Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-09-26
BEATS SALT LAKE
ALL TO PIECES.
Feasts Of LOndon's Lord Mayor
And City Council Cost $780,
600 Last Year.
CLEANED OUT THE TREASURY.
English Provincial yestymen "Blow
In the Public Money at Lively
Rate--"Inspection Visits"
Special Correspondence.

Special Correspondence.
| London, Sept 16.--If possible, alder
men over here are even fonder Of good
living than those In America but the
tendency OF English city fathers 10
! regale themselves AT the publlcs ex-
| pense Is likely 10 have a check put
| lron 1t pretty soon II many more such
| nglifes come 10 light us have been
| made public recently.
The annual statement OF the cham
Oerlaln OF the ancient London borough
that calls itself the "Clty"-.lssued n
few days ago-reyealed the fact that
the municipalities expenditure for the
year 1902 had been 1895, 900 more than
It's income, and the disgust OF the tax
payers over this state OF things was
not lessened by the discovery that over
$4,000 of the money spent had been
lavished on banquets at which the lord
mayor and his attendant satellites had
entertained royalty and various other
distinguished guests
Fortunately for the people who have
to contribute TO its support, the city"
OF London hasn't yet followed the ex-
ample OF so many other London bor-
oughs and provincial towns throughout
the country and gone I'm for municipal
tradings,' as they call Il when a place
tries us hand at running its own street
railways, electric light plants and SO
on For those In charge of such en-
terprlses seem especially apt TO acduire
the habit OF blowing Themselves at
the cost of the tax payers. In a good
many places these Borough council
Tors" or vestrymen" or whatever they
call themselves are great on visits of
inspection to other provincial towns,
TO London. and even TO continental
cities, and the INSPECTING" of the
various municipal experiments in these
centers Is made the excuse for such an
amount OF winning and dining as none
put millionaires or folk travelling at
some one elses expense could AFFORD,
And such city fathers"--who. more
often than not, are small grocers, ned.
dlers or even hod-carrlers- often elect
TO equip the offices In which they carry
on their deliberations in a style such
as the president OF an American trust
might envy
Here. Tor instance, are some details
OF such expenditures which are so tx
traVagant that they are positively l,m.
n.y. On May %, 1902, the LIVERPOOL
Baths committee held an inspection
which cost the Taxpayers of that CITY
lust Sl36--made up OF these items.
Twenty four dinners, s45-about Sl.5O
cache champagne. sb0--or more than
the dinners cost--"other wines and
Spirits s1i. mineral waters, coffee and
cigars S25 80. And here are the ex-
penses OF the Tire Valley Waterworks
committee. which held session on
Anrll II, 'O2 Luncheon for I'VE, cold |
chickens and tongue, SIPS, salmon and |
& ..l..
cents, ten cakes, 40 cents, cheese and |
butter so cents. two French rolls. ID |
cents, one bottle OF whisky. 81 90 eight |
bottles of soda water 81 90. one bottle |
Eochheimer, 81 so, is cigars, $3.50.
And here Is what II cost to transform
an ordinary room in the Hackney town
nall into Il mayors parlor" painting
MA decorating, Sl75, a carved oak
sde-board $3.50. Turkey carpet, Sis,
oVermantle and mantle piece. 500.
carved writing table, $50, best morocco
all hair couch, si5, six chairs TO match
$50. And in Lancashire, an auditor
complaining OF the cost OF furnishing
he new Offices for the corporation. said
hat while he did not object to good
-urniture, II did 'rile" him to encoun-
er such items as $i5 for tea service.
w for a tca-urn, $40 for two cases of
lsh -caryers, and other charges for
'ucn hhlek- knacks as champagne nip
,ers, and surprise cork screws.
since the above was written il has
'ome to light that In connection with
he expenses Of Incorporating new
own a refreshment bin was rendered
or something over $3.50, which had
,een eaten up and poured down In four
lays The regular dinners and lunch.
'ons IN that time necessltnted 1870 hot.
les OF wine. and 'sundry other dinners
md drinks came to $50 extra, while
'igars were as free as air,
IN some districts the tax rate within
few years has increased SO per cent
while England's total municipal
lebt totals more than 1880, 600, 600 a
lgure exceeding the existing national
|