18th March, Some three months ago we drew attention to the disagreeable condition of two of the boundaries of the old British Concession, the Yangking-pang and the Defence Creel, and urged the conversion of the former into a closed sewer, and the creation of a splendid boulevard lined with trees in place of the two sordid streets that now exists on its banks. Since we wrote the Defence Creek has been cleaned out, and it does not offer such a repulsive spectacle at low water as it did three months ago. As to the Yangkingpang, the Report of the Municipal Council for 1900 contains (page 119) a defence of it as exists now. We are told that: "This creek drains a large area and performs the important function of a natural tidal flushing sewer as do other creeks, such as the Soochow and Hongkew creeks. Surface drainage is poured into. it from 68 openings from this Settlement and from 53 on the French side. As a sewer therefore it is essential. It does not however follow that if shut out of sight the condition would be rendered more healthy. The question from a sanitary point of view, rozolves itself, into providing the Yangkingpang with a clean and self-cleansing bottom. Any diminution of its volume by a culvert would mean lessened tidal flushing over a large area, The Yangkingpang furnishes an extensive wharfage line, which includes a convenient and secluded spot for the lading of garbage and night-soil. Moreover the roads on either side of the creek are amply sufficient for the traffic, I am of opinion therefore culverting and filling in the Yang-that the advantage to be gained by
king-pang would not be commensurate with the expense of carrying it out, and that there are other and cheaper methods of rendering the Yangkingpang healthy."
This is very valuable testimony on the part of the Municipal Health Officer. It is not proposed to inter-fore with the work done by the Yangking-pang as a natural tidal flushing sewer. It will be the duty of the engineer employed to make the diameter of the proposed culvert so large that there will be no practical interference with the tidal flow; in fact, it can be so large that the garbage and night-soil boats can still use it, and be removed from sight. The convenient wharfage line is not required at all; as we said before, the straw and other goods that are now taken up to the back of the Settlements by the water when the tide permits could be carried uninterruptedly by the road that it is proposed should take the place of the creek. That the roads on either side of the creek are amply sufficient for the present traffic is no doubt true, but it has no bearing on the argument. It is to a vastly enhanced traffic that we are looking forward. The Health Officer is of opinion that the advantage to sanitation to be gained by culverting and filling in the Yangkingpang would not be commensurate with the expense of carrying it out. In saying this he allows that there would be an advantage to sanitation by culverting the Yangking-pang, and to this has to be added the immense advantage it would be to have a grand wide road from the Bund to connect with the fine roads which the French Council has constructed in the French Extension. There is only one practicable drive now from the Bund into the western suburbs, the Nanking Road or Maloo, and when this is blocked, as it was by a fire not long ago, there is the eatest difficulty in getting from the ettlement to the Bubbling Well Road. Devious and unpleasant dé-
and by the Cemetery Road, but tours are possible by way of Sinza the only decent drive is by the Nanking Road over the Lungfei Bridge. Shanghai is already too large to have only one road into the country, and therefore a wide
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.