New-York tribune., 1902-12-10
YORKSHIRE CITIES.
Municipal 4ctiOaties and Industries
of Leeds and .SheffeLd-Ihe
Battle an Birmin cham.
Leeds, November %.

rti
march OF municipal progress. The problems of
Iocal government taken up and worked out
have been essentially the same, and the results
Of municipal ownership closely correspond.
Sheffield has the greater area, 1864 acres.
against 21.572; but Leeds is richer In ratable
values with taxable resources of fl 741 ,3733
against E, SO S57, and is denser in population.
with an aggregate Of 100000, against 3S5O00.
Each is large centre Of manufacturing. with
q working population. which has been greatly
benefited by progressive administration under
the direction OF unpaid Town Council The
Lord Mayor is presiding officer elected an
uIaIly by the council. and armed with neither
veto powers nor privileges OF appointment. There
were no evidences Of one man power even in
Sheffield when the richest landlord, the Duke
OF Norfolk. occupied the principal municipal
seat The council of each city is large body.
recruited from retired merchants, wealthy land
owners and successful business men. who have
nothing to make out of politics and are content
70 devote a large portion of their time to the
public service without other reward than the
consciousness Of being active and useful citi-
zens It is local government by large COM
rnittee with orderly scheme of division of
labor and distribution of responsibility In Leeds
there are as many as hfty-eight sub-commit-
tees and sections and there are fifteen standing
committees, by which the details Of every branch
Of the municipal service are reviewed The
secret Of the success of local administration.
both in the cities Of Yorkshire and in other
centres Of English and Scotch population, is the
sense Of public obligation. which converts these
municipal councils into good government clubs
The local elections In Leeds are more closely
contested political lines than those of Shef-
field, but in both cities the business of admin
stration is conducted without taint Of scandal
corruption or partisanship-
Each city has accepted the responsibility of
ministering tc the intellectual requirements of
the community. Leeds has a municipal art gal
lery with permanent collections and an annual
loan exhibition; it makes liberal grants to York
shire College, the Mechanics Institute and
dozen other organizations for technical educa-
ton. and it has a complete system of free
libraries and reading rooms, with over two hun
dred thousand books in circulation and over
two million five hundred thousand readers and
borrowers In the course of a year. The work of
the central reference library is supplemented by
forty-f1ve branches in board schools, day schools
police stations and suburban offices; and at low
cost the municipal treasury all classes have
free access to books, magazines and periodical
literature. The Sheffield council supports the
Mappin Art Gallery. the Ruskin Museum and
the Weston Park Museum; it distributes over
University College. the School of Art and other
institutions, and It maintains five free libraries
and reading rooms, with stock of over one
hundred thousand volumes for public use
While reither city has the unique group Of gal
leries museums, technical schools and colleges
which is in successful operation at Nottingham
under municipal management both have
adopted measures for bringing books to the
doors of the poorest classes and for providing
facilities for the Improvement Of technical edu-
cation. Each also has admirable system of
public baths. which is practically self-support-
ing. and each is well provided with parks and
recreation grounds
The two cities have rivaIled each other in the
energy and practical ability displayed in the
conduct OF municipal industries. Each owns
and operates its water and electric supplies an
electric tramway service and public markets
and slaughter houses. These services have in
volved large investment of municipal capital,
which is repaid year by year through the opera
tion of sinking funds; but in each city there is
oonsidera bic balance of profit from municipal
enterprise available for the reduction OF local
taxation. In Leeds these profits have exceeded
S1.0000o0 in the course of five years. after all
contributions to the sinking funds and pay
ments of interest have been met; and during
that period the only increase in local taxation
has been an additional penny in the school rate,
for which the Town Council is not responsible
The water supply has involved capital ex-
penditure of over S10,500,000. and the charges
range from ) to 71z per cent rentals The
gas supply has required similar investment OF
over SI.100000 and the business is conducted
with charges to consumers averaging 30 cents
a thousand feet. The electric plant represents
expenditure of about 100000, and the
charges are moderate for lighting and power.
he fran haS
with the recent extensions and substitution OF
electric for horse and steam power; and with
low fares and q complete system OF intercom-
munication among the suburban factory VII
lagos there is net profit of S24l,ooo an
nualy, under conservative management Three
markets and d corn exchange are also main
tanned by the town corporation, and slaughter
houses are combined with them A system OF
aIlotments has also been established for work
ingmen's gardens, few large tenement houses
have been opened in connection with the clear
ance Of slu,1ls and three cemeteries under
municipal management. The tramway and gas
services are the chief undertakings involving
profit. and the value of them as sources or mu-
nicipal revenue is increasing yearly. with the
arrangements for repayment of principal ana
reduction Of interest
Sheffield has made large investments for mu-
nicipal undertakings, and is barely beginning
to receive substantial returns from thefn- Inc
market rights grounds and buildings were pur-
chased from the Duke OF Norfolk three years
ago for s., $4,000. The water supply has been
enlarged from the upper waters Of the Der
went at high cost, but is now yielding net
profit of over S125.0O0 annually. The gas SER
vice has remained under the control Of pri-
rete corporation, but electric lighting and
power company has been bought out at high
cost and a moderate profit is derived from the