The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-17
Municipal Government in the Metropolis
of Great Britain.
What the Citizens Pay for Street Clean
ing and Sanitary Purposes.
THE PENALTY FOR JOBBERY.
Public Schools, the Fire Brigade
and Fires.
GOSSIP OF THE GREAT CITY.

oF LONDON, Dec. %. 1874.
In previous letters on this subject we showed
that all local government In this country has
something about 1t OF the parochial type, while
the Metropolitan Board OF Works IS simply de-
velopment OF the parochial system to the largest
proportions 1t has yet reached even in England.
We also stated that, though Britain owes much 10
parochal administration the vestries or parish
committees OF the metropolis are not what the
population would desire them to be, and that
one OF the chief objections urged against ntrust-
ing the government OF all London to the Metro
politan Board Is that this body Is elected by the
vestries, ana not by the ratepayers at large. OF
course, as the public is not satisfied with the
vestries themselves 1t follows that board elected
Dy the vestries fails to give general satisfaction.
But really the fault lies not in the parochial
system, the theory OF which-that OF dis
trict local self-government-is admirable The
evil springs from the TACT that the better and
more intelligent portion OF the populations OF
parishes take little or no interest in vestrles.
Rare 1t Is to ind any Of that class vestry
board. Though the vestries have the spending of
hundreds OF thousands sterling Of the ratepayers'
money you seldom hear Of vestryman above the
rank OF a small tradesman. The better class
neither put up for the once nor trouble them
selves to vote for those who do: consequently
parochial government falls into the hands OF Hitter.
ate parochia agitators, whose great delight is to
hear themselves talk and see themselves re-
ported In the hali-penny parish papers. 1t Is
only when st. Pancras or Marylebone or Gambler.
well exceeds itself in doing the indignant the
ridiculous that the great organs OF public opinion
give 1t paragraph. The Metropolitan Board,
which, in very stately council chamber,
holds public sitting week,
Is reported. Its Chairman who is also q member
or the Imperial Parliament, receives a handsome
salary; and so high is the Boards opinion o! its
OVID dignity that It does not smile when of the
representative vestrymen refers to another as the
Honorable member for Shoreditch," or Padding
ton, some other parish as the case may be.
But most excellent feature of the workings OF
that Board and OF the vestres is the almost entire
absence OF jobbery. There may be some OF this;
but II SO, it cannot be much. The Imperial Parlia-
ment has wisely provided against 1t. No member
OF the Metropolitan Board may be a contractor for
any work or supplies required by it; and the PEN
atty for an 0fncer Of the Board receiving anything
directly or indirectly, by way Of remuneration or
reward, for anything done by him in the discharge
OF his duties beyond the emolument paid him BY
the Board Is fine OF $3.50. dismissal from his post
and expulsion forever from that or any other ap-
pointment under the said Board. Somewhat sim.
liar regulations apply in the case of vestries and
their officers, and though one does now and then
hear complaints OF extravaganza II Is very sci.
dom, indeed. that corruption is charged against
any OF the local bodies or their officers.
STREET CLEANING.
Az we have men toned extravaganza we may as
well at once point out that, while the ordinary
work OF keeping the metropolitan streets IN a
good state OF repair and Clearly Is performed as
economically as could well be expected, the great
arterial improvements are Effected at very un.
necessarily large cost The reason Is that the
former work is done by the parishes under general
acts OF Parliament while the latter is planned and
carried out by the Metropolitan Board, which is
inherently weak, having been constituted
under an act concerning upon 1t only very limited
powers, and which, therefore, has to be con.
stantly running to Parliament for fresh acys to
enable 1t to do this and that Now, one OF the
most expensive things in this proverbiany
expensive country is an act Of Parliament, es PEI
cially an opposed one Scarcely q session has
passed since 1858 in which the ratepayer Of the
metropolis have not had to pay for the promotion
OF bills by the Metropolitan Boaro OF WORKS. This
would be bad enough even supposing all those
bills were approved and became acts OF Parl Ia.
ment. But such is not the case 1t occasionally
happens that alter a long and expensive Sitting OF
the bill by a Parliamentary committee 1t is re-
jected, and the ratepayers do grumble at having
topay for the Boards failures as well as its sue
cesses.
TAXATION.
The amount Of rates which one has to contribute
in this metropolis depends very much on the par
ticular parish In which one may have his premises.
OF course, the valuation OF the particular
premises is a cardinal element in the alculation
on this head. bee ause the ratepayer pays so mucn
on each pound sterling IN valuations but what
each pound IN the valuation Shall be liable to de-
Ponds manly on the total sum required ior the
maintenance OF the poor receiving indoor and out
door relief al the charge OF ratepayers OF the par
tlcular parish. And so IT happens that some OF
the most iashlona ole quarters In the metropolis
those which could afford 10 pay the most rates
pay the least, IN consequence OF their being but
Paupeis cannot i've in Beigravia and TyburnIa,
but they abound in the central, eastern and
southern districts ana wnen driven to seek union
renel become chargeable on ratepayers, thousands
OF whom are not much better able to pay rates
than the paupers whom they are compelled to
maintain. Ii IL were not Tor the poor rate the
parish charges would be nowhere very large
most extensive In the metropolis, and as it has a
que proportion OF paupeBs and is about as well
cleaned and well cared lor by its vestry any
other metropolitan parish, q few items from the
"Statement OF Rates" required by 1t Tor the six
months which VIII END on the 25th of March next
nient In the metropolis The guardians of the
poor require sum which for those six months
amounts 10 ten pence hapenny In the pound
the valuation; the maintenance OF the police
amounts TO Two pence artning; county rate anu
Other charges make up an item OF one penny and
q ial thing; Tor the street lamps two pence; Tor
paving, watering and cleansing the streets and The
removal Of DUST lour pence hallpenny; Tor the
schools under the Pubic School Board, seven
eighths OF penny; ior sanitary purposes, officers
salaries and pounddge, printing, stationery
and general expenses, one penny aud
eighth lOr payment OF interest on the bond debts
OF extinct paving trusts one halipe1ny Tor Sc wers'
purposes; but III addition TO the foregoing the
parish mas to pay its contribution to the metro
poltan consolidated rate, which rs dsbursed by
the metropolitan Board Of Works, and tins con-
trloutl0n amounts to two pence on the pound on
the vaiuatlOn. The sum total OIL the amount which
e3cn householder IN ST. Pane, as mas 10 pay 10 ms
vestry Tor the hall year already mentioned Is TWO
shilings ana three balpence on every pound OF
vauatlon OF his premises. The vcstry has nothing
10 do with his supply oil water. For this and any
gas ne may burn he has to pay private COM
pounds. The parish rating varies from
hall year TO haf year, but, taking
the Illustration we have given as an
average one, ABOUT ionr shiinngs and three pence
N the pOund bcr annum Is rs muci as any house
holder Ia the metlO pois has TO pay Tor malnten-
ance OF the poor, and lighting the cleansing, the
sanitary arrangements ana rue police care'0l tue
city, Inc lavCmcniS in 'front.' oil peoples houses
the occu piers nave to get swept, ana crossing
ANecncrS. who beg IOr gratMIlIcs. PERFORM the use