The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-12-04
Letters From the People.
Wonderful Glasgow.
Whg the Most Advanced City In the
World Leries No 1ares.


vaneed city in the world there is not the re-
hottest possibility that any one will challenge
the statement who has studied the subject OF
municipal government long enough to become
familiar with the facts relating to 1t; and as
to the matter of running the government OF
the City without an Assessor or Tax Collector,
the official announcement that the income
from the public utilities owned by the city is
now sufficient to pay all expenses of the city
government and to provide for important pub
lie improvements after January /. 1897, will
be sufficient to satisfy the most ineredulous
person in San Francisco. And yet the city of
Glasgow does so many things for the general
welfare OF the people, such as have never been
dreamed of in San Francisco that few readers
of THE CALL can be prepared to believe it all
actually true, and they are therefore invited
to investigate for themselves
Hoping to encourage such investigation,
especially by the owners of large properties in
San Francisco, name my sources OF lnforma-
ton, and viii add that it is impossible TO con-
dense 1.-THE of what they will find so as to
put it into brief communication for news.
paper publication. In an octave volume OF
3S5 papes by Albert Shaw on Municipal Gov
ernment in Great Britain" published " the
Century Company, New York, 1893, the
is entitled ga Study of Glasgow" which is
based on the official reports of that city, COW
ering period of thirty years in particular.
and IN general including the entire history of
the November number OF "Annals of the
American Academy OF Political and Social
nation which follows. and once more invite
him to read up on Glasgow, also on Man.
chester. Birmingham and London.
On June IL, six months since. the city OF
Glasgow celebrated the thirtieth anniversary
of the passage by the British Parliament of
the Glasgow Improvement Trust Act, which
opened new epoch in the history OF the city,
says the "Annals of the American Academy"
But in 1854, twelve years previous. number
of philanthropic citizens formed an associa-
tfon Tor the purpose OF erecting some changes
in the unfortunate condition of the SUM popu-
lation, and this was in fact the beginning of
the reform movement which after years of
futile private endeavor resulted in the act OF
Parliament which empowered the city as
corporation to undertake the work which
philanthropy and private effort could not ac-
'complish. at was natural that Glasgow
should take the lead, says the Annals, las the
conditions there were pro bably worse than in
any other of tie cities of Great Britain" 1t
was from this condition that Glasgow has
risen TO the highest rank among the foremost
In the space which remains must deal with
results only. The slums districts are prac-
ucally eradicated. The city condemned the
disease-breeding tenements, bought up the
property of the slums districts, erected the
best modern sanitary buildings several stories
high in place OF the former novels, with one,
two, three. four and five room apartments,
which the city rents to tenants at about $3, "a,
81, Sill and $17 month respectively, and
rig MT In the center OF the city, While Lu6 water
and gas rates which are paid to the city are
merely nominal and reduce the cost OF living
! to minimum. The city now owns over 1000
of these dwellings, or suites OF rooms, and
houses over 5000 people. an average of six
persons in each. The income derived by the
city even at these low rates not only covers
the interest on the investment, the care OF the
buildings and all needed repairs, but also is
gradually accommodating sinking fund to ex-
tin guish the debt incurred in the purchase Of
the condemned property and In constructing
| the new buildings.
The social, sanitary and financial success of
| this work OF changing the slums into modern
| scientific habitations emboldened the city to
extend its operations to benefit another class
| OF unfortunate people, widows and w1dowers
| with small children, who were obliged TO go
| ont to work and had no one to take care of
their children For these people tney e1seieS
| ITS bedrooms, number OF general common
rooms, nurseries, bathrooms, small kitchens
In which to pre- pare 1000 ior infants ana re-
| nurses take charge of the children during the
entire day and the children. enjoy themselves
In the open air instead OF Dslng, as formerly,
| locked UP in small rooms while their parents
| were at work. With ali this the charges are
| very low and include light, heat, washing and
care OF the children. namely, for motner
| and one child 70 cents per week, or with two
children, 951l cents; with three, 81, and l2H
cents for each additional child; for father
and one child, 81 04 per week; with two chill
dren, ST. 81; with three, ST. 371a. and 16 cents
| for each additional child. Board is provided
/. for adults at cents for breakfast, 8 cents for
dinner and g cents for supper, or ~ cents per
+! day. Thus a widow with three children can
live very comfortably for $3 3S per week and
man with three children Tor 20 20.
| But the end is not yet. AT the meeting OF
| the Town Council, June IL last, motion was
! carried with but three dissenting voices out
! OF seventy-two members 10 apply to Parl1h-
ment for power 10 appropriate property for
| the express purpose OF providing sanitary
modern dwellings for all the working classes.
| And it Is said that the excellent credit of the
| city, which is able to borrow at ~ per cent,
| will make the venture financial success,
while the social and sanitary results VIII amply
| compensate the city for the outlay. Years
| ago the city established public washhouses,
where for pence an hour woman is al
| lowed the use of stall containing an I'M
proved am-boiling apparatus ana liked tubs
| with hot and cold water faucets, and her
washed clothes are placed in machine driers
| for two minutes, then hung on sliding frames
which enter hot-air department. ana are
| ready for large roller-mangle operated by
| steanipower and thus she may go home at the
| end of an hour with her clothes washed, dried
| and ironed.
| But time and space will not permit me to
| tell the reader OF the city farm, city markets,
| diaries, public baths, the libraries, public
| scientific schools, the parks and many other
things of like character. or OF the immense
advantage to the City i'll the reduction of the
cost OF service to the pubic wnicn comes from
| the public ownership OF the lighting plants,
| the streetears the water works, the markets
and other public utilities, from which also the
entire revenue OF the city is derived, at the
same time increasing the pay and shortening
| the hours of service of the public employees,
| and must close with the story but half told.
Ii Mayor-elect Phelan will induce the tax
PAYERS OF San Francisco TO unite IN q great
league to rescue the City from the x-absorb-
ers and plunderers, he can lnaug nrate q
movement which will transform our munich
pallty in few years into second Glasgow.
JOSEPH AsBURY JOHNSON.
San Francisco, December 3, 1896.