The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-03-04
THE CITY OF GLASGOW.
How City May be Run When the People
Take Hand.


Take Hand.
The following extracts are from the
paper read by L. A. Stebbins before the
Municipal league on Glasgow, Scotland:
"The municipal affairs of Glasgow are
almost entirely divorced from politics,
| hence, its affairs are run on bushes 3
principles. The governing body is COM
posed of coun Gil of fifty members. chos
en- from among the most upright, sue
cessful and respected men. No salary
is attached to the office, and competent
men who stand for electionus ually
have no opposition. In case but one can
ditate appears, the Office is awarded to
him without the formality of an election.
"The city has grown from 5000 in
habitants at the opening of the present
century to one of over 100000 at the
present time, hence 1t has had to face
the same problems that are incident to
the growth of great cities, that confro Mt
the great American cities.
"The city built aud has always owned
its own waterworka The water is
brought thirty-four miles from Loeb
Katerine by means of seventy tunnels.
The source is three hundred aud sixty
feet above the city and the pressure thus
secured will throw the water eighty feet
above the highest building N the city.
The water is noted throughout Europe
for its purity. The works have capacity
of fifty five gallons for each man. woman
and child in the city. The works cost
$10,00OOOO, and the charges to con-
sumers are reasonable.
1.-THE city purchased the private gas
plants of the city in 1870 for 81, 100000,
and has since invested more than 81, 000,-
900 in improvements. The price has fallen
under municipal ownership from ia
cePts per numbered feet in 1870 TO 6
cents per hundred feet The rates in
Topeka are about twenty cents per hun
dred The consumption of gas under
municipal ownership has increased 40
per cent, while the population has only
increased 20 per cent Cheap gas for
light and fuel has been a great boon to
the poor people of the city.
"All market and slaughter houses in
the city are owned and run by the city,
thus greatly facilitating the work of the
sanitary inspectors and health depart
ment
''The city has since 1866 spent $4,000
600 in purchasing the property in the
crowded tenement and criminal districts
of the city; demolishing the buildings
and reselling the properties, after laying
out the districts with wide streets, and
making all necessary provisions for sani-
tary conditions, including beautiful
parks. The portion of the city thus
renovated covered eighty-eight acres
and was inhabitated by $4,000 people.
''The city has built a. cost of $450,000
seven municipal lodging houses for poor
dodgers, which accommodate 1000 night
ly dodgers at from 7 to cents per lodger
per night, and even at this price the
houses pay per cent on the Investment
"The city has also established, at a
cost of 100000, five public bath houses,
with wash houses attached. In these
wash houses for four cents per hour any
poor woman can have the use of the most
improved machinery, by the use of
which she can in one hour wash. dry and
iron the ordinary washing for a family of
-four. When it is remembered that 20
rer cent of the families of Glasgow live
in one and two rooms each one begins to
realize the comfort that these public
wash houses are to the poor of the city.
"All courts, hall, passage ways and back
yards used by more than two families
in common are cleaned by the city from
once week to three times day accord
lag to the necessity of each case. The
streets are swept every night, and the
sweepiugs carefully saved and sold for
fertilizing purposes. The city in one
year realized more than $4,000 in that
way. The sanitary and cleaning depart
ment of the city has more than 800 men
on its payroll. The death rate in the
city has fallen in the last thirty years by
reason of improved conditions from 30
ner thousand YEARLY to 25 Der thousand"