/To the Editor of the "Nowri-CHixa Dany News."
Sim,—Residents of Shanghai and! outports who are contemplating Ispending a late holiday at Tsingtao Jor laying plans for next. summer will ibe well advised to take into conjeration the question of the water from the health and At the time of writing a large proportion of the residential districts of Tsingtao has been without la. dor of water for nearly a fortnight. Hotels, boarding houses Jand bungalows, not to speak of the unfortunate residents, have been
lor household purposes. This, marl peithout water for drinking: sanitary, lyon, at a time when cholera has put lin its unwelcome appearance.
Those responsible for this state of affairs have not even the excuse, it can be so called, that Tsingtao is packed with visitors. There are [considerably fewer visitors than in previous years and the bungaloid. growth of itis 'Huk for instance, Where conditions are, if possible, worse than elsewhere' with the ex: ception of the high lying portions of Tsingtao proper, has less than reset half the bungalows occupied.
Each year householders and land-herds are regaled to specious tales of [the additional wells to be sunk, provision of adequate reservoir facilities and installation of the necessary pumping machinery, always "about.
put in hand" and each year a recurrence and intensifica~ tion of the same disgraceful state There is no vestige or shadow of excuse for this perennial water famine. Tsingtao is ideally situated for the economical provision of an adequate supply, of, water and lied plans for the" necessary facilities have been on paper for lyeers. There has been no attempt Jon the part of the authorities con-Jeerned to build up, from the con-Jsiderable revenue" which accrues from the water rates, a reserve fund to meet the capital expenditure required to effect the necessary blame cannot but: be laid Jdireetly at the door of the municipal authorities, and the time-honoured practice of "here. to-day. land gone to-morrow, make what you jean while you can", a feature of [Tsingtao's "model administration" 3 of every other Chinese public body, is responsible for conditions which would not be tolerated lone moment by any foreign muni-Jcipality. Whilst the "model ministration" can find funds to build toy rock-gardens lon sea [from, an aquariar an orna. mental pier, a larger proportion of the population waterless for some three months of the year.
'The wa thorities have just treated jus, through the medium' of the local jexeus" ies and promises and paper, to. the usual farrago of there, the matter will no doubt rest until next year, when the Jwhole sorry performance will again be, enacted.
'The writer, who is a resident of some. years' "standing, has. no intention of belittling the undoubted attractions of Tsingtao as a holiday resort. It is only fair, however, to those who contemplate sending their wives and children here during the summer that they should realise the unhealthy conditions and discomfort which they may be exposing them, and it is hoped that, in asking you to give publicity to this letter, {the local authorities may be in some small measure roused to a sense of, their responsibilities.
[Tsingtao Aug. 5, 1992.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.