To the Editor of the "Nomrt-Cusa Dau Neves"
Sm—As one who lives in the Western "Area, I beg heartily to endorse the remarks in your leader, ut 1 do feel that one point requires infinitely more attention than it appears to have received.
The Municipal Council exercises Jjurisdietion over the roads in the Western (Extra-Seitiement) Arca, the sole return the ratepayers get for the rates they have to pay is in the shape of police and upkeep. of roads. For the former, we are indeed taleful; they are entitled to the lion's share of our rales, for their courage and the resourcefulness with which "they face unique difficulties, But what of the upkeep of the roads, for which also we pay rates?
Great Western Road, despite innumerable little patchings-up, has a surface which would not be tolerated by any Council at home—stll less by the rate-payers.. Keswick Road and Rockhill Avenue (to take examples) fare either seas of mud or unbearably Jdusty. T speak from personal know-Tedge—1 walk along them nearly every day, whatever the weather; in pretty wide experience of rural England, never have T met with such surfaces as these; and it must. be realized that there is very consider able traffic on all roads inside the Defence Area—infinitely more than one gets on the average country road ju England. And our roads here are surely considered as urban, not rural, roads; but in what "built up" areas faces? in Burope would one find such sure
Since the trafic is now so considerable, the numerous pedestrians should most certainly be taught to walk on the pavements. "I see there is to be "Safety First" Week soon may ask how on earth there can be safety for pedestrians, not only when there no apparent speed limit for motor vehicles (including huge lorries) but not even, in most places, any pave~ ment at all?
Even really busy roads such as Columbia and Great Western (from Edinburgh Road) lack such very normal necessities. Generally speak ing, there are muddy (or dusty) spaces on one side; spaces very often Blocked, with bicycles, donkeys, heaps of earth or cinders, and now, too, with barbed-wire, Although no small' part of the roads. themselves has no pretence of being "made up," yet ponies are often encountered on ihe foot-path even where there is an apology for one. view of the fact that Columbia Road and Great Weston Road are extremely busy ones, there certainly should be, on both' sides. of them, Properly made-up footpaths, which should never be allowed to be blocked up by shop-keepers, P.W.D., or any-tone else; nor should they be crowed by" deep' ditches. Keswick Road and Rockhill Avenue should have at lerist tone real foot-path; they now have hone at all, inspire of considerable, Jand speedy, tref, painfully obvious that our money is of value, but our welfare is not; truly, it Is not surprising. if there is no little dissatisfaction with the present state of affairs; in fact, Lam beginning to sympathize with those whom T have heard remarking that. the Settlement would better managed if... (but pertiaps Thad better stop.
Quintus.
Shanghai, Mar. 25.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.