New-York tribune., 1895-12-12
| MUNICIPAL PARLIAMENT
I'll.
CONTRASTS AND ANALo9IEs BETWEEN
METROPOLITAN LONDON AND
GREATER NEw-YORK.

London, November q.
A third letter the municipal Parliament OF
London. so far from being superfuous is really
sssertial In order that the appearance OF the
prevous letters may be justified. have already
described the functions and characteristics Of this
unique municipal assembly. and have explained
the politica! deadlock which has paralyzed the
energies of reformers and Is blocking the
reorganization Of local government and retarding
the unihcation OF London What shall now at
tempt to do is to point out some of the contrasts
and analogies between metropolitan London and
its unsolved question of unihcation, and Greater
New-York, with Its complex problems Only IN
this way can the raison d'etre Of this series OF
letters on a purely local question be established
There is little in the national politics OF Great
Britain at present with which Americans are
deeply concerned. large and elastic Lioerai
programme has been voted down and repuoIa'eu
BY the popular electorate transition period
Of small measures and artificial COMPROMISES mas
opened. The most important question that is
looming up before the approaching Parliament is
the dual educational system with Its sectarian
and non sec taIian schools. That question has
hAsn se.ted in the United States In the only ra-
,,onsl wav and Americans will have nothing 10
,.arn ,rorn any artificial readjustment Of the
,,,vinal compromise which may be effected in
England.
OF INTEREST TO AMERICANS.
u-h., ourh, 10 interest Americans Of enlight
.,ad minds and progressive tendencies is the de-
velopment Of municipal and local government in
,he United Kingdom. 1t Is their weakest point,
a. Mr. Bryce with unerring judgment. has de-
c,ared in The American Commonwealth. and
es they themselves we'll know. 1t Is the strong
est and most hopeful feature of English civiliza-
,ion that word being usei in Guizot's sense of
e CO q IN
nrohler Of reproducing in Greater London the
centralized municipal system Of government by
la-es committees of an administrative council
which IS IN successful operation in other English
.,,iss has direct bearing upon the question of
Greater New-York.
What must be obvious to the most superficial
observer is that the difficulty Of reorganizng and
unifying the government of London has been
vastly increased by protracted naction and de-
iav The metropolis was excluded from the opera
ton OF the Act Of 1885. which marked the opening
Of a new era of municipal institutions IN Great
Britain. Everywhere else the exclusive privi-
lages OF the trade guilds and merchants COM
panles were abolished; but in London these
medieval conditions have been retained in the
ancient city urto this day. In other cities great
administrative councils were created and the gov
ernnent was conducted by the representatives OF
the democratic body OF electors but in London
there was a lack Of organic unity and Centralized
agencies and there was an anomalous Jumole OF
nveried mummery, vestTy rule. corporation priv
ilege and Imperial administration
While other municipalities were taking UP and
working out new requirements Of overcrowded
urban and industrial communities. London was
tagging behind As time went special acts
OF Parliament were passed; the metropolitan
Board of Works was organized in 1855 and armed
In
struct;on Of sewers and the pavement and light
i.s NJ the streets: the School Board was created;
and less than eeven years ago the nrst County
Council was elected; but nothing like homo
geneous system of local government yet eXsts
In the metropolis. Questions and policies which
were complex and intricate sixty and forty
wears ago have been rendered vastly more dlrl-
cult by neglect TO take them up In good time be-
fore they became unmapageable and almost in
superable.
ANTIQUATED PRIVILEGES RETAINED
For example. in 1855 when the Metropolitan
Board of Works constituted. the population
Of London 100000 1t is now 4oooooo ior
The metropolitan area administered by the
County Council. and S.500,0Go for the Greater
London II the County Council had been created
;hen instead of in 1889 i. might have succeeded
long ago in aboIishng the anNquated privileges
Of the city guilds, in securing an adequate water
supply under public control, in introducing
nunicipalizaticn of markets. burial grounds and
gas electric and tramway corporations. ana IN
evolving from a congeres Of parish-governed
cities a unique metropolis with a uniform tax
rate and system Of administration. The same
Council with the help OF Parliament may yet
work out all these complex problems; but the
inherent difficulties have been multiplied by the
vast additions made TO the population, area.
into resources
don
That ia a phase Of Greater London which
ought not TO be neglected when the subject Of
Greater New-York is under public consldera-
ton. The difficulties Of these municipal con-
solidation questions increase as time passes ana
nopulation becomes more and more congested
ENTIRELY apar. from the contrasts OF popula-
,ion the unihcation Of London is more COM
,,lax nroblem than the creation of Greater
Hev-York can ever be Here local government
q TO be completely reorganized and order evolved
from chaos of med.aeval traditions. corporation
onono,ies special Parliamentary legislation
.,d ,arsh and vestry rule There 1t is mainly
corsoudation questionable amalgamation or
urban communities which are already governed
and administered the same general lines
Tho establishment Of uniform tax-rate and
property valuation in the greater ->e"-io'A
ought not 10 be serious undertaking. espe-
,.isIv when the cities and districts to be annexed
Will inevitably profit by the reducuoh' out III
London every vestry has not only It's own rat
Ing. but also its characteristic system OF TAXA
,lon The ground here will have to be cleared
in every direction and strongholds OF TRADITIONAL
urivilege and vested rights will nave 10 De ieV-
elled before the unified London OF the frosres-
sive programme can become reshty' iheie y
a multiplicity of administrative systems anu
methods here. whereas there Is aireauy UNI
formity of governing ideas ana processes III