The representative., 1900-12-06
CITY IS A LANDLORD
GLASGOW MAKES MONEY RENTING:
ITS MODEL TENEMENTs.
People Own All Utflfties--Public Laun.
dry the Latest Undertaking There.
AccOrdfng to an Ohicial Now i'm
Chicago.

ACCORDING 10 an Omclol now IN
Chicago.
"The scheme of constructing tenement
houses around the parks of Glasgow and
holding them under municipal control
was begun in an experimental way about
| five years ago, and has proved so salts
factory that plans are being considered
for greatly extending this branch of i'm
provement. 1t is probable that in few
years sanitary tenement buildings, to be
let to the working classes at low rent
| al, will fringe all the centrally located
parks in the CITY,"
So said William Bilsland, chairman of
| the parks committee of the city of Glas-
gov, Scotland, who was at the Auditor
| ium Annex yesterday. Mr.. Bilsland is
| spending few weeks of his vacation in
| America. He came to Chicago from
Canada, after visiting the principal
| cities of the Dominion. While in the
United States he intends to make obser-
| vations of the system of managing parks
| in Chicago, New York and other large
cities
CITY HAS II BIG PARKS.
There are II large parks in the city
| of Glasgow" he continued, "and great
| number of small ones. Altogether the
| area embraced in the various parks is
about 1000 acres. 1t costs the city
trifle less than $3.50, 900 annually to keep
| up these parks and the winter gradens,
| museums and art galleries which are To-,
| Gated on them. In connection with the
| parks we have recently developed an
| interesting feature which we call our
winter garden.
| 'These gardens are under large glass
buildings, and through our dark months
OF winter we keep palms and tropical
shrubbery verdant there and roses and
carnations in bloom. The popularity o.
these gardens has been very great ever
since they were established, and they
| are visited by great many people, in
| Guiding thousands of the poor, who have
no other opportunity of enjoying the
Quite recently new garden, costing
! $4,000, was donated to the city by
Messrs. Reid, Glasgow locomotive manu-
| facturers
| LAGOONS ARE MARINE SCHOOLS.
| "Our parks, like yours, are provided
with lagoons, where in the summer time
the people take a great interest in sail
! ing model yachts. Boating is popular
amusement, and there is not a small
| boy in Glasgow who is not anxious to
| devise a yacht that will outsail your
| Yankee vessels and win back that chant-
| pionship cup.
"The various large parks form almost
a circle around the center of the city,
| and are easily accessible to the working
| people Of the crowded districts Within
! the last ten years the people have be-
! come alive to the need of more parks,
and half of those beautiful spots which
now adorn the city have been acquired
| within the decade.
"Municipal ownership has made rapid
! advances in Glasgow. In addition to
the houses around the parks the city
! owns many other tenements throughout
| the city.
CITY HAS 1875 TENEMENTS
"A report for this year shows that
1875 tenement houses are held under
| municipal ownership and no less than
| 5000 persons are housed. These houses
1 80 80
| apartment houses TO three apartment
| houses. The one-apartment houses rent
! at $25 per year.
The idea Of municipal ownership OF
| houses was developed a good many years
ago. 1t has been learned that a large
| part OF the tenements in the poorer dis
| tricts were unsanitary, and power was
| conferred by parliament TO condemn
! such houses and demolish them.
After this had been done the owners
| refused to rebuild. and the city took Over
! the ground at figure decided by arbitra-
/ ton and constructed new buildings on
| sanitary principles, which it has con-
tinued to own and lease The houses
| were ulicu DIS last DIS tHey were con-
| structed and the measure mas given
| great general satisfaction.
This power to condemn unsanitary
buildings is still retained and every year
! many unhealthful structures are de-
! mOlished
PUBLIC OWNS ALL MONOPOLIES.
I'm addition to the tenement houses
! the city owns lodging houses which will
accommodate 1000 people. A charge OF
seven cents per night is made in these
! places, and is found sufficient for their
maintenance. No food is provided, nut
| there is kitchen where those who wish
! can prepare their vituals.
| THE water supply of the city, light
| and power. telephone service and tram
ways are owned by the municipality. 1t
| has been found that the tramways can
| be successfully operated by charging
| passengers cent and a quarter mile
| At present the tram cars are drawn by
| horses, but by next May it is hoped to
| have all the principal lines electrified
"Throughout the city there are also
| public baths under municipal contro..
! One of the improvements recently added
| is the establishment of public laundries