The independent. [volume] (Lincoln, Neb.) 1902-1907, 1905-03-16
How British Cities
Manage Public Utilities
by Frederick Upham Adams.]

!IQere are lUU municipality owned gas
plants and more than that number or
public electric lighting plants. Every
large city owns or operates it's street
railways, the total being considerably
In excess of the hundred mark. Two
hundred and fifty cities own their mar
kets, $50 cities maintain baths and
wash-houses, and an equal number own
burial 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
$750,000,000. 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 public
utilities, London is the greatest land
lord in the world. 1t has already erect
ed tenements, lodgings and cottages
which shelter $4,000 persons, who regu-
larly pay rent into the common treas
ury. 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 expen-
diture in excess of SIS, 000 000
There. are only thirty-elght 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. It's tenants will number more
than reside in such populous and pro-
gressive cities as Albany, Lowell, Port
land, Atlanta, Richmond, Nashville,
Hartford, Wilmington, Des Moines and
New Bedford.
The great housing act" as 1t is
called, was passed by parliament in
1890, year after the formation of the
London county council. No such radi-
cal piece of legislation was ever Sc
riously considered by a lawnlaking
body in the United States. 1t had it's
origin in the fact that the landlord
class was deaf to public opinion, There
were more than million people de-
MED the opportunity Of renting decent
places Of abode.
In this emergency parliament took
drastic action. 1t clothed the London
county council and similar bodies in
the larger cities with powers they
have not hesitated to use. The housing
bill provides three methods of attack.
Part | places upon the London coun-
ty council the duty Of preparing and
carrying into effect (after sanction by
the secretary of state and parliament)
schemes for the improvement of insan-
itary areas which are of such size as
to be of general Importance to the
whole county. In any such scheme it
is essential that new dwellings shall be
provided on the area dealt with for at
least half the persons displaced.
Part 2 enables the borough coun-
ellis to take proceedings before magis-
trate for the closing and demolition of
single houses which are unfit for hui
man habitation. 1t also enables the
borough councils and the county coun-
Gil, either in conjunction or otherwise,
to undertake schemes which are too
small to be of Importance to the whole
county. The borough councils also have
power to purchase and destroy build
ings which prevent the proper ventila-
ton of adjacent buildings.
Part 3 is even more sweeping and
revolutionary in its character. It en-
ables the county council to purchase by
agreement or with the consent of the
secretary of state and parliament, by
compulsion, houses for the accommo-
dation of persons of the working class
or land for the erection OF such
houses In passing it may be well to
note that there is no instance on rec
ord where the secretary OF state and
parliament have withheld their con-
sent. The confederated cities of Great
Britain control parliament.
An even more extraordinary power
was granted by parliament three years
ago. In order that county councils
should have unlimited scope in solving
the housing problem 1t was enacted
that they should have the right to
purchase or acquire land outside the
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