The advocate., 1897-09-22
MUNICIPAL OWNERSHIP.
CONTINUED from page H.

miles further than Glasgow for its water
supply, will not pay off its water debt
for at least forty years. Yet water rents
in New York are more than four times
as high on the most favorable average as
those Of Glasgow. And New YOrk's sys-
tenn cost far more than even the Man
chester system with it's ninety-fiVe miles
Of aqueduct.
To check the evils of Overcrowding
Glasgow condemned and bought about
one hundred acres of tenements. 1t
opened tWenty-nine new streets, 1t wild
ened twenty-five old streets, it erected
model tenements that bring in 100000
in rents annually, it laid out a superb
park, and altogether so admirably ad-
ministered the enterprise that 1t Is now
practically self-sustaining, The death
rate has been lowered, the poor people
are more comfortably housed and the
city has been greatly beautified.
Birmingham has initiated GlasgOW's
example with even better results. The
finest street in Birmingham runs
through the land bought for the great
improvement scheme" in what was a
few years ago the heart Of the slums.
In fifty years Birmingham will have
paid for the ninety acres it bought and
will have clear income from rentals
of about $1,0O0,O00 besides the new
streets and parks.
II
Glasgow changed itself from an inland
town to a great seaport by undertaking
the improvements Of the Clyde which
have cost the city $1OO,000,00O and the
taxpayers almost nothing. A harbor
was dug, splendid docks we're con-
structed and all the facilities of great
seaport were provided. Yet by business
administration each enterprise was
made self-sustaining or more than self
sustaining The citys credit was used
the city was made great and prosperous,
and there is a net income over all eX-
penses of about $2,000,0O0 year.
Glasgow has seven great model lOdg-
ing houses where the homeless poor are
accommodated at trihing rates. 1t has
Family home" where widows or wild
overs with children can live until they
can arrange for the care of their chill
dren while they are at work. 1t has
public wash houses where all the appli-
ances for washing clothes are furnished
at small cost It's female visitants"
teach poor families how to economic
and yet live comfortably. It's milk in
spectOrs visit the farms whence comes
the citys milk supply and compel clean
liness and a high standard of milk. Its
municipal farms use the fertilizer made
from the city sewage and raise crops to
sustain the horses needed by the city
1t has splendid swimming baths ETC.,
and all these enterprises are either self
sustaining or are partially sustained by
the surplus from those enterprises that
bring in profit.
Manchester and Birmingham, with
their public baths, their great free IL
braries, their numerous public assembly
rooms and, above all, their elaborate
systems of technical schools to keep
their manufacturing industries supplied
with intelligent artisans, are not far be-
hind Glasgow in any respect, and in
some respects surpass it.
Taxes are not nearly so high in these
British cities as in New York or Brook
lyn. The public debt is not nearly so
great when the cost Of the interest
charge to the taxpayer is considered.
Yet they have organized all these
great public improvements for the bene-
fit not of class but of the masses of
the people. They have spent millions,
but every cent has been honestly in
vested and gives MANIFOLD return.
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