The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 1866.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume I, Issue 6, 10 March 1866, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. SATURDAY, MARCH 10, 1866.

The population of Nelson is bow becomiug so large that the question of sewerage will soon force itself upon the attention of the citizens. It is true that the residences of many of the inhabitants are scattered among the hills and valleys around, yet the older portions of the town are becoming very thickly peopled, and from their badly drained condition, are likely, to become the hotbeds of many diseases, to spread] around and decimate the inhabitants of -all parts of the town. Last year we lost many of our fellow-citizens who fell victims to scarlet fever which was doubtless engendered by bad drainage, and the frequent prevalence of sore throats and other minor maladies amongst us, may be traced to the same cause. . . - Few places could be well drained at so small a cost as Nelson. Although a small part of the town lying to the north of Bridgestreet is very low and fiat, the principal portion is well elevated and slopes towards the harbor, the soil, being of a loose nature, is easily excavated ; drain pipes, if they caunot be made here, (why- we do not know) can be imported from Sydney at a reasonable rate ; and the valleys at the back of the town bring clown a large, quantity of .water which would be serviceable for flushing purposes. Sewers are generally constructed by borrowed money. We see no objection to money being borrowed for purposes of this description, as long as care is taken to secure power to levy a sufficient rate upon the various properties benefited thereby, to pay the interest of the debt, and ultimately to redeem it. The principal of borrowing money for public works is right, as long as those public works are of a nature to yield a return for the outlay. Indeed, were it not for this recourse, many works of imperative necessity or great public utility, could not be carried out. We trust that it will not be long before the subject of sewerage is taken up in earnest by the citizens, with a view to something being done in the matter. Nelson has long enjoyed the reputation of being one of the healthiest towns in the southern hemisphere* If a good system of sewerage is not soon, commenced and carried out, it will loose its reputation in this respect. We believe that it will not be long before the Waterworks Loan will be taken up in Melbourne. When those works are completed and the town well supplied in this respect, the necessity of a good system of drainage will be even more manifest than at present.