The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-11-22

mored but mirth- provoking comments
 was, "The L. c. c. is getting to be toe
 particular Before long it will ordain
 that nobody shall go out without an
 overcoat for fear of catching cold.
 But in the line of real "grandmotherli-
 ness" the worst example was, perhaps,
 that which proposed to adorn the lead ing thoroughfares with municipal
 clocks. This the council itself laughed out of court. Only sixteen members
 voted for it, the rest became humorous
 over it. One wanted to know if the
 council would not be liable for damages
 should citizen, relying upon a rate supported clock, find it slow, and thus
 miss his train. Wouldn't it be better,
 he asked to present each citizen with
 reliable watch? At this point the
 speaker was interrupted by so many
 cries of Time" that he subsided, and
 the matter was dropped.
 Things of this kind are not at all to the serious discredit of this enterprise
 ing body. They simply show that the | l.. c. c. is in for business, and is so in fected with the spirit of reform that it is bound to be up and at it in one way
 or another all the time. It is only the half-awake, numbering bodies who nev
 CT do anything ridiculous. Mostly, however, the L. c. c. occupies itself with schemes of far-reaching import.
 It is the modern St. George of England,
 and no week passes in which it does
 not attack some dragon of evil. Last
 week it threw itself full-tilt against
 that horrible abomination, the London
 fog. As a matter of fact, we have all
 been throwing ourselves against this atmospheric monster for long success
 sion of days But while Londoners generally have fought this dragon of darkness with curses out of raw threats
 through untitled lips, and have sought
 to overcome it by going about like Di- ogenes with lanterns in their hands, the London county council has tackled it through the meteorological office and the fire department. Preliminary to more decisive measures, this pest of fog is to be made to give an account of itself. Every fire station will hereaf- ter be an observatory, and it is hoped that when we know the length and breadth and the risings and fallings of this monster, some way will be found to rout and destroy it.
 Londoners at first were inclined to smile at this movement, but since the sanction of America has been put upon it incredulity has given place to hope. Owing to various humiliating facts, chiefly to the long-continued blunder- ing in South Africa the Englishman has lost faith both in himself and his own countrymen. To inspire him with wholesome confidence in any great measure of improvement you have 10 show him that what is proposed is thought well of by his go-ahead cousins across the Atlantic The London press is well aware of this fact Hence on this fog suppression busi- | ness, 1t speedily secured an interview with one of the experts of the U. S. weather bureau. This gentleman was kind enough to speak well of the scheme and since then Londoners have been | much more inclined to expect good | from it. This is the great project by | which the l.. c. c. signalized last week. This week it has set in motion another enterprise.
 Under all the main thoroughfares there are to be subways for the relief of traffic. By these tunnels traffic will be relieved in two ways. Not only will much of it be diverted from the streets, but the streets will be more passable to the traffic they still retain. There will be less tearing up by gas and water and electrical companies, for the inten- ton is that these new subways, besides
 l. lel for those multitudnous pipes and wires which at present are laid just be- heath the roadway. Such a work will 'equire years for it's consummation, md a fabulous capital, but the best proof that the council is in earnest in his project is that it is expecting to 'xpend a million pounds or so in a sub way under the new avenue it is build ng from Holborn to the Strand.
 This new thoroughfare, by the way, uns through one of the most historic ,arts of London and the manner in which the L. c. c. has recognised this act shows conclusively that it under akes these great schemes of improve nent in no vandal spirit. It will make
 new London in time yet will preserve $ much as it can of the old London. Jpon this point it's chairman, MT. Tor ance, says:
 Whenever possible building of his orical interest are preserved, but when { is absolutely necessary to abolish hem the greatest care is taken to pre- erve the most interesting portions In xcavating, too vigilance is exercised o secure and preserve any objects of interest which may be rought to the surface, reward being nered to the workmen who find such hings." It is worth noting as well that I connection with it's great clearance chemes the L. c. c. has striven to 1 afeguard, not only the London of the