New-York tribune., 1901-01-13
MORALISTS' DAY
Continued from first pnge.

councils of the English and Scotch cities are
! good government clubs. representing the
| householders and serving the communities with
out financial reward and without reproach or
| scandal; and they also progressive bodies.
which have taken up the principles of municipal
| socialism in practical spirit for the promo
| ton of the welfare Of the masses England has
| the best municipal government in the world
| because leisured peers, rich andholders retired
| merchants and active business men have a sense
| of public duty which impels them to devote their
| time thought and energy to the affairs OF the
| town, when they have nothing to make out Of
! politics except good name. They provide ef-
| fcient administration through the supervision of
council committees; they establish safeguards
| against one man power and public scandals
| and they introduce from time TO time various
| forms of municipal ownership. supplying water
gas. electricity heat and tram service. rehousing
| the poor and making profitable investments for
| future generations OF working people. Imperial
| ism may have become the greatest single force
! in English politics. yet local government has
not been neglected but has been placed on the
| highest level of efficiency and civil progress.
| Coectivism sums up, indeed the strength OF
| Internal government in the United Kingdom
| Imperialism implies the concentration OF the
resources and the loyal devotion If the Queens
| dominions. 1t has enabled Birmingham and
| other cities TO carry out great schemes for the
clearance OF slums as farsghted investments
| with magnificent properties reverting to them
| ard enrichng them in the course OF time, after
| ground rents and sinking funds have been in
| operation for long period. II has armed Man
chester with the power OF providing a complete
| sy stem OF electric transit owned and operated
| as branch of the public service 1t has given
| TO Glasgow the distinction OF being the most
progressive municipality in the world, where one
| daring experiment after another is tried, and
where reformers are not regarded as day dream
ers when they propose municipal banks. mu-
nicipal insurance, municipal doctors and dis
| pensaries, municipal theatres and concert halls
and municipal cemeteries. Metropolitan Lon
don may be backward and may lack the
centrated authority required for working out
great problems of rehousing the poor and I'M
| provement of suburban transit. but local gov
ernment, as whole, In England and Scotland
is the best in the world and II is what II is be-
cause there Is good citizenship and of
moral responsibility among those who make Il
| their business 10 direct and supervise 1t.
If there has been during the last year a reve-
lation OF the latent resources OF the Empire for
| carrying on with the help of the loyal colonies
| a protracted and arduous conflict in South Az
rica, SO also there are reserves OF power in the
municipalities for taking up and solving the
complex problems connected with great masses
of urban population and for ministt ring to their
comfort educating them for better things and
raising the standards OF their life and conduct.
Imperial federation and municipal socialism
the chief resources of the English people for
working out their salvation during the new
century, and the small minds which are fright
ened by the evils of militarism and by the mag
nitude of social reforms have not comprehended
the potential energies OF these forces in reserve
British decadence will not be forecast by far
sighted men long there is evidence that
the Empire, with its considerations of self gov
crnng colonies bound together for common de-
| fence and mutual advantage, is stronger than
| 1t has ever been before; nor so long there is
| efficient local government In the United King
| dom and political capacity for inventlng new
| administrative functions on socialistc lines and