New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-24

THE PARISH COUNCILS OF LONDON CON
rRAsTED WITH sUB-MUN1ClPAL
AGENCIES OF GREATER
NETWORK.


TRASTED WITH SCB-MCNiOirAA
AGENCIES OF GREATER
NETWORK.
London January 13
IN tho first letter Of this series contrasted
the conditions Of executive authority ana muh'o
yp.; legislation in Greater New-fork ana "e.-
ropolitan London. The first goal OF "'e'''Po'
itan reformer is the creation OF hignis organ
lied central authority but as soon as he GOV
II he percelves the necessity Tor re"e'ine Wv
centralized administration by reuis''
~ local powers among sub-municipai bodies' AS
soon as a municipal Parliament Is es'"o's"''
or a central administration is placed IN supre'''c
80, 90 ,ha Government Of a metropolis. the
svs,en, is likely TO break down under us own
,re,rbt and II has to be propped up ana sup
nor.ed nv local councils boards, or py sup-
p,unicinal machinery Of one kind or another' %
large a subject invites paradox without 'e"
talization there cannot be organic "h''!' o"'
this cannot be maintained without orueriE pioe
esses of decentralization This Is one vi INC
most perplexing of the many intricate p'ooie
connected with the government or great '''e'
The methods proposed for the solution Vi '''S
nrob,em In Greater New York and Metropolitan
London are essentially unlike and may De erect
lively contrasted.
BEFORE this comparison can ne
CORNER functions and present conditions or Lon
don yestrydom must be described. frior W '"e
massage OF the act for 'he organization OF .he
xs.,roro,,,an BOARD of Works in 1900. the IN
,arroost square mile then. as now, known as
tho CITY had its own Lord Mayor, Aldermen
Common Council. and police force. While the
great ou,lving district comprising nearly 10
square miles was governed by seven'y-esh' Ne'
tries and kept in order by the metropolitan po-
lice force under the direction OF the i1o"he vi
fee Each vestry was law unto nsel' es'ao'
,,.h,r. tic own tax rate constructing its own
sewers lighting cleaning. and paving i'S owl"
streets collecting its own garbage ana haNins
its own system OF sanitary Inspection TOT
.wentv wears vital statistics had been resis'e'eu
throughout this area on homogeneous primer
ples; but otherwise the metropolis Oh i-o"Oo',
was merely geographical expression for vast
field of parochal activity. In 1900 the huhipe'
~ vestries was reduced and central authority
49, .o.,oa This was the Metropolitan Board
or Works. which during the next thirty-lour
vears constructed sewers. built embanKmehts
and bridges. improved tn oroughfares. opened
s,reets and parks condemned unsanitary ais
tricts and conducted other public WORKS
LONDON vEsTRYDOM.
vestrvdom during this period remained IN
,,ouer The MetropoIitan Board of Works was
q hodv Of delegates elected by the Corporation
OF the City and by the vestries ana ois'iic.
boards The vestres retained their Original ioo"'
mowers and co-operated with one another IN 'ne
construction Of public works. which were orueIeu
and carried out by their own representatives
II was not until 1889 that this Board OF Nes'!
delegates was legislated out Of existence anu
the London County Council was created os III
rect popular suffrage Although the ne" iesiS
,ative body was vested with enlarged auh'is
,ro,iva mowers the forty-two vestries and dis
1rict boards continued to pave. light ana cream
tho streets and to control local taxation. These
privileges they still retain; but by the Local
Government bill Of 1894 they have neen con-
Xerted from close corporations protected by a
high property qualification into genuine parish
and district councils elected by popular Suffrage.
The work of local administration In metropolitan
London with It's population OF 4ooOOOV. is con-
Quoted to-day by these forty-two sub-municipai
councils The London County Council acts as
heir banker and broker whenever new loan
&c 70 he negotiated: but these ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
re;nvigorated with a life from democratic SUI
frage. are centres Of local administration.
The movement for the unification Of London
is now in a state Of arrested development.
Royal Commission has recommended scheme
for the amalgamation Of the old city with the
lock in the County Council. and the progressive
programme has been temporarily blocked The
PROPOSALS OF the Commission respecting local
administration may, however. be briefly de-
scribed as a homogeneous system by which sub
municipalities will be empowered to transact
much Of the business Of the united metropolis
Under this scheme the ancient city Will be re-
duced to the level OF a sub-munlcipailty OF
borough and the fortytwo parishes and dis
tricts will be rearranged similar areas OF Local
administration. These areas Will coincide with
those which elect representatives to the London
County Council. In order to establish per
sonal connection between the general municipal
Parliament and the municipalities. the pro
posal is made that the representatives OF the
local area In the County Council shall be ex
oTicio members Of the parish or district council
II IL even suggested that each sub-municipality
such as Paddngton. Westminster Chelsea Oh
Whitechapel may have Mayor or It's own II
addition TO It's own local council. These centres
OF local administration will be brought unde
more definite and systematic control or TIT
County Council than they are at present. ant
rating and assessment may be regulated In tn
direction OF uniformity throughout the metrop
oils but in the main they Will retain their exist
ing functions as governing bodies in their re
spective districts.
This scheme Of complete metropolitan unit
is only on paper and may be altered in essentia
details when Metropolitan London finally OF
tans a homogeneous municipal charter. Tn
main point which stress is to be laid Is the fac
that in this tentative draft OF charter tn
necessity for a division of functions between
central municipal parliament and large serie
Of parish and district councils is recognized.
distribution Of powers is already made and Met
ropolitan London IS now governed practically b
n combination Of central and sub-municips
councils elected by popular suffrage. Man
anomalies remain; the relations OF the cour
ellis are undetermined; the corporation Of tn
ancient city is still the stronghold Of monopolie