St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1905-06-14
II.
w I'M ORE than 200 cities in Great
~ Britain own and operate wa
terWorks. There are 100 mu-

nicipally owned gas planIS
and more than that number of public
electric lighting plants. Every large
city owns or operates its street rail-
ways. the total being considerably In
excess of the hundred mark. Two hun
dred and fifty cities own their markets,
100 cities maintain baths and wash
houses. and an equal number own buri-
al grounds. Forty-three cities own
piers, docks and quays. There is In
vested in all of these productive enter
prises sum of money in excess OF
75O,OO0000. Plans already adopted
will increase this figure beyond the BILL
lion mark. These rough statistics give
but an inadequate idea of the scope
and extent of the movement. All OF
this has been accomplished in less than
thirty years and most Of it In the last
decade.
In addition to having taken measures
assuring the acquisition of all pubic
utilities, London Is the greatest landlord
| In the world. 1t has already erected
tenements, lodgings and cottages which
shelter $4,000 persons, who regularly
nav rent into the common treasury.
This is only the beginning. Plans have
been adopted, funds raised and work
is In progress on buildings which Will
provide for $4,000 more of the home
seeking class of the metropolis. These
investments represent an expenditure
in excess Of $25,00O,000.
There are only thirty-eight cities in
the United States with population
larger than that which will dwell IN
the houses owned by the city OF Lon
don and under the control of its county
council Its tenants will number more
than reside in such populous and pro-
: gressiye cities as Albany, Lowell, Fort
land. Atlanta, Richmond, Nashville
j., Hartford. Wilmington, Des Moines and
New Bedford.
4 "The great housing act" as 1t Is call
f ed. was passed by parliament In 1884,
a year after the formation OF the Lon
q don county council. No such radical
niece of legislation was ever seriously
considered by lawmaking BODY IN Tue
- limited States. 1t had its origin IN the
~ fact that the landlord class was deal
to public opinion. There were more
than a million people denied the oppor
tunitv of renting decent places Of
II abode.
q In this emergency parliament TOOL
70 drastic action. 1t clothed the Londol
" county council and similar bodies
r. the larger cities with powers they nav
in not hesitated to use. The housing bill
OF nrovides three methods Of attack
rs Part / places upon the London coun
tv council the duty of preparing an
carving into effect (after sanction b
X the secretary of state and parliament
he schemes for the improvement OF 1nsa1
an itary areas which are Of such size
ell to be of general Importance to I'll
ty. whole county. In any such scheme
ng is essential that new dwellings shall
he provided on the area dealt with Tor
In least half the persons displaced.
be Part 2 enables the borough coul
III ellis to take proceedings before magl
re- trate for the closing and demolition
id. single houses which are unfit for h
ci- man habitation. 1t also enables Il
al. borough councils and the county cou
ere ell. either in conjunction or otherwis
in to undertake schemes which are I
BILE small to be Of Importance to the VINO
IN county. THE borough councils also ha
M power to purchase and destroy bull
the ings which prevent the proper VENT
ed ton Of adjacent buildings.
Part 3 is even more sweeping a.
revolutionary in its character. 1t
urt ables the county council to purchase
vas agreement or with the consent Of
hen secretary of state and parliament,
the compulsion, houses for "the accom-
nd. dalton Of persons Of the working eli
hat or land for the erection Of ST
lold houses" In passing it may be well
the note that there is no. instance on
,rse ord where the secretary Of state
her parliament have withheld their C
sent. The confederated cities of Or
Britain control parliament.
An even more extraordinary POI
fore was granted by parliament three ye
you ago. In order that county coun
per. should have unlimited scope in soly
ats the housing problem it was enat
OF that they should have the right
bad purchase or acquire land outside
me areas Of their Jurisdiction" for the
pose Of erecting dwellings for the W
ing classes. This step was urged
adopted for the reason that specula
w were acquiring and holding large tr
- " In the suburban districts best fitted
on' an extension Of municipal hou
schemes. The bill provided for {
go pulsory sales, the price to be fxet
W competent and disinteresthd appr
ment in the event that the negotia
parties failed to reach an agreeme
d IA Still the agitators for better hou
sol were not satisfied. They .compla
he that the original bill was defectiv
vice reason Oh the 1act tnat the Lo
county council was debarred from
molishing insanitary areas consi
an he Of less than twenty houses. 1t freq