The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-11-28
Living Issues.
GOVERNMENT

tnan II UUU acres Oh EOunu 81 GuaV
street car lines there necessarily are
less profitable than in larger cities ex,
tending over greater areas. Glasgow
is owned by her population. They
own the ground, the street railways,
the gas works, the water supply, the
parks and gardens and concert halls.
And although every one of these instl,
buttons is worked more chesply than
in any other town, each n is made to
bring in a greater yearly profit to the
community. In 1895 the street car
lines cleared for the people, above op
Grating expenses, taxes, and interest on
the bonds, $121 600 These handsome
results have steadily increased, until
during eleven months OF 1898 the net
income from the street Car lines alone,
reached the enormous sum Of $41O, 600.
Under q similar ratio of increase the
street car system of Glasgow will pro.
duce for the people Of that city In 1899,
more than half a million Of dollars, and
the time is not far distant when thsy
can depend certainly on an annual net
income from this one source Of more
than a million dollars. This belongs
to the people-all the people-to be
used by them for their own good and
the betterment of their material and
social condition. Aud in addition to
this the men who operate the street
cars work shorter hours and receive
better wages, and the public is far bet
ter served in every way than would or
could be done under private ownership.
In Glasgow street railway employees,
under public ownership, receive almost
twice the pay, work shorter hours by
90 per cent. land receive two uniforms
q year,, than when the rail ways were
In private hands. When you remem
Der that the people Of Glasgow own
and operate all their public utilities,
and own the city itself, you readily
see that the No Tax era is not far dis
tant from them.
And there are other considerations
Eight years ago Glasgow was a filthy
little fishing village situated in the
midst of a sickly swamp on the banks
Of q mud ditch digni1ed by the name
Of the river Clyde. Since then the
corporation has spent Over $50, 600, 600
In Transforming the mud-ditch into a
splendid river up which the worlds
greatest ships sail and empty their car
goes Of wealth on the city's wharves;
and during this time Glasgow has
grown to the position of eecond city in
the B itish Empire in population and
commercial Importance. The people
Of Glasgow make their own gas and
supply it to themselves at a cost Of 60
cents per 1000 feet, and lay by q net
profit of $3.50, 600 a year from this
source. They have their VI water
supply, at q mere nominal cost, and by
the testimony OF experts get an abun
ant supply Of the purest water in the
world, and after all the expenses are
paid they lay by a net profit for them
selves of 1910, 600 a year! The city
runs the markets, and after levying a
scale of tolls so low that the stall keep
ers are enabled to sell the food supplies
to the inhabitants at lower prices than
in any other large city, an annual net
profit of about $l7, 900 is laid by for the
people. Within the past year or two
the city has erected an electric light
plant, and after supplying the public
with light and power at rates that
would be less than cost under private
A-rnwehs& n MT nwaAF ~ nUeA 410 000
a year is laid by for the people. Glas,
gov is better supplied with public
parks than any other European city,
and except during the winter months
bands discourse free music in these
parks every evening, thus adding to
the pleasure of the common people"
and afording them opportunities for
advancement in the more refining ele.
ments Of civilization. In one matter
Glasgow stands alone. ALI laundries
are public. By this means the inhab
itants are able to have their clothes
washed in the very best manner It the
very Lowest price, And one can feel
when indulging in an extra clean shirt,
that any profit made on it goes to the
public welfare. As cleanliness is next
to Goodness, we may naturally sup
pose that the clean shifted G!asgoweae,
unrUm3 ID by the worries of grssping
corporations, will soon attain to a
sphere OF righteousness far above that
Of citizens of less favored towns.
Many other European cities have
established public %laundries, where
any woman may go and, for a few
cents, do her family washing. For a
amnu Gum che annr1rna hot mntnr t1nhn