The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-28
SALISBURY ON NEW YORK.
HIS sURPRIsING REMARKS ON TEE
RESULT OF OUR ELECTION.

hssertipE That Greater New York 10 . Failure
sud That Il Will Nc Governed BadlJ-A
Russian JcweIIcr Gets n Famous Actor Int
Trorbie-GrievAnces OF British Dog own
era = A Religious Play Performed by
Clergy ana Church workers in Canterbury.
LONDON. Nov. 19.-MegalomAnia is tho latest
term OF reproach or criticism which England
uses to describe q prominent American char
acteristic, and IL is n word which we are sure to
hear In tiresome reiteration for a long time to
come. Mr.. Gladstone consecratod 1t, II we are
TO believe Lord Salisbury. but the Primo Min
lister has introduced 1t into the political life OF
the day in q way that is sure to make 1t n by
word on both sides OF the Atlantic. Tho pas
sion for big things simply because they are big"
IL Lord Salisbury's definition Of this supposedly
un.English human weakness. 1t was the alleged
manifestation of this form OF mental aberra'
tion among his countrymcn which led tho Brit
fish Premier to sound a national warning this
week. in which he pointed to New York as an
awful warning to England and especially to
London.
The attack made by Lord Salisbury upon Lon
don municipal government in his remarkable
speech at the National Conservative Conference
at Albert Hall has surprised both sides In Eng.
lish politics. Ho announced that the Govern
ment will introduce legislation next winter pro-
viding radical changes in the present form of
government Ct the metropolis, all Of them in
the direction Of decentralization. 1t Is we'll
known that Lord Salisbury has always boon q
bitter opponent Of the London County Council,
and 1t must be admitted that the defects and
shortcomings OF that body, more especially
within the past year or two, have given only
too much basis for criticism and opposition.
Tho curse OF the London County Council Is
faddism, and 1t is an open question II tho evil
be not a worse one on the whole than corruption.
But Lord Salisbury's cutlery is not against
fads In general. but simply against - megalo-
mania" Inasmuch as the Prime Minister'S
influence may Prove strong enough to start q
general movement in this country in quite tho
opposite direction to the present tendency in
American municipal government. his observa-
tions have an interest beyond British limits.
These points, for instance, command general
attention:
MY own belief 10 that the inhabitants of
London, or perhaps 1 should rather say the
statesmen of this country, have fallen victims
to a common intellectual complaint of the pres
emit day, m~egalomania. And in so doing they
have departed from the traditions and the
p ecodents of all other large municipalities
Tor London has a constitution wholly different
from theirs. We are very proud of our
municipal genius in this country and tho splen.
did results which the municipalities all over the
country have produced, and we are not the less
proud when we compare them with what hap.
pens in some other countries. But in London
you have not got a municipality; you have a
little Parliament, and q little Parliament Is not
what you want. We have a big Parliament
to which we all pay the deepest reverence. But
we think that one big Parliament is enough for
this island. and to double it by another little
Ia ~, A~N -Lt.1 1-- Ian. 49, A.
deal with, but which is hanpered by all the
difficulties which hinder the progress of bust.
ness In its larger architype-I think that is q
proceeding destitute OF wisdom and Judgment.
Your so-called municipality Is, I believe
something like ten or twelve times larger than
any other municipality in the country, and the
result Is that you have ten or twelve times the
amount Of business to do. But the day remain
limited to twenty.four hours. and the human
being remains limited to the amount of force
With which Nature has endowed his brain and
body; and the consequence is that-though l de-
sire to speak with the utmost respect Of the mem
hers Of the London County Council. and I rev.
erence them very much for the amount of time
and labor which they bestow fruitlessly upon
the public good-yet I feel that II our Legisla
ture had condescended to look upon the prece
dents which we have all over the country We
should have seen that we might have obtained
a much more efficient machine or some much
moro efficient machines, II we had been conten
to look upon London as what it is-not as on,
great municipality. but as an aggregate o
municipalities. Now, that 10 a problem which
you will have to consider.
hold that the limitation Of the size of you
municipality is one of the essential condition
OF its efficacy and excellence, and for this reasol
that you get working upon your municipal
ties the best men of the town or district whicl
they inhabit. the men who are well known t
their fellow citizens, who have themselves con
Quoted their own businesses with great success
and still continue to do SO, but who can fin,
some time in their day to give to the conduct O
the municipality to which they belong
and who would be the best admins
traitors. You cannot possibly find me-
not only of greater integrity, but men who. b
their very education and by their daily exper
ence, are taught to solve problems which com
up for solution in their official capacity. But
you overload them you will not get those mer
They cannot give you the whole of their time
some must be given to their own affairs. an
though l do not for a moment deny that 20
have excellent men on the London Count
Council. they are men Of another type. The
are men who give themselves who'll
up to this matter. That is not 6
good, or anything like so good. as
Government consisting of men who are still col
Quoting their own affairs OF tho same sor
What I am going to say I say with apology, fc
j should be exceedingly sorry II I were though
for a moment, to cast a slur. which It would b
most impertincnt for me to cast, on the men
bers OF the County Council. but they are rui
ming n danger Of becoming professional pol
ticians. And so you see that in their dali
capacity there is almost as much waste of tin
Rs there is In the House OF Commons. ]
the House OF Commons it Is y nece
sary evil: 1t is ono of the condition
on which we receive the inestimab
benefit of representative institutions. But v
do not require TO duplicate that phenomena
and you will see IL you watch the proceedings
the London County Council that they arc owe
borne by the labor which they have to {
through; that the committees they have to q
tend are endless; and the result Is that their d
bates are adjourned from time to time. and a
10 an unfortunate, and. / fear. an increasin
extent devoted rather to abstract question