The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-03-21
MUNICIPAL PROBLEMS,

The city is making an effort to COM
pei the electric light and telephone COM
panies to place their overhead wires
in certain limits. The
companies are showing a spirit Of fair
ness and it is expected that Superior
street in the business center, and the
north side of Michigan Street will be
ridden Of overhead wires before next
winter.
Mayor Hugo struck the right chord
when he advised that the chain gang
be used in getting out rock at eighth
avenue west and Superior street. The
mayor believes that by systematic
method good home paving material can
be gotten out very cheaply.
The special investigation committee
Of the council made very interesting
report last Monday evening. The
working of every department was ex-
amined carfully, and the committee
made some good recommendations. The
matter of raising the assessment of
lumber was taken up and the COM
mittee recommended that it be car
ried to the state board of equalization.
The re-drafting of the building ordi-
nance is recommended.
One of the best recommendations of
the investigation committee was to the
effect that the board Of public works
should purchase nails and other ma
teria4s in large quantities and at
wholesale. A store room is to be To-
Gated in the Armory building, and one
Of the clerks of the board is to act as
storekeeper. A. new method will be
adopted in conducting the business Of
the board which will tend to both
simplify and economic in the manage
ment.
The council will in the future be more
careful about granting auctioneer H.
censes. On Monday evening just be-
fore the meeting of the council, chief
Troyer brought three young men into
the city hall who had been buncoed
into buying "phonie'' watches at big
prices. AS soon as the police and Ii
cense committee saw what was being
done, they recommended that an auc-
tioneer license under consideration be
not granted.
BatterSea, London, Eng, in ever in
Producing something new in municipal
ownership. Its member in Parliament
gave it the above name because every
one interested in municipal govern
ment is almost certain to visit it to
study how it runs in municipal schemes.
The inhabitants Of the districts are
plain Workmen, as we'll as governing
OFFICERS, but their energy makes up
for their lack of culture Some of the
utilities that are operated by the NUM-
cipalfty are given below In the town
hall there is a pipe organ on which
weekly recitals are given, free to all.
There are also maintained a choir of
100 voices and stringed orchestra.
A recreation room has been estab-
llshed where all sorts of games can be
played, lantern lectures are given there,
etc., and the admission is only a penny
a night. Battersea owns it's own cleo
trlc lighting station, dust destroyer in
which all the waste of the district is
destroyed, system of public baths, a
public library and a gymna SUM. A
municipal trolley line and model dwell
lngs are now building A recreation
room and the gymnasium are potent
factors in clearing the street corners
or the crowds of young men. For the
last few years the infant death rate has
oeen increasing in the district and the
main cause has been bad milk and dirty
bottles. So the officials opened a. sta
ton where the best milk is bottled and
distributed among the people. Each
customer can obtain nine hermetica1lv
sealed nursing bottles Of sterilized milk
every day at a charge Of about thirty
cents week, and the station collects
the old bottles and supplies clean ones.
Inc cost is about $4,000, but 200 custo-
mers a week clears the expense.
The United States Supren1e Cont
has recently handed an important de-
cislon which will be of interest to every
municipality in the country, as it up-
holds the tax levied by the borough Of
New Hope, Penn, on the poles of the
western Union Telegraph Company.
Inc telegraph companies doing business
IN this country pay little OF nothing for
privileges extended to them by various
municipalities. So long as telephones
electric light, water works and street
car companies are obliged to pay tri
butte to municipalities in one way or an
other We see no reason why the great
telegraph company monopolies should
De exempt. 1t is true that in few
cities they are made to pay a. small H.
cense fee for each pole erected within
the city limits, but this practice is by
no means general, although it should
De- So long as these and other COM
panles using poles within the city linn
Its pay nothing on their gross receipts.
nor IN any other way reimburse the
municipality for privileges granted, we
oe1leve 1t only just for the city author
tiles to levy tax. Of this sort. When
the full possibilities of this decision are
realized perhaps the franchise corpor-
atlonS will deem it wiser to accept 4
tax based upon gross receipts than to
incur the arbitrary assessments that
might be made.
A sensible fight is being made in Salt
Lake CitV for olaapor o.~.