The San Francisco call., 1898-02-27
LONDON ON THE EVE OF
 AN ELECTION Hottest Campaign in the History of
 the City. Several Hundred Candi- dates for Seats in the
 Council. Even Peeresses Of the Realm Doing Politics With En-
 thusiaSm. TAMMANY IN DISREPUTE Each Party Accuses the Other of Pat terning After the New York
 Organization.
Even Peeresses Of the Realm Doing Politics With En-
 thusiaSrn.
TAMMANY IN DISREPUTE
Each Party Accuses the Other of Pat terning After the New York
 Organization.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

LONDON, Feb. 26-London Is in the throes of the hottest campaign in Its history, the contest for seats in the London County Council completely throwing into the shade even the keen est-fought general parliamentary cleo tions For three weeks past the fight has been raging alike in Belgravia and Whitechappel Nightly there are scores of meetings attended by Cabinet Min isters and front benchers" of both parties. Peers and peeresses, common CTS, clergy, publicans, officers, diplo- mats. judges, doctors and labor agita- tors are all involved. For the 11S seats to be filled on March there are 240 candidates, including a few independ- ents.
 National issues have been included in the fight in a manner hitherto unknown in municipal politics, until it has be- come a square battle between the Un- ionists and Liberals. under the titles of "moderates' and 'progressives. Both sides have been attempting to draw an analogy between the opposi- tion's aims and those of Tammany Hall, parading Tammany as an awful example of the corruption which may be expected in London when the other fellow gets into power. Barrels of money are being spent on both sides. Gangs of ToughS have been hired to break up meetings and hundreds of disreputables are being brought into London from elsewhere to imperson- ate voters who are at present at sea or otherwise incapacitated from voting in person.
 James Bryce, member of Parliament nf har6aan Liberal, author of '"The American Com monwealth," etc, and the president of the Board of Trade. in the Rosebery Ministry. has been In the thick of the fight, telling everyone what he knows about Tammany. Referring to the London University, Liberal -Unionist, that the extravaganza of the munich pal government of New York under Tammany is due to commercial enter prise and financial speculations, he said:
 A more strictly practical body Of men than the boss and his henchmen have not existed in the world whether for salaries or jobs"
 The campaign is not lacking in anus ing incidents. John Burns, the labor leader, in a recent speech, referred to the peeresses who have been canvass ing in the Battersea district as scented Delilahs."
 On Tuesday, after a hard days can vass, Lady Denbigh dropped into the London County Council tea room to get a cup of tea. MT. Burns was in an ad joining room and Lord Denbigh, slap ping him on the shoulder, invited him into the tea room. to the delight of all the councillors, and said:
 Allow me to introduce you to one of the scented Delilahs. ,"
 Lady Denbigh shook hands heartily with the discounted MT. Burns and thanked him for all the nice remarks he had been making about her.
 By the way, MT. Burns scented De- lilahs" include the Duchess of St. Albans. the Marchioness of Londonderry, the Marchioness of Bristol the Countess of Denbigh, the Countess of Jersey. Count ess Waltengrave, Countess Cadogan, the Countess of Onslow, the Countess of Selbourne and a host of high born society danes.
 The lists of candidates for seats in the London County Council is interest ing and ought to make the new Council 8 second guild Chamber. The candi- dates include nine Peers, four sons of Peers, ten Barons, three privy Council ors, eight officers and members of the House of Commons and clergymen in profusion, twenty gentlemen" and a sprinkling of doctors and lawyers.
 The War Office scheme for the re- form of the British army, which was explained in the House of Commons on Friday by w St. J. Frederick, Par iamentary Secretary of the War Office, seems to have greatly satisfied the various factions. An essential fact Is that the scheme adds 23,000 men to the army, the largest increase ever proposed in Great Britain in times of peace. It offers a certain number of al afof of nna shilling daily to partake in minor wars or emergencies. enabling the War Office to dispatch 10000 men on expedi- tions without calling upon the main reserve. It increases the pay of all efficents over the age Of IS by three pence. the amount hitherto deducted for rations. and promises that increas- ed effort will be made to procure employment for reservists. Militia and volunteer officers also become avail able for the imperial service.
 Great importance is attached to the proposal to decentralize the war office by conferring larger financial and lnltl- ative powers upon general ofncers' thus obviating constant reference to the war office. Another reform Is the resumption of big maneuvers, which were dropped twenty-six years ago The whole additional cost will be e$2O O0O,- GOO annually.
 The present year promises to witness the biggest boom in shipbuilding ever known and doubtless the ship builders of the United States are arranging to participate in the consequent demand for finished iron, steel and machinery of all descriptions. An idea or the enormous amount of work on hand can be formed from the fact that the Clyde alone now has orders of 5S1, 900 tons, apart from the four big Cunard freight boats which are said to be in nego- fla