THE MENACE OF THE OPEN DITCH

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 6 December 1927, Page 3

THE MENACE OF THE OPEN DITCH

(To the . Editor)

Sir,—Before the last..municipal election took placei a. number, of suggestions intended for, ..(-he earnest, consideration of the incoming Council were published ini the “Mail.” Amongst them, wad one ‘.‘that the open ditches.-in..(Vanguard street and in St. Vincent,.street-should be filled in,” These ditches, and .others of, a like nature,, have,,been, open eyesores qnd sources of danger a,nd ; of death for several decades. Nothing .has -been done, and so far as one can see .nothing is intended to. be, done,to remedy relics so .unsightly, so dangerous and so.offensive—rejics pf an earlier and a darker age. The .summer is .coming,on,, and we don’t, want, an epidemic happening, it,,is; hardly Jikely.-anything .will he .dope until,,we have such a visitation. Drainage in.,tins',Tpj lot Vallpjv apart: frorf# the open ditches,,is ip, certain, places a, distinct menace to the. health, of the whole city, and still nothing is done. Our . City Council, can hardly plead ignorance in this instance. They know all about it.,, These ditches? are,no great advertisement either for our notions of sanitation or for our ideas of progress. To their old home town we shall have visitors this Christmas, from other, parts where Councils are not so slow to move or so hide bound as ours, .and seeing these open eyesores they will go away arid. say,, “They’ve still got their open ditches' in, Nelson, just ,/like . what .they had 20 or. 40 years ago,, It’s- » p' ace that- makes little, or no. progress.” ~, . AVe put in tliese councils to lead the way, and to do what is needful ’and right. We expect, them to do their duty, ..without,, fear, without, bias and without favour. There is riot., the slightest doubt .at all hut..that, it more influential residents, people who .could pull the ropes, lived in these valleys of ours something would ho done, and that right Nelson, sth November.