The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-01-06

Prosperity Compared With Health
should be a Secondary Cons deration-
BE Reviews some Facts Illustrating the
Results of Sanitary Reforms in Euro
pean Cities.
B. F. Buck OF Paramount College in a
letter to the Eagle discussing govern
ment Of cities, says
While I was considering the question
Of coming 20 Wichita last summer l met
doctor who had lived here a number OF
years When 1 asked him in regard 20
the healthfuiness Of the climate ne made
this reply
II Wichita had been doomed for its
healthy climate instead OF place TO get
rlch IN, II would have had twice the pop
ulation that ii has today
After living here for four months 1 am
or the opinion that there was great dea.
OF truth in what he said. When real es-
tate is being sold lis great natural and
commercial advantages are strongly en-
pAasized, while healthy climate is look
ed upon as Of small Importance.
Cities within the past three years have
come to realize that low death rate.
good city government, the best education
a
taxation are the greatest inducements TO
the best citizens.
Until within few years but little at
1ertion was paid 10 city government as a
study. Our American cities had sort Of
come UP or ''growed" Ike Topsy, and did
not seem to think that they needed much
government. But when the people Of
New York, Philadelphia, Baltimore and
many other cities, both large and small,
realized that all kinds OF fraud in the
management OF elections were matters Of
cor1non occurrence; that the transaction
O municipal business, schemes jobs, pee
ulations and acknowledgement controlled
TIE city government, they decided that
something must be done As d result
conferences have been held TO discuss be-
ter methods % carrying on the various
departments Of city government. Lee
lures have been given. magazine articles
and books have been written. During the
past three years no department of polit-
-c2l science has received more attention
than that Of city government. Expert
ments have been tried and improvements
have been made in a great many cities Of
the United Sta teS and Europe, and YET a
great many evils remain. \ prominent
attorney within the past year made the
following Statement When | stop 70
think Ct the methods of some of our larg-
est corporations which are daily brought
20 my certain knowledge I wonder where
We are going ID land. A few days ago a
large corporation in which I am a di-
rector set aside 100000 TO buy certain
city council and We did it as calmly as
We would have appropriated the same
- furnish new official building.
We have been watching with interest
several so-called experiments in city gov
eminent which are being tried in Europe.
and the United States ] nave before me
- Fr--- annual rav,ar-f ~ rhn : IL
way department of the city Of Glasgow,
as published in the NOVem Der mum Der OF
the Annals Of the American Academy.
In 1894 the franchise of the street railway
company expired and the entire system
was taken by the city. The council re-
fused u purchase the rolling stock be-
cause the company would not pledge il
self not 70 enter into competition with
the city through The running OF omni-
buses and an entirely new equipment
for the railway was bought The gross
revenues for the first year OF municipal
operation ending May 81. 1896. was 81
700 900. and after paying all expenses, IN
Guiding interest on the money invested,
there was A net profit Of $4,000. Work
ingmen have had a regular 2-cent fare
from to A. m, and from 10 2. N.
end he regular fares have been graded
from l n s cents according 10 distance.
I he fare = about I cent a nile The gas
report shows a total income Of s.. l90,OJo,
a tota. expenditure of $2.40e,0o0 for run
ming expenses. $350,09o was charged 70
wear On machinery. and after paying all
interest charges there was a net profit
Of Sia 0C0 20 the city. The coal used mas
cost S2I5 a ton. and the price o. gas IS
bat So cents per thousand cubic feet
Al first thought the sum taken II ny
ne railway seems large. bur the city hay
inr 4 Formulation Of sol. eco il would take
only S2.12i. per capita to produce It.
The city completed a second reservoir
for water supply last June at cost 81
81 800. 600. Il covers seq acres and VIII (
hold 1000. 000 600 gallons # water
Glasgow has done another thing worthy
of our attention. Thirty years ago GER
tain parts Of the city We're built up win
tenement houses three and four stories
hiah and only three ar four feet apart,
the prorrietOrs wanting II build upon
rxerv available foot OF land. IN many
If these houses there were a. many az
200 persons. and in one case thlrty-eIghL
families occurred a common star 1 ne
unsanitary conditions Of these IocaIJleS
gave the civ A very high death rate The
city obtained power from parliament %
lake unsanitary property IN large areas
nv COMPULSORY purchase. At first me
citizens objected 10 the heavy tax. SIX
7e0-e on the pound. 10 pay for the appro-
1r;stion demolition and construction or
7ev buildings. The tax rate for new pur-
->,,sas and construction has constantly Ill
n,I7ishe,I. and entirely disappeared IN
1896 ~ the present time the cry Owls
/ Goa dwellings and houses 5000 people
The most interesting TACT tlat w learn
from the study of Glasgow's city govern
me,r is MS that in a short time The city
will obtain its entire revenue from us
49,, -,srhlgs s1rff;fiaS