the post of senior consul 30 at suitable positions in the Settlements."
Shanghai mail advices of st January were Another great improvement has been secelved in London on the Sth February. made in the introduction of flush tanks in the urinals scattered about the Settlements, and the invaluable concrete has come into use here too. experimental tank has been made of cement conerete at a total cost of Tls. 3, against lls. 25 each paid for cast-iron tanks. It has worked successfully up to the time of writing." The municipal lity may congratulate itself on the possession of an engineer whose devotion to improvement is directed by such a to and renewals of! frugal mind. Lest our friends at home who pay taxes here should think that we waste money on needless luxuries such as steam rollers, etc, Mr, Mayne mentions that "the cost of metalling by the 10-ton steam roller works.out at 34.21 per cent. less than hand rolling; the figures include wages of foreign' driver, interest, depreciation, material, etc. This result is very good, taking into consideration the extreme cheapness of hand labour, and the high pay of the foreign driver, extra cost of coke, etc." There is to be added to this the gain to the convenience of the public, in the much greater quickness with which the steam roller does the work, We have no space to go into the details given of road extensions and improvements during the year; but the statements on page 157 of the report will show how imperative it is that the Council should have the long desired power to acquire land compulsorily for these purposes, where owners are recalcitrant and their agents powerless, It will be noticed that the gas and water companies opened up altogether over three miles of road during the year; and this nuisance will be very much increased if the Council adheres to its recent decision that all the electric wires in the streets are to be put underground.
There are half a dozen pages of the Report that every one turns to with leasure, those recording the work of Mr. Corner and his colleagues in_connection with the public gardens. For a total annual expenditure of something over 'I's. 1,700 they give the commuuity an amount of pleasure which would be cheap at ten times the sum.
The pages headed " General" contain a mass of correspondence most of which has already appeared from time to time in our columns, We cannot help remarking again on the absurdity of any who is unable to communicate with the Council in English, It may be distasteful to the French to recognise it, but it
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.