The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1901-09-26
Of the cities of Great Britain.

of the cities of Great Britain.
On July II occurred the 3Ist ami
versary Of the passage by the British
Parliament of the Glasgow Improvement
trust act. The measure has worked so
well that today the slum districts are
practically eradicated. The city con-
demned the wretched condition of tene-
ments and erected in their place the very
best forms of modern sanitary buildings,
containing one, two, three, four and five
room apartments, which the city rents to
the tenants at from S. to Sly per month.
The water and gas rates, which are paid
to the city, are merely nominal and re-
duce the cost of living to minimum.
There are altogether over 1000 of these
suits of rooms or flats owned by the city
and rented at the prices named above,
and at the average rate of six per-
sons to the fiat, there are over 6,ooo peo-
| pie accommodated in this wav. The
fscheme has been so we'll managed that
| the income derived by it not only covers
the interest ON the investment, cost of
maintenance, and all incidental ex-
penses, but there has actually accumu-
lated sinking fund which is wiping
out the debt incurred in the purchases
of the condemned property and con-
structing the new tenements.
Encouraged by the success of this
experiment, the city organized system
of relief and benefits for widows and
widowers with small families who are
obliged to go to their daily labor and
have no one in whose care they can leave
their children. A large building was
erected containing US bed rooms and
number of nurseries, bath rooms;
kitchens, play rooms fer the children
and staff of nurses was engaged to
look after the little ones during the
entire day. The charges are extremely
low, including as they do, light, heat,
washing and care of the children, etc.
| The prices paid are as follows: For
mother and child, 70 cents a week;
mother and two children, o5 cents; with
three children, ST and 12H cents for each
additional child. For father and one
child, $1.o4 week; father and two
children, $1.2I per week; with three
| children, $I.38 per week, and IS cents
extra for each additional child. In ad-
dition to this board is provided for
adults at SC for breakfast, &c for dinner
and &c for supper, or 1oc day. Sum-
ming up these items we find that wild
ow with three children can live very
comfortably for 1898 per week and a
| man with three children for $375.
"A further extension of the opera
J tons of this laudable system of govern
ment is now being carried out, by which
the city will be given parliamentary
power to provide sanitary dwellings for
all the working class. So excellent is
the credit of the city that it is able to
borrow all the money it needs at two
and one-half per cent, a rate of interest
which will 60 far to make the venture
a financial success, and it is reasonably
expected that the social and sanitary re-
suits will fully compensate the city for
the outlay. 1t may be mentioned here
| that many years ago the city established
public wash houses; where for four
cents an hour a woman is allowed the
use of hot and cold water, wash tubs,
IL. 4 -
chine dried and mangled all within an
hour.
1T is claimed that of all the vast num-
Der of operations of this kind under
taken by the city none has proven a
failure, and what this means can be un-
| derstood when it is said that the au-
thorities have under their care city
farms, city markets. dairies, Libraries,
scientific schools and many other things
of like character.
Indeed, the city has realized in 50
different ways the reduction of the cost
of service which comes from the public
ownership of lighting plants, street cars,
waterworks, markets and other public
utilities. In conclusion it may be said
that no clearer tribute to the success
of the system can be paid than by the
fact that the entire revenue of the city
is derived from its public works and in
stitutions, and that the hours of service
of the public employees have been short
ened and the daily wages increased"