Notes of the Day

Gisborne Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 3716, 30 December 1912, Page 4

Notes of the Day

THE GREATEST DANGER/OF WORN OUT STREETS/

i Whilst the ratepayers generally re- | cognise most of the disadvantages of | worn out streets it is doubtful whether j many of them have ever regarded the j matter simply from the important point point of view, of public health. It is bad enough, some may say, that in wet weather the lack of a good surface on any street should militate against its use by vehicles of all j kinds. Everybody knows, for insI tance, that- in some parts of the borj ough last winter cyclists could only J with the greatest difficulty negotiate .j the streets: that, in other parts, motor car traffic became quite out ol j the question; whilst in still other ! parts of the town it was impossible at I times for tradespeople to deliver goods { with any degree of regularity and ! numbers of mishaps took place. On j this occasion we do not. however, wish j to discuss whether it is at nil certain ! that- better conditions will obtain generally in this regard during next winter. The object of this brief note is merely to call attention to some remarks which were made to a “Times” representative by a leading medical practitioner on Saturday. “Better roads," said the medico, "are more I urgently needed in Gisborne—from ! the point of view of health—than even the sewerage. Wliy. what is the present position of affairs? Every street —I was nearly going to sav bv mistake almost all the streets —has innumerable holes in it. Many of these holes are nothing more nor " less than cess-pools in the wet weather and cesspits in dry weather. Is it any wonder, then, that so much sickness—diaiToeha in particular—is about at the present time? Statistics everywhere show that no matter how up-to-date uuiy town or city may happen to be up goes the number of cases of sickness whenever holes begin to appear in the streets. Broken street surfaces constitute, in fact, a very 'great danger in connection with public- health.” Unhappily it will apparentW be a long time before Gisborne will be able to boast many streets entirely free from holes, but the “City Fathers” should certainly ■ not overlook this important aspect of the need for the street improvements being pushed ahead as rapidly as nos- 1 sible.