To the Editor of the "Nonrit-Cintza Dany News"
Sm—I shall be much obliged to you. "if you, will grant me some of your valuable space "in your esteemed paper, so that I may ex-ress—pro bone publico—my and my. neighbours' grievance over a disgust~ ing nuisance existing at the very doors of foreign residences in the Seltlement and quietly tolerated at least ignored by the authorities concerned, "There is a little street In our great ily which bears—pethaps only. for frony's soke—a beautiful name. _1t fs the Park Lane, in Hongkew, with row of family houses on one side and wall of a convent school on the other.
This otherwise quite decent street. where respectable ratepayers, who unfortunately cannot afford to rent fashionable "apartments in Western Districts, abide, long ago became a veritable Eldorado of fillly beggars, Chinese street prostitutes. unlicensed hawkers, etc.
Half-a-dozen so-called "private rickshaws" are practically living there fon the sidewalk—living, ealing and sleeping—with their wives aiid small children, mostly naked, ragged. dirty and discased babies, crawling about fon the pavement and turning the Sidewalks into 9 latrine. Although a Shanghai resident for over 25 years. do not know of a single street, in the city, where rickshaw coolies would be allowed to have their meals with wife and children right on the sidewalk at the very doors of foreign dwelling-houses, except on Park Lane. After their "chow", the leftovers of food (soup. rice, fish, bones, cabbage, banana skins etc.) are simply thrown on the pavement to remain there till the next day. And amidst this garbage, filth and swarms green files, small babies crawl and ie "about, watched peacefully by their' happy parents. who quite unconcerned enjoy their siesta.
With summer approaching, I dread already the time when the melon Season will arrive. What a feast for the mosquitoes and germs at Park Lane, in spite of all the beautiful and artistic cholera and malaria posters of our Health Department right in front of the terrible nest of diseases.
It sounds almost unbelievable that a street in the residential district of the Settlement should be allowed be turned into a public latrine by half-a-dozen coolles and their families! Yet it has been going on now for exactly three summers already.
It the Municipal Police will take the pains, it) may be very easily ascertained that these "private rickshaws" are nol private at all. They have no private owner (the name in their licence is only "bona de" and even fictitious!) and are used by anybody who eares and who will pay the fare. so that the policeman docs not notice it (there's a convenient side-pocket for this purpose in. the vehielel). And if there is a "private owner", he mostly rides free. of charge' (to and from the office) in return for his signature on the If the Health Department and the Trae Police will look into this deplorable state of affairs on ark Lane, wwe shall be all very grateful. I¢ not, probably one of us will take the law in his own hands and in result land court, sooner or later, 'A. 8, Urrentn, Shanghai. May 23.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.