Communication

Editor Couhier : Your editorial ia last week's Courier on the cat hole shows a oommendabte interest in Sanltary matters. The general terror of "Tax payer's" oommunication on the same subject, howe.ver, is mlsleading as to the facts of the situation. The city (lid not make thecat ho[e, and does not own the iround. and is reaponsible for but a small amount of street drainage into it, - yet at tiie request of the President and Secretary of the Boar ot Healtli, it appropriated last year $50 t test the question of draining the place o the condition that owners of land, and rea ideuts near the cat hole should subscrib an additional amount, the joint fund to b expended under the direction of a com mitteeoftheCouncil and Board of Health The first appropriation of $50, mad several years ago, was not used nor avail able. It was late in the season when th petition was presented. Considerabl time was consumed in getting legal opin ions as to the authority of the Board in the premises. It was believed that an amicable arrangeoient by voluntary ak of those interested with the help of th city appropriation would most readily ac complish the desired result. But most of the delay in prosecuting the work was due to the difflculty th committee met with in getting the inter ested owners and residents in the vicin ity to subscribe enough to flll the Condi tions on whichthe city appropriation was made, to niake that amount available. Tax-payer- whose name only filis a page- owns a considerable of the wate shed which drains into that natural reser voir. Why should he not help drain i out? He has been invited to help, but so far his contributions have been to the newspapers and " a great deal of talk." If he wishes to abate the nuisance, to which he has moved su much nearer, let him head a subscription to do somethlng besides petition others. Other taxpayers naturally inquire wl.y they should be taxed to benefit private property. The truth is, if the Cat-hole can be so easily drained, it has long been and still " is a disgrace,"- not so much to the city as to the wealthy owners and near residents, that they have lacked the enterprise to remove it and greatly improve their own property as well as a part of the city with great natural beauty. It is an unsightly as well as an unsanitary Cat-hole, and its abatement would increase the value of real estáte in that part of the city in the nggregate niany thousands of dollars. The city, like Providence, should help those who help themselves.