Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1897-12-02
SOME COMPARISONS.
MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT IN ENG
LAND AND UNITED STATES.
In THE country valuable franchises ARE
given away to corporal OnS, while In
England they are retained as a source
0freVenue.


finger of scorn at New York and Phar-
isee-like giving thanks that their cit
les are not like the American metropo-
lis. They have been saying some very
severe things, but the New York news
papers have placed themselves in POI
sition which renders any offense al
most impossible.
They have not only said hard things
about the administration Of their own
city affairs, always, of course, during
the aseendancy Of the other party, but
they have bestowed unlimited praise
upon the municipal government OF
English cities.
The World in recent article making
comparisons between English and
American conduct of city business,
said:
Glasgow contains about $50, 900 peo-
pie, Manchester's population is $50, 900,
but its municipal government directly
benefits 100000, Birmingham has
about 44O,O within its corporate linn
its. All these cities are newer than
any of the great American cities. All
have had their real growth in the last
95 years All their plans for good gov
eminent began about the time of the
Gloss of the civil war-exactly the
period when New York and the other
American cities fell into the hands of
bosses and rings of corruptionists.
They are governed by an electorate
that in no essential respect differs from
ours. The masses of the people vote
and have absolute power over their
public servants, the officials. They Sc
lect municipal council that admins
tiers the city's affairs by dividing itself
into executive committees; one COM
mittee at the head of each department
of the public service. These council
ors serve without pay, and, although
elections are frequent, changes in the
council from causes other than death
are comparatively rare.
In their municipal campaigns the
questions of national or other than
city polite are never discussed. Lo-
cal affairs only are issues. Party lines
do not exist. Nominations for Office
can be made and are made by petit
ton signed by ten names-a propOser
of the candidate, seconder and eight
others. Yet there are few candidates,
and even few contests. An official who
serves the city well is practically never
opposed for reelection.
All this is the resulto of single cause
the complete divorce of politics from
city affairs.
In these three cities and in scores of
smaller English cities the chief source
of revenue is not by direct taxation of
the people, as it is in New York and
Brooklyn. The most of the expenses
of government are paid out of the in
come from public woris-water, gas,
electricity, street railways, etc.
The most Of the municipal depart
ments are almost or quite self sup
porting. Many of them pay large
profit that goes to decrease the taxes
for such necessarily Improbable de-
partments as police, fire, sanitary and
sewage.
The municipal bonded debts are large
almost as large in proportion as
those of New York and Brooklyn. But
the interest charged is paid for the
most part out of the profits of munich
pal enterprises, and it is not collected
in taxes as it is here.
Year by year the taxes there are
growing smaller In Glasgow there are
now practically no general taxes In
Manchester and Birmingham the gen.
eral rates are small. And the prnici-
pal of the debt is constantly decreas--
ing.
In Glasgow the street railways are
now owned and run by the city at a
great profit Yet the average fare is
about two cents, and there are work.
ingmen's trains morning and evening
on which the charge is only one cent
Until two years ago the street rail-
ways, which were built by the city,
were leased TO a private company
which paid its stockholders 10 per cent
dividends after paying the city annu-
ally: Q) The total interest charge on
the city's investment; (9) eneugh to ac-
cumulate into sinking fund big
enough to pay off the total first cost OF
the roads at the end of the lease; (3)
enough to reimburse the city for all
repairs and renewals, and (D an annu-
al rental Of $3.50 mile. And they were
allowed to charge on the average about
two and half cents as a fare!
Manchester built its street railways
and leased them to company which
pays the city interest on the cost and
II net dividend Of 10 per cent per an
mum. Yet this company may charge !
only about three cents, and must run
twO-cent worliingmen trains morning
and evening