The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-08-04
Municipal Government without Tax.
alton.

The city of Glasgow, Scotland, is in
the fortunate position Of being able to
pay all the expenses of the city govern
ment out Of the revenue derived from
its public imprOvments-a state of
things which has earned for this city
the title to be called the most advanced
and best governed city in the world.
The details regarding the system en-
ployed by the municipal authorities are
given in letter from Mr.. Joseph AS
bury johnson, in the Morning Call, Of
San Francisco, from which it appears
that the progress of Improvement of
the city dates from the year 1854, when
number of philanthropic citizens
formed an association for the improve
ment of the condition. Of the slum popu-
lation. This was practically the begin
| ming of reform movement which ulti-
mately resulted in an act of parliament
empowering the city corporation to car
ry out the work which philanthropy and
private effort had failed to accomplish.
| 1t is claimed that at this time the con-
dition of the poor in that city was worse
than in any of the other cities of Great
Britain. On July II occurred the thirty
first anniversary of the passage by the
British parliament Of the Glasgow I'm
provement Trust Act. The measure has
worked so we'll that today the slum dis
tricts are practically eradicated The
city condemned the wretched tenements
and erected in their place the very best
form OF modern sanitary buildings, con-
tanning one, two, three, four, or five
room apartments, which the city rents
to the tenants at from SO to $17 a month.
The water and gas rates which are paid
to the city are merely nominal and re-
duce the cost of living to a minimum.
There are altogether over one thousand
of these suites of rooms or flats owned
by the city and rented at the prices
named above, and at the average rate
of six persons to the flat, there are over
six thousand people accommodated in
this way. The scheme has been so we'll
managed that the income derived by the
city not only covers the interest of the
investment, cost of maintenance, and all
incidental expenses, but there has actu-
ally accumulated a sinking fund which
is gradually wiping out the debt in
CURED in the purchase of the con-
demned property and constructing the
| new tenements.
Encouraged by the success of this ex-
pertinent, the city organized system
of relief and benefit for widows and wild
overs with small families who are
obliged to go to their daily labor and
| have no one in whose care they can
leave tho children. A large building
was erected containing one hundred and
seventy-five bedrooms and number of
nurseries. bathrooms, kitchens and play
rooms for the children. and a STAFF of
| nurses was engaged to look after the
little ones during the entire day. The
| charges are extremely low, including as
t they do light, heat, washing and caro-
OF the children, etc. The prices paid
| are as follows: For a mother and
! child, 79 cents per week; mother and
two children, e51z cents; with three
children, 81, and 12'sI cents for each
addition child. For a father and one
child, s1.O4 a week; father with two
children, s1.21 per week; with three
children, s13S per week, with charge
of 16 cents extra for each additional
child. In addition to this, board is pro-
| vided for adults at S cents for break
! fast, cents for dinner, and 6 cents for
supper, or 13 cents per day. Summing
up these items we find that widow
with three children can live very COM
4fortably for $3.SS per week, and man
| with three children for 1915
| "A further extension Of the operations