New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-08-06
GLASGOW SOCIALISM.
.,.x,, EXPERIMENTS IN MUNICIPAL EN-
TERPRISE-A SCOTCH PEG
PIES PALACE.
Glasgow, July %.

glasgow
-.orress,ve town in the United Kingdom. 1t
,od the way in the evolution of municipal
A.,rise outstripping even Birmingham Man
.or Understood and Bradford. IT has car
80 the principles of municipal ownership and
.usctivism into the water supply. gas and cleo
.~,c lighting, markets improvement Of the slums.
ovation Of tramways. public baths and wash
,orses the housing Of the poor the maintenance
:, museums art galleries and public halls. and
..o oreanization OF a labor bureau where men
srd women out of employment be aided in
t,oining work. It is to Glasgow that the
municipalities now look for new ideas and fresh
.,neriments in town government on progressive
,,res Not every venture succeeds. but courage
"a never lacking for undertaking any new work
tentatively for the common good. There is a
eroup Of municipal reformers in Glasgow known
ss the Stalwarts. who regard municipalization
ss a practical substitute for Socialism, and wei
come every new proposal for broadening the
scope OF local government.
Among the projected measures which are
.,,her under debate or in a stage of arrested
development. the regulation of the drink
traffic the establishment of a works department
and the introduction Of a municipal insurance
on a large scale. The corporation in clearing
out the slums obtained possession Of many pub
lie houses and gradually closed them; and it
has been consistent In refusing to allow liquor
70 be sold in the parks any portion OF
the municipal property. The evils Of intemper
ance are constantly increasing, and there is
strong body of public opinion in favor of the
NATURALIZATION OF the drink traffic the only
effective temperance measure This Is one of
the debatable questions. and so also is the crea-
ton Of permanent works department modelled
-..hg,
IS strenuously opposed by the conservatism of
the metropolis. Municipal insurance has been
adopted in principle. but has been confined to
the risks on corporation property There are
advanced reformers. who advocate the extension
Of the system to all classes of property. They
believe that the time is coming when the great
municipalities Of England will provide the
cheapest Of general insurance against fire.
OTHER SCHEMES PROPOSED.
Many other schemes of municipal ownership
and enterprise have been debated In the Town
Council and reported upon by special commit
tees The establishment Of a municipal pawn
shop has been proposed. resolution in favor OF
municipal banking has been carried through the
Council A committee has carefully investigated
the scheme and reported in favor OF an appeal
to Parliament for power TO open and conduct
banks Of deposit and to issue corporation notes
Another reform which is earnestly advocated by
advanced thinkers is the municipalization Of the
medical service Of the town A municipal tele-
phone service Is demanded by the business COM
munity, and labor agtators who address pubic
meetings IN Glasgow Green talk huenty about
the blessings OF municipal workshops, foundries
and even bakeries. Some of these projects are
vagaries of Socialism, which will not be taken
AT
Grafton: but Scotch municinal refor-,1ers are not
easily frightened by radical proposals. and are
disposed to discuss every question on its merits
and TO listen patiently to every expedient for
increasing the efficiency OF local government.
Among other problems which the Glasgow
corporation has undertaken TO solve has been
the recreation Of the working classes Public
parks. with acreage of 100. have been
opened and improved on large scale. The
Mcclellan Galleries were purchased by the town
over forty years ago and this art collection was
enlarged and provision made for
classes and lectures. The Kelvingrove Museum
was founded about thirty years ago, and the
collections have been steadily enlarged. In 1879
organ recitals were begun in the City Hall. and
these were followed by penny concerts with
vocal and instrumental music. Similar enter
have been offered winter after winter
In several of the eight halls controlled by the
corporation. Five years ago a permanent art
gallery was established at Camphill, and in
January. 1898. the Peoples Palace opened
on Glasgow Green. With dozen or more large
public parks and many minor open spaces. with
the Corporation Art Galleries. the City Indus
trial Museum, Camphill Gallery and the Peoples
Palace, with swimming ponds and golf courses
and concerts in the open air and in municipal
halls GIacQovv IN prOy.ido MI Of
ment for the working people. The art galleries
and museums alone represent investment of
S25OO0OO
The Peoples Palace is the newest and most
original of these municipal institutions designed
Tor the promotion of public recreation. 1t is a
line structure on the Green, the Mount Aventine
Of Glasgow. 1t contains a museum, picture
gallery and a large winter garden under glass,
well stocked with palms and tropical plants
The museum presents the usual array Of curl
osities and scientific objects in glass cases. The
gallery is occupied at present with loan collec-
lion Of 1873 oil paintings. The winter garden is
closed during weather, but is open from
October until May as a concert hall and assem-
bly, room. Twice week during the winter there
are concerts with orchestral and vocal music,
and every night 1t is warm. comfortable and
brilliantly lighted lounging place, to which the
public is admitted without charge. A library
and a reading room are also to be opened at the
Peoples Palace.
NO MORE PALACE OF PLEASURE.
Sir Walter Besant's ideal Peoples Palace was
pre-emnently place of recreation for the poor
The great structure erected in the Whitechapei
Mile End Road, London. has been gradually
transformed into a technical school, and has lost
10 large extent It's original character as
palace Of pleasure and recreation. TO the large
assembly hall have been added classrooms' IL
orarfes, winter garden. a gymnasium anu
swimming baths. but IT has never Decoihe
social centre in the East End Of London lhere
are flower shows art collections and lndustr'ai
exhibitions but the PEOPLES Palace ably