New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-08-25
SCOTTISH TOWNS.
THE STREETS OF EDINBURGH-MUNICI
CONTROL OF GAS sUPPLY-MUNICIPAL
TRAMwAYs IN GLASGOW AND
DIrNDEE

TRAMwAYs IN GLASGOW AND
DUNDEE.
Glasgow. August Is.
Gl,nnpses OF the cities OF Scotland tend TO take
some Of the conceit out of the candid American.
do not refer to the dignity OF the architecture
md 10 the picturesque resources OF Eu'hours"'
with all its historical associations. nor to the seen
&c environment OF Dundee and Glasgow; Out 10
practical evidences OF efficient municipal adm'h-
istration and progressive government TOT pro-
noting the welfare o. the masses Iouris's al
ordinarily preoccupied with the crowned tower Vi
St Giles the sombre palace OF Hoiyroou' '"e
rugged majesty Of Arthur's Seat. the quaint oeau-
~ of the Castle. the classic lines OF 'he ai'"'
,scture the refined taste Of the Scott monument.
and the loneliness Of the Princess Garoehs' ou' II
thew have leisure for little stern prose in poet
ic. romantic Edinburgh. the very paving-stoheS III
tho streets will preach for them wholesome
.o,,,,v an tho modern art Of municipal govern
mont How well paved and how clean are the
800, srrelv the glores of antiquity and the
,,srm. NJ radiantly beautiful scenery ought not
~ Hind Intelligent American eyes to so plain a
,roop that the modern Athens with all us inter
,..,,., nreeninence and the splendors OF us MS
.r,csI associations Is one Of the best governed Oh
touns Mr.. Bryce told the truth when ne de-
c,ared that local government was the weak point
q, tho American system, and the condition OF the
streets In nearly all the largest towns OF Eng
land and Scotland confirms his testimony iheie
have been perhaps a hundred thousand Ameli-
cans in Europe this season; and few OF them Will
return TO their homes without envying the r'"e
,i.h people for their we-paved. well-kept sfee'S
and their Incompatible country roads
What is the secret Of road-making In scotch
or an English town? 1t is Deep sohu' ..''e
structbe bed Of concrete. Whether aspha'' Vi
h,ocls NJ granite or wood be used. the founda-
ton is always laid with panstaking thoroue"
ness. and is twice or three times as thich as INC
ordinary bed OF concrete in an American s'iee'
The country highways also have weii-ufa'i'e'
carefully made foundations. and they are inc
hest roads in the world When the pavement OF
the road Is finished II Is not allowed 10 IAN ou'
~ repair When there are the slightest Signs VI
wear So that water collects in shallow hollows
after a shower, the pavement Is not negiec'eu'
hut is promptly restored to Its original conu''io
The stitch in time that saves nine Is always 'aNe
svs,smatic cleansing is essential to the mainteh-
ance of a good roadway in town or country anu
this Is admirably managed by the local au'hori-
tie. especially in Scotland. Every night the pave
ments OF Edinburgh and Glasgow are sprinKieo'
the machine sweepers are set IN motioh' ea'es
81 men with brooms and hoes are indus'riousiy
employed, and behind them are the carts LOT 'ne
r.r,oval ~ niles of dirt Ashes. refuse and gar
bage are taken up from house TO mousse every
twentv-four hours. 1t is systematic cleansing
and scavengering. and 1t Is not connheu 10 IL"
consnicuous thoroughfares Every back street,
courtyard. lane and alley is sprnkled. swept ana
rarnished 1t is thorough work done with I'M
viOd
spection.
DARKNESS AND DIRT EXERCISED
The streets OF Glasgow Edinburgh and Dundee
are brilliantly lighted at night. and the houses
AZ well. even in the poorest quarters While eiec-
,rir lighting has been introduced on small scaie
in comparison with American cities the CON-
s,nptIon OF gas Is very large. and Is steadily III
creasng in consequence Of the general ADOPTION
of the system Of municipal supply. Darkness
and dirt are the twin ogres which are exercised IN
a Scotch town by the science OF local government
ch4ap gas has been provided by municipalization'
,,,sa, streets are the result of efficient local ad-
ministration.
Nun,cinal ownership Of gas works has been In
England the natural corollary Of municipal con-
,rol NJ the water supply In American cities one
policy has not involved the other, but experience
IN Great Britain has shown that the business OF
manufacturing and distributing gas can be most
economically and efficiently conducted by NUM-
cInalities The experiment has been successful
wherever Il has been tried. The first outlay IN
the purchase OF the rights Of private companies
and the enlargement Of the plant Is large. but 1t
is covered by sinking funds and interest charges
extending over long periods. The accepted meth
cd Is 10 pay off the Indebtedness gradually, and
"a enlarge the consumption by providing gas OF
good quality at rates so low that the poorest
families will be able to use It, Visitors In Glas-
cow are astonished by the almost universal en-
ployment Of gas in the tenement districts. Occu-
rants who can afford TO hire only single living
room have the inestimabe boon in the long win
ter nights OF cheap gas. The municipality not
only lights the streets at public expense but also
the courtyards and common halls and stairways
OF crowded tenement-houses
There is not Scotch town of any pretensons
that does not own Its gas works. and the great
majority Of English cities outside London have
adopted the same policy. The selling price OF gas
10 the consumer Is a little over two English shi-
lings per thousand feet under the most favorable
condtions-in Dundee it is three shillings
four pence-and the business OF supplying ii has
been conducted so economically that 1t is source
of profit to the town even with the sinking funds
in operation for the extingushment OF the debt
incurred by purchase In Birmingham the gas
department now yields a surplus Of $4,000, which
is applied TO the deficit OF a costly scheme Of
street improvements In the Scotch towns gas
is coming into daily use for fuel, and efforts are
made every year to take off penny or two
from the consumers rate. so as to encourage this
tendency When the sinking funds are rounded
out and the gas debts paid. there will be mater
ial reduction In the rates. Electric lighting in
Glasgow Dundee and other towns is already con-
trolled by the town government, so that the en-
tire business OF providing light may be converted
into municipal monopoly. The system is work.
ing admirably wherever 1t has been introduced in
Great Britain Some communities are still lag
cling behind the most enterprsing and best gov
erned towns and remain dependent upon private