The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-24
RETIREMENT IN TWELVE YEARS
A GOVERNING BODY CONSISTING OF
MEN OF l. CLASSES.
Work for Nothing and Find Them
Is No Charge of Corruption.

done in these directions by the London
County Council. If the spirit of enterprise
which animates this governing body of a
city of six millions were TO inject itself
into Parliament, or were to make itself
felt In the commercial life Of the nation,
Great Britain would be delivered from the
clog Of o~ld-fogyism in almost no time. Cry
ing wrongs would meet prompt redress.
Merchants would no longer go to bed with
the nightmare of foreign competition upon
them, and there might even be a chance
that some day 100000 British troops, with
limitless wealth to back them, would be
equal to the task of whipping out some
LOO scattered and impoverished Beers.
This governing Council of the biggest
city in the world has just completed the
twelfth year Of its existence. The apology
for a central authority which it supplanted
was the Metropolitan Board of Works,
which moved so slowly and did so little in
comparison with what was needed, that it
became notorious long before it's demise.
not for the works it did, but for the works
1t left undone. Modestly, in his annual adj
dress, the chairman, Mr.. A. NJ. Terrence,
drew a contrast between the London of
to-day and that of twelve years ago by
saying: I'VE inherited an Augean stable.
There is no Hercules now. But there has
been determination and resolution, and
London is brighter and better than it was"
The London County Council consists of us
members, who are elected triennially. With
the exception of that small but important
area known as the City, the members of
this body represent every section of this
great metropolis, and in their personnel
embrace every class of citizenship. from
the titled landowner, the scientist, and the
great merchant to the small tradesman,
the Socialist, and the retired dock laborer.
Very questionable is it if there is another
city on either continent that has in it's adj
ministrative body such a mixture of the
classes and the masses. For local govern
ment purposes it presses into service men
of the highest birth and place. and, at the
same time, is glad also TO welcome those
whose merits have raised them from the
ranks. In this feature the L. c.. c., which
is the short name for 1t, is strikingly
unique.
NO CHARGE OF CORRUPTION.
1t is impossible to please everybody.
Against the old Board of Works the COM
plant most commonly made was tina it
didn't bring enough works to pass, whereas
NAO LAAAC OAAoA 90 ooaAAAC NAAo hCN OOoE
is hat it works too much and is inclined
III its control of city life to be somewhat
grandmotherly. Frightened ratepayers,
when they look at the debt of $3.50. 0OO, coo
and the annual expenditure of $65, 900, 900,
are inclined to vent their spleen by call
ing this London County Council the Lon
don County Scoundrels." But there has
never been any charge of corruption
| onoipcf thfc apfarDri1ip1 b0d,, Ill., ~,o,I-
for nothing and find themselves. There is
no allowance even for travelling expenses,
and many Of these men give all their time
to this service. Strange to say, the monot-
ony of working hard without pay is never
relieved by even a free lunch or a bottle of
municipal champagne. The Councils head
quarters are at Spring Gardens. and upon
the point just alluded to Mr.. Torrance, the
chairman, said recently: There is nothing
gratis at Spring Gardens, but you may
have a cup of tea or a glass of ginger ale
if you pay for it" Mr.. Torrance, however,
is far from regretting this. such work."
he says, must always be done for the love
of ia sentiment which was loudly ap-
plauded by a full Council chamber, as was
that which followed when he said, I'VE
are the largest municipal body, and we
must maintain our example of clean
handedness."
Undoubtedly the County Councils clean
handedness stands out up to the present
unimpeached, and with not even a sus-
picion over it, but it's freedom from grand
motherliness' is not so clear. One of its
numerous bylaws prohibits any one from
standing on unprotected window lodges to
clean windows. If those engaged in this
work are more than six feet from the side
walk, they must have guards or ropes
about them; otherwise, says the L. C.. c..
they endange the passer-by, and may be
summoned and fined. There have been al
ready several convictions under this ordi-
nance, but one magistrate in a case of this
kind laughed it out 70 court. His ILL
humored but mirth-provoking comment
was, 1.-The l.. c. c. is getting to be too
particular. Before long it will ordain that
nobody shall go out without an overcoat
for fear of catching cold" But i'm the line
of real ''grandmotherliness" the worst ex-
ample was, perhaps. that which proposed
to adorn the leading thoroughfares with
municipal clocks. This the Council itself
laughed out of court. Only sixteen mem
bers voted for it, the rest became humor-
Gus over 1t. One wanted to know If the
Council would not be liable for damages
should a citizen. relying upon a rate-sup-
ported clock. find it slow, and thus miss
his train. Wouldn't it be better. he asked.
to present each citizen with a reliable
watch? At this point the speaker was in
terrupted by so many cries of Time that
he subsidized, and the matter was dropped
a BUSINESS BODY.
Things of this kind are not at all to the
serious discredit of this enterprising body
They simply show that the L. c.. c.. is in
for business. and is so infected with the
spirit Of reform that it is bound to be up
and at it in one way or another all the
time. 1t is only the half-awake. lumber
ing bodies who never do anything ridicu-
lous. Mostly, however. the L. c. c.. occu-
pies itself with schemes Of far-reaching
import. 1t is the modern st. George of
England, and no week passes in which IL
does not attack some dragon OF evil. Last
J week 1t threw itself full-tilt against that