Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-03-21

44O tenements and 1,S4S lodging house
rooms for 81, 1872 persons at total out
lay of $23,694,OS0. These tenements
contain one, two, three, four, five and
six room apartments"
All of the fragmcntary statements
and rumors concerning the extent of
the housing scheme planned by the
London authorities sink into insignifi-
canoe compared with the plain facts
and figures. 1t is not reform; it Is a
revolution.
Closely allied with the task Of hous-
ing the working classes of London is
the problem of providing cheap and
rapid transportation for those who live
in these suburban houses built by the
municipality. English capitalistic stu
pidity we'll nigh reached its limit at the
hands of those men who found them
selves the owners Of street railway
franchises and plants.
While private enterprise in the Unit
ed States and in other countries was
eagerly pushing the work of discard
ing horse traction for mechanical and
electrical, the somnolent owners Of
such properties in Great Britain were
blind and deaf to the splendid progress
attained by inventors and engineers.
Realizing that there was no hope for
an awakening from this trance, the
London county council was not slow in
taking advantage of an act passed by
parliament in 1870, which provided
that where the owners Of tramway
(sreet railway in any district are not
the local authority, such local authority
| within six months after the expiration
Of period Of twenty-one years from
| the time when such owners were en-
| powered to construct such tramway
and within six months after the ex-
piration of every subsequent period Of
seven years may, with the approval Of
the board of trade, require such pro-
moters to sell them their undertaking
upon terms Of paying the then value
exclusive Of any allowance for past OF
future profits Of the undertaking. OF
the tramway, such value to be in the
case Of difference determined by Q
referee appointed by the board Of trade
on the application Of either party"
There were fifteen private street rail
way companies operating in the coun
ty Of London. The first one which hat
Its franchise expire was promptly mott
fed by the council that its plant would
be purchased. The company made 9
claim for $3OOO,OOO. The county scoffet
at this price. A referee was appointed
and awarded the company 1922, 900
The company appealed to the higl
court, which set aside the award. TIL
council appealed and the court Of ap
peals affirmed the referees award, an,
their decision was confirmed by tn
house Of lords. That settled 1t. Thi
was in 1894.
The tramways act did not permit tn,
local authorities to operate street rail
ways. 1t was therefore necessary t,
lease the line for short period, whicl
was accordingly done, the lease expir
Ing in 1900. The council then proceed
ed to purchase other plants as the fran
chises expired and also introduced
bill giving them power to operate lines
Parliament passed such an act in 1896
and on Jan. l, 1899, the London count
council came into formal possession o
q large share Of the mileage Of tram
ways within its Jurisdiction. The las
private franchise will not expire unit
1910, but the lines are small and of n
! consequence compared with the st,
pendous problem Of constructing an
; operating new arteries Of transports
| ton.
In no modern utility is London s
woefully deficient as in street railway
It has only 115 miles Of tracks, @
which the county council owns eighty
eight miles. OF these forty-eight ar
north Of the Thames and are leased III
til 1910 to the British traction trus
The county now considers that It mad
mistake In making this lease and
negotiating for its purchase. Thel
are forty-eight miles south of tt
Thames, of which the council owns an
operates forty miles. The remnant {
private lines is purchasable In 1906
!, London's lack Of progress in stree
transportation is best evinced by tt
fact that the 6rst electric tramcar WE
. driven from Westminster bridge
footing on May 16, 1908. On this da
, tens Of thousands Of miles Of electric
railway were in paying operation
the United States, and such muntcipa
. tiles az Manchester and Glasgow we
swelling their treasures from the I
, ceipts Of publicly owned electric
street railways.
London has only one mile Of traI
way to every 10000 population. Ola
, gov one mile to every 1900, Liverpo
one mile to e.400 and Manchester o,
mile to $500 people
! To Mothers In This Town.
Children who are delicate, feveri:
and cross will get immediate reli
%nr M 4n n y