The record-union., 1895-10-05
SCOTTISH TOWNS.
Municipal Administration and
Progress.
The Streets of Edinburgh-Munfci
Control of Gas SuppIy-Municipal
Tramways in Glasgow and Dun
dee.


Glimpses of the cities OF Scotland tend
to take some of the conceit out of the cam
did American. | do not refer to the dig
nifty of the architecture, and the pictur-
esque resources of Edinburgh, with all
its historical associations, nor to the
scenic environment of Dundee and GIas-
gov, but to practical evidences of munich
pal administration and progressive gov
srnment for promoting the welfare OF the
masses. Tourists are ordinarily pre-
occupied with the crowned tower of st.
Giles, the somber palace OF Holyrood, the
rugged majesty of Arthur's Seat, the
quaint beauty of the Castle. the classic
lines of the architecture, the refined taste
OF the Scott monument. and the lowell
ness Of the Princess Gardens; but ii they
have leisure for little stern prose IN
poetic, romantic Edinburgh, the very
paving stones in the streets Will preach
tor them a wholesome homlly on the
modern art of municipal government.
How well paved and how clean are the
streets! Surely the glories of antiquity
and the charms of radiantly beautiful
scenery ought not to blind lntelllgent
American eyes to SO plain proof that Inc
modern Athens with all lis intellectual
pre-eminence and the splendors Of its
historical associations is one of the best
governed of towns Mr.. Bryce told the
truth when he declared that local gov
ernment was the weak point IN the
American system, and the condition
OF the streets in nearly all of the largest
towns of England and Scotland confirms
his testimony. There have been perhaps
8 hundred thousand Americans IN Eu-
rope this season; and few OF them will re-
turn to their homes without envying
the English people for their well-kept
streets and their incomp parable country
roads.
What is the secret of road making in
Scotch or an English town? 1t is deep,
solid. lndestrucuble bed OF concrete.
Whether asphalt or blocks of granite or
wood be used, the foundation Is always
laid with painstaking thoroughness, and
is twice or three times as thick as the
ordinary bed of concrete in an American
street. The country highways also have
well-drained. carefully made foundations,
and they are the best roads IN the world.
When the pavement or the road Is I'M
ished II Is not allowed to fall out OF re-
pair. When there are the slightest signs
OF wear so that the water collects III shall
low hollows after q shower, the pave
ment is not neglected, but is promptly
restored to it's original condition. The
stitch in time that saves nine Is always
taken. Systematic cleansing is essential
10 the maintenance or good roadway IN
town or country, and this is admirably
managed by the local authorities, espe-
cially IN Scotland. Every night the pave
ments of Edinburgh and Glasgow are
sprinkled, the machine sweepers are set
IN motion, gangs of men with bTooms
and hoes are lndustrlOusly employed, and
behind them are the carts Tor the removal
OF piles of dirt. Ashes, refuse and gar
4 fr
every Lwenty-four hours. 1t Is system
aLic cleansing and scavengering, and 1t ID
not confined TO q few conspicuous thor
oughfares. Every back street, courtyard,
lane and alley Is sprinkled, swept and
garnisbed. 1T Is thorough work done
with unbroken regularity, under rigid
system of inspection.
DARKNESS AND DIRT EXoRCIsED.
The streets of Glasgow, Edinburgh and
Dundee are brilliantly lighted at night,
and the houses as well, even in the poor
est quarters. While electric lighting has
been introduced on 3 small scale in COM
parison with American cities. the con-
sumption of gas is very large, and is
steadily increasing IN consequence OF the
general adoption of the system of munic-
ipal supply. Darkness and dirt are the
twin ogres which are exercised in a
Scotch town by the science of local gov
ernment. Cheap ges has been provided
by municipaliZation. Clean streets are
the result of efficient local administra-
ton.
Municipal ownership of gas works has
been IN England the natural corollary of
municipal control OF the water supply.
In American cities one policy has not
involved the other, but experience In
Great Britain has shown that the busi-
ness Of manufacturing and distributing
gas can be most economically and ell
ciently conducted by municipalities. The
experiment has been successful wherever
IL has been tried. The first outlay in the
purchase of the rights of private COM
panies and the enlargement of the plant
is large, but it is covered by sinking
funds and interest charges extending
over long periods. The accepted method
is TO pay of the Indebtedness gradually,
and TO enlarge the consumption by pro-
viding gas OF good quality at rates so
low that the poorest families will be able
to use il. Visitors IN Glasgow are as
tonished by the almost universal en-
ployment of gas in the tenement dis
tricts. Occupants who can afford to hire
only a single living room have the in
estmable boon In the long winter 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 a Scotch town of any pre-
tension 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 to the
consumer IS q little over two English
shllings per thousand feet under the
most favorable conditions-in Dundee it
is three shillings four pence-and the
business OF supplying it has been con-
Quoted so economically that il IS source
OF profit to the town even with the sink
ing funds in operation for the eXtinguish-
ment OF the debt incurred by purchase.
In Birmingham the gas department. now
yields q surplus of 450, 900, which is ap-
piled 10 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 10
take off penny or two from the con-
sumer's rate SO as TO encourage this tend
ency. When the sinking funds are
rounded out and the gas debts paid, there
will be material reduction III the rates.
Electric lighting in Glasgow, Dundee
ana other towns IS already controlled by
the town government, 80 that the entire
business OF providing light may be con-
Verted into a municipal monopoly. The
system is working admirably wherever
II has been introduced in Great Britain.
Some communities are still tagging be-
hind the most enterprising and best gov
erned towns, and remain dependent upon
private enterprise: which are compelled
10 provide cheap gas service from the
fear Of losing intimately their franchises
and privileges, but municipal ownership
OF the gas supply is now an established
principle of progressive local government
in the I nited Kingdom.
CITY OWNERSHIP OF TRAMwAYs.
So also is municipal ownership of
tramways, although the operation o.
them by departments of the local goVerue
,nent is stlll IN q tentative stage. IN