New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-11-28

taton and prestige the author Of IT.. But
times have changed since Mr. Chamberlain be-
came the most powerful Minister in Unionlst
Government. Mr.. Richie. as the creator OF the
London County Council. is now without honor
except as a negotiator In labor strikes Mr.
Chamberlain and Lord Onslow are the apostles
of the new Unionist municipal policy for Lon
DON and their Will is law for the Government
Of the day. They advocate the conversion OF
the County Council into another Metropolitan
Board of Works, with vastly impaired powers.
and the creation Of a series Of nineteen or
twenty incorporated cities. with definite areas
Of local administration. Lord Salisbury has
easily been converted to their views. and the
Ministry is now committed TO a policy of az
gressive warfare upon the County Council ana
the Progressive party; and the Unlonlsts In Al
bert Hall have exulted over the reactonary pro-
PROGRESS AND REACTION.
The difficulty Of governing a metropolis with
a population of five million by means OF single
County Council has been clearly dlscerned In the
authorized programme Of the Progressive party
In order to obviate it the creation Of series
of sub-municipalltles has been proposed. each
with local area and elective boards of its own.
The most sanguine leader on that side has never
considered it practicable for a single councii
by means of committees of its own 10 superlh-
tend the municipal operations OF the entire me-
rOpolitan area 1t has been the ayowed pony
of the Progressves to effect In the first instance
the complete municipal unity OF the metropolis
through the amalgamation OF the OLD CITY anu
the new county Of London. and then to create
a coordinate system OF sub-munlcipal ADMINS,
tratOn. The Progressves so long as they nau
a majority in the County Council were remark
ably successful in organizing municipai aofi, ~
istration and In clearing the ground LOT .ne
ultimate uniication Of the metropolis. AS so1 "a
as the Moderates divided power win the,h ~
the Council. all progress was blocked, ana 'He
municipal Parliament began to waste us tii'e III
futile debates md political wrangilng'
If London has municipality IN STATE OF
arrested development, 1t is not so much throush
lack Of capacity on the part Of ProgressiVes as
through want OF cooperation on ny p %,. -.
Moderates The Act OF 1883 created the county
and the Council and II transferred 10 the new
elective body the powers previously vested III
the Board Of Works and also the iunct G, cn
erCjsed by the justices in Quarter sessions.
There were many limitations upon its authority
and its relations to vestries. district boards' the
government of the Incorporated city, ana olher
local bodies left undetermined Wnei
Lord Salisbury taunts ii with being so-calleu
municipality" and superfluous Parlianent OF
professional politicians he leaves out OF account
it's transitional character. Legislation mas Deen
REQUIRED to increase it's authority and TO enable
IT to reassign to and distribute It's iuhctlons
among sub-municipal bodies. The Mooerates
have blocked business In the COUNCIL ana tne
Conservative party has withheld necessary iegs-
lation The Ministry now proposes 10 create
separate and independent cities instead OF SUD
Municipalities and to degrade the county CouH-
ell into a metropolitan board OF works analogous
to the school board
This policy is reactionary, because 1t tends to
rroong and perpetuate the present anomalous
tumble of lvered mummery. vestry RUE cor
poration privilege and imperial administration.
The government OF the single square He III IN, Nv
/ heart Of London, which is know as the Cly,
represents vested rights. powerful monopohes
! and traditoned privilege. OUTSIDE the CItS -
| organized vestrydom with a multiplicity OF al
| illustrative methods and tax rates Inc FRO.
areseivee have been aiming TO bring order out
! of chaos. and to repeat in London me eTea'
! achievements OF municipal reforms IN BirInlhs
! nam Glasgow Manchester, Liverpool; brau-
ford Huddersfeld and other English and scotch
| towns The Moderates have Interrupted the
curse ~ progress. and a Unionist Prime Min
lister is now leading an agitation against ,n
| County Council and justifying II on the GROUND
| tbat reform has failed in Greater New YORK.
| If that agitation succeeds as the result OF
Tammany's triumph across the Atlantic mo
! nonolies and vested rights will triumph. win
a County Council emptied OF authority ana ds-
| graded into one of many administrative nodiIs
| With restricted powers. 1t will be imPractlcane
IN abolish the Anticipated privileges OF the cry
| Guilds 10 secure an adequate water supply
under public control. TO Introduce inuhlclphlIhh-
| tIon OF gas electric light and tramway corpora
10. - "a 70 evolve from a congeries OF parish
governed cities a unique metropolis with a uni
| form tax rate and enlightened system Oh ao-
| nj