New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-11-16
LONDON GOVERNMENT.
With Comments ON Borough Elec-
tions and Wasted Opportunities.
London. November 4

campaign which was brought 70 a close yestsr-
day in New-York there have been elections this
week in the twenty-eight boroughs Of London
with only a minority Of the taxpayers SUN
GENTLY interested ia the result 10 take the trou-
bic OF voting. In nearly all the wards Their.
were contests between official moderates and
official progresslves: and in some Of the Dor
oughs there were third tickets supported by labor
organizations. socialist clubs and ratepayers
associations Apathy was the prevailing char
acteristic. in some Of the borouehs only one OUT
Of ten registered voters making use Of the bal
lot. Borough councils were elected IN the twenty
eight cities which make up the metropolis; but
there little public interest in the general
result OF the contsts there was few years
ago in the choice Of the administrative vestres
and district boards. The political fnportancs
OF vestrydom and Bumbledon has not been IN
creased by high-sounding titles for robes and
| chains Of Office.
This is the second general election since the
passage Of the London Local Government act:
and II Is now evident that no Transformation OF
the various areas Of the metropolis has been
! wrought by artificial substitute for central
| ized administration. While there Is a congerfes
OF cities. with mayors councillors and aldermen.
there Is real civic life outside the single
square mile known the City and governed By
the members OF the MEDIEVAL guilds. The cor
/
trusts for the metropolis administers large es-
| tates. owns the principal markets. regulates the
gas and water companies. and imparts authori-
~ and responsibility 20 the mOnOpolies which
hold greater London at their mercy The royal
commission OF 1894. which proposed a cornprs-
hensive scheme for the unihcatfon OF London.
favored the progressive municipal policies OF
provincial England and Scotland Il was anxious
10 deprive the City Corporation Of its anomalous
md
County Council. representative body elected
by direct suffrage. with all the resources OF cen
traIzed administration. 1t also advocated the
enlargement Of the vestries into orderly sys-
TEN Of sub-administration under the direction
of the London County Council The great issues
of metropolitan government have not been set
tied on the enlightened principles OF the royal
commissions report. Unionist legislators have
protected the City monopolists and strenuously
opposed the expansion OF the powers Of the Lon
don County Council. They have dignihed and
magnifed the functions OF the vestries without
increasing the efficiency OF local government:
and when the borough elections are held thu
names Of the candidates not known to ma
jority Of the voters until the polling cards
received. and the voting is light
These twenty-eight boroughs vary IN popula-
ton. area and ratable value. and they have oo-
tional powers for carrying out or disregarding
acreage Of 9.1O6. and Horborn OF 400
acres. Islington is a city with a population OF
over $4,000. whereas Stoke Newington Is a
town with only $4,000 Inhabitants. Westminster
has ratable value OF over 100000. while
BethnaI Green is one Of the poorest boroughs,
with a valuation OF f464. 600. About one-half
of the boroughs have the same area. population
and valuation which they had when they were
governed by vestries; and the boundaries Of ths
justed without any material alteration OF ths
parochiaI code established when the Metropon-
tan Board Of Works was organized. In 1855
The lists Of voters have been Increased By q
combination Of the Parliamentary and local reg
listers; and there are borough councils II piaao
of vestries; and instead Of the vestry chairman
there is mayor IN every borough. and between
him and the councilman are the front bench
aldermen. who, being ornamental wei use
full, may be peers. clergyman or large property
owners. vestry clerks have been Transformed
into borough clerks and the unpretentious vestry
halls have been converted into municipal build
ings. Fur robes and chains Of Office have Tn
parted air Of stateIiness TO these borough
councils; but these municipal authorities have
few Of the powers ordinarily vested IN civic cor
porations- Their chief functions are the paving
and cleaning Of the streets. the enforcement OF
sanitary regulations. and The collection Of the
late the supply OF water or gas nor have charge
of any great public works.
While the code OF vestrydom has been supple
mented by the municipal corporations. borough
funds. education and other special acts. a
homogeneous system Of sub-municipaI admins
tration has not been established. Each borough
has it's own debt. tax rate and special invest
nents and expenditures. Some OF the boroughs
| have their electric light and power plant:
others have public baths. markets. libraries and
other improvements. and a uniform tax rate or
system of valuation is inpracticable- There IS
| multiplicity of administrative processes and
| local traditions and institutions. and there Is
| only common tendency-toward increased
expenditures The new councils. being larger
| and more important bodies than the old fash
| toned vestries. probably do more work and ex-
| ercise more vigilant supervision over local at
fairs. and there is increased efficiency in local
government. There ought to be material ben
efits, for the rates are higher everywhere Pos
/ sibly II is the increased cost Of local govern
| ment which has created public prejudice against
/ the borough councils and convinced rarepaysas
| that London better of under the antique
conditions of vestrydOrn. Every year the valu-
| ations and rates highar than ever before
and. while there Official ,nddates and inde-
pendent tickets. there a<S % trustworthy econ
omists appealing for pOpu.ar support at the cleo
/ tions and Offering guaranSs~s zaat tAzr WI oA
| reduced. With the Ess.Satien act TO be IN
| troduced and with vast expenditures approach
/ ing for the Improvement Of the port and costly
/ public works the burdens of local gOvernmene
| in. London will inevitably increase during the
/ next decade. whether MO6erates or Progressiyes
| OF Independents carry the triennial elections.
4 Tho strDngest argument against the uniicatOn