THE DUST NUISANCE.

Cromwell Argus, Volume IV, Issue 208, 4 November 1873, Page 6

THE DUST NUISANCE.

During last week, the inhabitants of the township suffered under the infliction of,perhaps the severest dust-storm they ever expert enced ; not so much from its actual seventy at any one time, but from its long continuance, —it having lasted for nearly five days. On Saturday, especially, traffic between the Bannockburn and Cromwell was all but impossible. Horses would not face the terrible cloud of dust which came in a continuous stream from the Cromwell flat, and it was as much as a man possibly could do, and that for a limited time, to endure it. Most people coming from that quarter found it necessary to make a detour via the Gorge, in order to thus cut the dust stream at right angles. Even this, however, was not sufficient in every case, for the party in charge of the Queenstown Escort had to leave the Gorge road above Hayes' dam, and come down by Goodger's yard,—-it being a little further north than the place where the dustcloud chiefly has its origin. It need hardly be added that this frightful dust nuisance, which reigns triumphant for about four or five months every year ill and round Cromwell, is a great hindrance to business of all kinds, not to speak of the discomfort and illhealth that accompany it. It invariably stops the water supply, too ; ten minutes of a storm like that of Saturday is sufnciont to level the part of the town-race which crosses the dust-belt. The contractor for keeping the race clean worked manfully for awhile on Saturday last to keep the race clean of sand, but his efforts were of as much avail as Mrs Partington's were, when she tried the experiment of keeping the Atlantic back with her broom. Can nothing be done to remedy the horrible nuisance, and are Ave simply to make up our minds to endure it 1 It is a well-known fact that from one part of the town (blocks 8, 13, 14, 62, 63, and 68), the nuisance chiefly arises; and that, if this portion of the town were, as we may say, reclaimed, the township would enjoy a comparative immunity from dust. During the last session of the Provincial Council, the Government intimated its willingness to cooperate with the Corporation in doing something to reclaim it. We would therefore strongly urge the Corporation to consider the matter. The reclamation will not be so difficult as it at present appears to be.