Apart from this nui nce, the digo] trict is so obviously a danger health and a bar to development' that the authorities might well survey the whole area with a view to sweeping reforms. It cannot be supposed that the place has been entirely overlooked, and very probably there are difficulties of finance and property rights which so far have effectually prevented the carrying out of any broad scheme of improvement, but such a scheme will have to come sooner of later, and it might as well be taken in hand now. One sees nowadays in all parts of the Settlement huge blocks, of ancient and: battered pro perty in the hands of the house breaker, making' room for houses more in accordance with modern ideas. of sanitation and hygiene, and it requires no great stretch of imagination to see that in the course of a few years the greater part of old, of very old, Shanghat will have passed through this much needed phase of improvement, Cannot a start be made with similar development of the—Ho Kew Creek area? There may be technical difficulties in the way, but it appears to the layman that & fine opportunity is afforded for send~ ing the creek the way of the Yangkingpang and converting Into a second" AvenueBdward A Grand Road to Get.
If the creek were culverted, the way would be open for u ' fine broad thoroughfare, linking up with the northern part of Dixwell Road. Already that section of the Settlement has undergone marked change for the better and its development is well forward, the condition of these two adjoining reas being a remarkable study in contrasts. The building of such road would ebon nable means of communication with th northern district and relieve the pressure on North Szechuen Road, The cost of it should more than be covered by the resultant increase in the value of property along the route, while the chief gain would be to the community in general through the removal of conditions, which cannot be other than a menace to health, Other creeks in this part of the Settlement have been culvert with excellent results, but we understand that the culverting of the Hongkew Creek, whilst senting no engineering difficulti is less a practical proposition owing to its importance as a tidal waterway, -It joins up with the Sawgin Greek which goos as far as the Kiangwan village and serves a number of smaller waterways. However, as the creek does not appear to be of excessive import= tance as a means of transport, and its culverting would constitute an improvement of first rate value We see no reason why a scheme of this character should not be con= sidered. between Japan and the French colony of Indo-China for the future."
MIN. Merlin reiterated the hope that' his tour had done something towards letting people know that such a place as Indo-China existed. He remarked that he had been most enthusi received wherever he had gor grateful for all the kindness that had been shown him,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.