The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-05-02

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terworks. There are 100 mu-
nicipally owned gas plants
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
bred and fifty cities oval their markets.
150 cities maintain baths and wash
houses, and an equal number own burl
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
$3.50, 100000. 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 landlord
in the world. 1t has already erected
tenements, lodgings and cottages which
shelter $4,000 persons, who regularly
pay 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 SGT, 100000.
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-
gressive cities as Albany, Lowell, Port
land, Atlanta, Richmond, Nashville,
Hartford, Wilmington, Des Moines and
New Bedford
''The great housing act" as it is call
ed, was passed by parliament in 1890,
a year after the formation of the Lon
don county council. No such radical
piece Of legislation was ever seriously
considered by a lawmaking body in the
United States. 1t had its origin in the
fact that the landlord class was deaf
to public opinion. There were more
than million people denied the oppor-
tunity 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-
fy council the duty Of preparing and
carrying into effect (after sanction by
the secretary Of state and parliament)
schemes for the Improvement of insan-
ltary 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-
ell, 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 8 is even more sweeping and
revolutionary in its character. 1t 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 1t 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
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
areas Of their Jurisdiction for the pur-
pose of erecting dwellings for the work
ing classes. This step was urged and
adopted for the reason that spectators
were acquiring and holding large tracts
in the suburban districts best fitted fol
an extension OF municipal housing
schemes. The bill provided for com
pulsory sales. the price to be fixed by
competent and disinterested appraise.
ment In the event that the negotiating
parties failed to reach an agreement.
Still the agitators for better housing
were not satisfied They complained
that the original bill was defective by
reason OF the fact that the Londor
county council was debarred from de
molishing insanitary areas consisting
of less than twenty houses. 1t frequent
" DEVELOPED that one or more house:
i'm good condition would be surrounded
by a number Of Objectionable ones. A
gear ago parliament constituted struc-
lures housing thirty persons as an
area Of disturbance" instead of twenty
houses. This amendment is REINFORCED