Shanghai, 26th March, 1897.
St,—I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your letter of 16th March, in which you draw attention to the insanitary state of the Sinza Road extending westwards from the Defence Creek. where there is a market every morning for the sale of pork, fish, fruit 1d vegetables os it is never scavenged and is a standing danger to the Settlement. You say, orders ought to be given for its being regularly swept and the garbage removed from it daily and you ask for my assistance in this respect.
While agreeing with you that the streets and roads ought to be scavenged for the good of the residents and that wherever gan is accumulating means have to be found for its removal I have to point out that as the place in question is outside the limits of the Settlement it rests with the Local Authorities to superintend the cleansing and therefore is out of the control of the Municipal Council.
Ihave, therefore, instructed the Shanghai Magistrate and the Local Delegate to insist on the regular and proper scavenging of the place by the residents, and now beg to ask you to inform the Council accordingly.
T have ete.,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.