Behind this pending tragedy of possible acute suffering is the incompetency and Inck of foresight of the waterworks. department Japan has never had—since a modern waterworks system was installed—a drought in the winter For a summer drought she 4s prepared. "A drought never came. In 1) the winter and it was concluded that such a phenomenon would never occur. Now we are caught unaware Tt shows how efficient is the mun cipality of Tokyo, which, to tell the truth, is honeycombed with eorruption, In the meantime, water is being woefully and criminally wasted. Your correspondent suw street hydrants open at night. He called the attention of a somnolent police: man to this waste of precious water: "Not my province," was in effect all he said, The following day, your corres pondent learnt that these hydrants re always left running all night order that the water in them may not be frozen in the morning! Mistakes are costly affairs and must be paid for. And for stupid m takes the retribution exacted greater.
It looks a8 though we are going to pay very dear.
8 no telegram has apprised us of the calamities forecast being realized, we may suppose that rain or snow has come to the rescue, But the behaviour of public supply undertakings seems much the sume all over the world—Ed.
His offence was the common tone of squeeze, but it seems to have {too large an amount for so a short time. It is said that in two weeks his accounts showed a deficit of
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.