The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1905-05-19

tarWorks. There are AVo hno
njcIpally owned gas plahts
md more than that number Oh puo'ic
e,octrIc lighting plants. Every ia'se
o,,,. owns or operates its street TAU
WAYS the total being CONSIDERABLY III
ovcoss Of the hundred mark. Two nun
arad and fifty cities W Their markets.
"a ,t,;n. maintain baths II wash
,orses and an equal number own purl-
=, or,uuds. Forty-thrce cities own
nicrs, docks and quays, Iheae Is ~
,os,a1 in NIL of these productyeeh enter
nriscs Il sum OF money in excess OF
s--ounnou Plans already adopted
u,ill increase this figure beyond The bill
lion mark. These rough statistics give
hrt an inadequate idea of the scope
and eytcn, of the movement. All OF
this has been accomplished IN less thah
thirty wears and most of 1t in the last
decade.
In addition to having taken measures
assuring the acquisition or all puDiic
utilities. London is the greatest landlord
in the world. 1t has already erected
tenemcnts, lodgings and cottages Which
shelter $1,000 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 VIII
provide for 5000 more of the home
seeking class of the metropolis. These
investments represent an expenditure
in excess Of $4,000, 900.
There are only thirty-eiGht cities in
the United States with n population
larger than that which will dwell in
the houses owned by the city OF Lon.
don and under the control OF It's county
council. lis tenants VIII number more
than reside in such populous and pro-
gressiye cities AS Albany. Lowell, Port
land, Atlanta, Richmond, Nashville.
Hartford, Wilmington, Des Moines and
New Bedford.
The great housing act" as 1t 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 tho
United States. 1t had its origin in the
fact that the landlord class was deaf
to public opinion. There were more
than a million people denied The oppor-
tunliy Of renting decent places OF
abode.
In his emergency parliament took
drastic action. 1t clothed the London
county council and similar bodies in
the larger cities with powers they have
not hcsilatcd 10 use. The housing bill
provides three methods OF attack.
Fart ! places upon the London coun-
" council the duty Of preparing and
carrying int elect GAfter sanction by
lue secretary OF state and parliament)
schemes Tor the Improvement Of insan-
ltaTy areas which are OF such Il size ns
10 be OF general Importance to the
"Aolc county. In any sucll scheme it
Is essential that new dwellings shall be
PROVIDED on the area dealt with for at
'east nan the persons displaced.
Kart : enables the borough coun.
els 10 '"Ae proceedings before a magls-
tia'e lof the closing and demolition OF
single houses which are unfit for I'M.
nlal iabllat!on. 1t also enables tho
ooiouSN councils and the county conn
.4'eI III conjunction or otherwise,
" unueft&Ae schemes which are too
sn1"ll TO he Of Importance to the whole
county. HE borough councils also have
power TO purchase and DESTROY h,,i,d.
mes "n!cii prevent The proper ventila.
uoh or adjacent buildings.
ai' o Is even more sweeping and
evolutionary in its character Il on.
NC 'ne county council to purchase hv
eas' Or with the consent Of the
SECRETARY Of state and parliament nv
49, uis,oil' houses for the accommo.
~ u persons OF the working class
'ahu Tor the erection or sroh
houses" In passing it may be wei, I, -
ava n'' 'Aere Is no instance on roc.
W. where the secretary Of stare ana
ssnt neh' have withheld their con.
d.. me confederated cities or crsa.
control parliament,
AL even mon,
ego lieu oF parliament three wears
sh in order that county corna,,s
tho 0u,u nave unlimited scope in soly,ns
thet housing problem it was enao,as
4u. lhey should have the rtant .
araas snsse or acquire land outside nv
u lsas OF their Jurisdiction, for tha ~ Tue
inv VI erecting dwellings for tho wpaa.
pqvp'ed for the reason that u uesuu and
in tho acquiring and holding large .aao1s
~ 'ne suburban districts hoI urge tracts
scbem extension 10 Of municipal n1 nas tor
nn1sa.a The BIZ provided housing
oeten sr'e saa the price to be s1ed hr
parties fa .ne event mat the ne aopra,se,
u the agitators for ~ asreement.
t aeas inc not satisfied. They ', eam housing
reason Of the foo, q directive by