New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-01-23
THE USTRO-HUNGARIAN CAPITALS.

Time was within tie memory OF men now
living when Vienna was one Of the most crowd
ed squalid and unattractve cities on the whole
Continent Of Europe. Within the walls 1t occu-
pied space of only one square mile. Then came
a broad encircling belt Of military fortiications
and open ground, and then some thirty or forty
mean, wretched villages. II was the worst capi-
tai with the worst suburbs in Europe. Now.
the military belt that inclosed the city has been
transformed into n splendid zone OF streets, parks
and blocks of buildings; the suburbs have been
incorporated with the city and vastly improved.
ard the result is of the finest modern cities
in the world Its noble avenues, and its stately
buildings. public and private, are not surpassed
even In Paris and its sanitary regulations, build
ing laws low tax rate. elaborate public WORKS
and cheap and ample transit iaclltles nave
contributed TO such growth and prosperity as few
other cities have known. In 1850 it had 5OoO0o
inhabitants In 1898 it had 100000 These re-
suits have been achieved partly by the system
of local autonomy granted by the present En-
peror but chiefly by the rebuilding Of the city
which that wise monarch decided upon and car
ried ont often against much popular opposition
The other capital of the dual Empire Ia more
of a creation than Il transformation. In Nossuth
time there were two separate towns Buda ana
Pest living on opposite sides Of the Danube To-
gether they had perhaps 100000 people To-day
there is one splendid city of 100000 INHABITANTS
with the stately river flowing through II. ms
change dates from 1868. when the Magyar eNlles
returned and realized that they were once more
members Of a nation Of their own. Since Hun
gary had a national government. It's capi'ai must
have home rule. They gave 1t that 1t cannot
be said that the system is perfect. The Io"n
Council Of 400 members Is absurdly large
and unwieldly. Still. the actual w'rh Oh
administration is SO divided among smaller
and efficient committees that the actual re-
suit is by no means unsatisfactory The
death rate has been reduced to IA to the
LOCO. which is fairly low for q semi-Orentai
METROPOLIS and is indeed lower than that Of the
Kingdom as whole. The population Is less
crowded than elsewhere. the city having n larger
area than any other in Europe. II is true that
more than 60 per cent Of the families live in one
room each-the largest proportion in Europe
and more than so per cent In not more thah TWO
rooms each. But then these small tenements
are in one-soried houses where air ana light
penetrate far more freely than In the many
stored slums Of other cities The educational
facilities of Budapest. its public works and It's
manner Of dealing with public franchises ana
corporations are all most admirable. and eniitlc
this Magyar capital t. high rank among the
enlightened municipalities OF the WorIu'
There are a thousand and one details In MT
Shaw's book which cannot even be limited at In n
review but which Of fascinating interest
even to the cursory reader. and highly instructive
to the student Of municipal and social economies.
There are also appendices. giving condensed
schedules Of the budgets ~ Paris and Berlin.
and the full text Of the Paris Municipal Code;
and an adequate index to the whole work. We
may read these handsomely printed pages "a
we should wonder -book-for wonder-book II Is
to the average American. or we may read them
with the mandate constantly In mind. Look on
this picture and then this the second being
supplied not by the book but by our own eN-
perience and knowledge u our own blundcrinG
and plunderlng in municipal affairs In either
case the reading will be of interest In the
latter II scarcely fail to be Il more than orGl-
nary profit.