A MID-CITY CLEANING PROBLEM

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 36, 6 November 1928, Page 8

A MID-CITY CLEANING PROBLEM

Sir, —Through the medium of your columns 1 should like to draw the attention of those responsible locally for the care of the health of the community to a nuisance that seems to be regarded by the offending parties with the contempt bred of familiarity. I refer to the method of brushing out shops in the faces of pedestrians between 8 and 8.30 a.m. These offenders against the by-laws have escaped with impunity so long, that they now set about their job to the oldtime tune, “I fear no foe in shining armour”; and treat with sang froid the rigour of many a passing pair of eyes. In this windy city, colds have become a source of much anxiety, as they often are gates to more serious troubles, and, I am certain, that one class of cold is caught, or at least encouraged, by the. cause of my complaint. On reaching one’s place of business in the morning, one wonders at. tell prevalence of the early morning sneeze —trouble’s pilot and nature’s chucker-out, of nasal foes. Such an one. perhaps, never reflects that the mucous membrane is unable to deal with the dried-up dust particles from barbers’ saloons, hotels, fish shops, butcher, nnd draper shops, etc., being wafted up' through the nostrils and into the mouth all the way to his or her destination. Germ-laden sputum, too heavy to fly the previous day. has regained its levity overnight, and the gentlemen with the dusters scatter it to the four winds of heaven. I think in these days, when the health slogan is “prevention better than cure, a more rigid observace of whatever law regulates shop cleaning, mat thumping, slush and slaughter conveyance, in Wellington, should be insisted on.—l am. etc... ; CATHAL. Wellington, November 2.