Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-08-25

0At1. Ills aetl0us aE Ene same time
Is subject 10 no sort Of official super
vision og coustraiht. Parliament i
supposed 10 scrn1inize tho estimates
which the Metropolitan Board pre-
sents; but, as matter of fact. it be,
slows very little attention upon them,
and authorizes the borrowing Of inn
menso sums Of money for local inn
pr0vement upon the mere certi6cation
Of the Board. "The borrowing Of
millions Of money on the security Of
London, writes a recent essayist up
on the subject, Is d matter over which
the rate-payers have no control, and
Of which they have no knowledge
Public criticism ia London is un-
known and impossibleu
1t goes. without saying, that with
unscrupulous parties in power such q
state Of responsibility might be at
tended With great dangers to the COM
munity Fortunately, however, the
members of the Board Of Works are
persons Of high character, whose ex-
ercise Of their functions has always
been marked By great disinterested-
ness and zeal. Their services are en-
tirely u0remunerated, and involve a
large expenditure ofactivity and time.
During the year 1880 for instance,
there were 4S weekly meetings Of the
Board, at which the records show an
average attendance of thirty-six, while
the various committee meetings in the
same period numbered over 800. If
the latter were attended ais faithfully
as the meetings Of the Board, each
member must, on on average, have
been present at some meeting on three
days ofevery week. On the whole,
it may be said that the members Of
the Board have used their great pow
ers With wise discretion. Briefly, the
Board Is entrusted with Jurisdiction
over the entire drainage system, the
river embankments aud most Of tho
bridges, the streets and parks, Gre de-
partment, buildings offensive trades,
explosive substances, dairies, animal
diseases, artisans dwellings, and, in
fact. most Of the affairs which ia this
and other cities are distributed among
half dozen executive departments
Not all these incongruous powers
were conferred ct once, but they were
imposed as the necessity for placing
them somewhere became increasingly
obvious, and the Board demonstrated
its own ability to deal with difficult
and inbarmonious subjects.
Since its organization the Board
has accomplished many substantial
reforms Formerly, London drained
directly into the Thames; now its
sewerage Ii carried fourteen miles
down the river to Barking, and dis
charged there at high tide, equivalent
to discharge at low water twelve
miles further down. This work has
cost $40, 600, 900, but it has transform
ed the Thames from foul and pesti-
lent sewer into q relatively pure and
cleanly stream The Board, besides,
has protected the banks of the river
against overdows, By constructing, at
cost Of $2l, 000, 600, the imposing
Thames Embankment it has bought
and freed q number of the bridges
over the Thames carried ont extern
sive street improvements, costing
$S3, 600, 900 acquired control over
various parks, comprising 1876 acres;
and organized the Fire Brigade
which, however, is coufessedly made
quate, and makes but q poor show
when compared with the systems in
use ii our larger American cities.
The police force Of the Metropolis is
under the control Of d separate Board,
appointed BIZ the Home Secretary,
while that Of the City is in the hands
of the Common Councils dual ar
rangement well calculated to prevent
q harmonious enforcement Of the law.
Other Metropolitan Boards are en-
trusted with The care Of the poor and
the matter of public education. Wa
ter is furnished by private companies.
but the unsatisfactory character Of
this supply makes It imperative that
the Board Of Works, Or some other
central authority, shall make this also
matter of official control
This form Of administration how
ever, Is only an sxpedient It has
answered very well for lack Of any
thing better, but It is By no means
the ideal system The incongruity Of
the several boards, their non-repre-
sentative character, the many defects
IT, II.