The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-31
The Management Of Towns.

3SIncg SUBJECT OF i HlunlClpsl management
| IS always timely and interesting, for
| while we are the most progressive nation
| in the world. we have not been as sue
cessful in municipal operation rs tho
towns OF England. This is emphasized
| in an article recently appearing IN the
Political Science Quarterly. by Charles
| II. Hartshornc. For purposes of compari-
son, he takes the towns Of Jersey City
and Newark, N, j., and the town Of Not
tlngham, England. Nottingham is about
one hundred and twenty-six miles north
and west OF London, and has a population
OF 2a0, 1862, a Mttle less than the populn-
ton of Newark and a/little more than
that OF Jersey City. 1t is a prosperous,
growing city, and Its affairs are carried
on in n business-ike way. Its streets
are kept as clean as daily attention can
accomplish. Tho city is on the hank
OF the River Trent, but the sewage does
not so into the river; 1t goes to a scwage
farm n few miles out OF town, where
1t is disposed Of by downward filtration
!. :
acres. is owned md operated by the city,
and the product produces sufficient rev.
enue to pny the cost Of operation, Tho
city owns and operate its water rlant
and gas plant. supplying. gas a mini-
mum charge OF sixty cents per thousand:
an electric light and power plant and
the electric street railway system, the
fares averaging something less than five
cents. The city also owns and operates
the market, and owns, maintains and
leases to tenants n block containing a1out
eighty fiat houses, called artisans dwell
ngs, built by It for the use of laboring
peoplc, and also tracts of land contain
Ing about 80 small houses which 1t rents
to poor people on weekly payments, The
revenues from these houses pay the cost
| of maintenance and repairs interest and
sinking fund charges being provided from
tho taxes, The other properti es-that is,
| the market land and houses, and tho
water, gas and electric and tramway
| plants-,are SO managed that after pay
Ing cost of maintenance and repairs, In
tercst and sinking fund charges upon
the funded debts, incurred from them,
respectively, and after setting aside re-
serve Depreciation funds for all except
markets and houses. they yielded the
city in tho fiscal year 1908 net row
| enuo of over 100000, The city has also
good system Of public education. and
| education Is made compulsory, 1t also
maintains a number Of schools for the
higher education of the masses. OF
course. II has a public library, and has
also museum uf natural history and
n noble art gallery, These are all prac-
tlcally free,
Tho city maintains two lodging houses
the income from which fans u trlfe below
the cost of maintenance, II also main
tains Il public cemetery, which Is self
supporting: public baths and epidemic
hospital, and hospital for the insane,
II maintains u number OF beautiful parks.
large open tract. with handsome drives
lined With trees along the cmbankment
Of tho river. There are the usual do
partmen,s of the police and fire. although
the fire department. does not cost very
much, because the buildings OF the city
are as nearly as possible hreproof.
The debt of Nottingham ls nearly
s2aonoo, against Sl6oN,oCO for Jersey
FCity and sl55N,ooo for Newark. But the
writer figures out that The people IN
Nottingham pay IN local taxes for local
government three-hlths Of the amount
paid by Tie people of Jersey City. and
about one-half the amount paid by the
J people Of Newark. for the same purposes.