The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1895-10-01
MODEL CITIES.
glasgow owns Its Gas Works and Street
Cars -.

Glasgow is the model municipality of
the world, and the American Land
Register thinks we may all profit by it's.
experience and example. The city
Council, which is the governing b dy,
recognizes three duties as being laid
upon it: To fulfil their trusts by eco
snomfcal administration of the city's
nnences; to improve public health,
tn physical and moral, and to give
brightness and the possibility of hap
piness to evil life This high concep-
tlon of the duty of a corporation has
not been carried ont in full, but no one
will deny that very satisfactory and
successful attempt has been established
The City Council undertakes to supply
the demand for water, gas, electric.
lighting, parks, public baths, ware,
houses and street railways, street
cleaning, building, police protection.
and various minor services s. II
The water supply is obtained from.
Loeb Katrine, thirty-fv mills distant.
and is copious and pure There is no
better water furnished any city in the
world, and Dublin is the only city that
gets it cheaper. There have been
nearly 9I2, 500 900 invested in water
works In 1870 sinking fund was es-
tablished, through the medium of
which nearly 975O. 900 have been paid
off up to the present time, and it is ex-
pected that the sinking fund will pay
off the whole debt by 194l, when the,
waterwOrks will be the unburdened,
property of the corporation In the
meanwhile the supply of water hes BEEN
enormously iucrea sed, the quality inn
proved and the price reduced so per
cent. In addition to the supply OF
water for the usual purposes it is now
proposed to drive machinery by hy-
draulic pressure of ], 900 pounds to the
square inch throughout the business,
area of the city.
The G asgow corporation has long
been in the field as the manufacturer
of gas la 1903 it took possession of
Cne gas plants which were owned by
two private companies and commenced
the production and sale of gas. The
quality of gas was improved while ita
price was reduced. The city furnishes
% candle power gas at the rate of sixty
cents per 600 cubic feet. TIE street
railways of Glasgow, up to June 3d.
1894, were operated by a private COM
pany. Six years ago the Council en-
deavored to impose certain conditions
on this C )mpany such as regulating the
fare and limiting the hours of work foE-
the employ eee.
The company refused TO make any
concessions, and as a result Of their
unwillingness to act in fair and gen.
erous manner towarI the public and
the laboring classes, the Council de-
cided not to renew their charter, but
to take possession Of the street railway
property itself and operate it, 1t put
on 300 new cars, 5000 horses and l, 700
new men. The city introduced a one
cent. fare, hitherto unknown, and !.
made 4 cents the maximum fare. The
experiment of operating street rail ways
by the city has proved a success. The,
city has made money and at the same
time has improved the plant and re-,
duced the fares. 1t now carries 300,-
600 a week for cent fares 600, 900 for
2 cent fares, 95, 900 for cent fares andt
90 600 for cent fares. The next step
will be to abolish all fares above q
cents.
The distinguishabla feature of GEasA
COWS financial management Is the
sinking fund. 1t is now applied to ev-
cry municipal enterprise Of the city.
On examining its accounts one finds.
tn 1T all serious debts are on the way to,
be liQuidated Oy the automatic opera
tion of this device. Toe present finan-
cial condition of Glasgow seems ex.
tremelY satisfactory. The liabilities
are G8 600, 900 and the assets $40. 600, OO0,.
with a clear balance of f2 500, 600 on.
the right side of the account.
The ability, the honesty and the
economy which have been brought to
bear in the administration Of the pub
lie affairs of Glasgow have been secured
by the elimination of politIcs The
Council is composed of solid business
men.
Politics are practically unknown IL
the meetings of the Council, nor is esc'
qr1ert speech in great demand theTe:
The success of Glasgow in mun1clPaE
o,ovornnoont has been achieved by the
49ioid Exclusion of politics from the city
I'D bV entrusting the administration
of the city to trained, capable and boz
y. Oa+ Utl b'1einess men. There is no city I'm
tSo ~ world 80 we'll governed ss Glasgow
o,.J none whose affairs are conductes
50 thoroughly in keeping with the prin-
cinIe that public officials OF the city are
~~~N~0 40 Na ISwooA0vsa 0R