The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-21
GLASGOW A DISAPPOINTMENT.
A WOHlN on THE RESULTS or
NICIPiL OWNERSHIP.

~ ~ 49,
prepared to find the cleanest city in the
world and to join the noble army who in
magazine articles and on the platform have
held il M az a model Of municipal govern
ment and a shining example OF the peoples
ownership Of public utilities. We found
one of The dirtiest cities in Europe, poor
gas and electric light. wretched street cars
and streets everywhere out OF repair.
Now here in the United States outside OF
.PhiladC .phia and Chicago, our two most
VIGOROUSLY m~ismanaged cities, can he
Sonnd % dirty street cars. Each one hears
In large letters the words james Dalrymple,
Manager and strikingly suggests that
although Chicago's politics" may have
seemed shockingly u~nclean her streets
and electric cars must have made the dis
tinguished Scottish expert feel very much
Mt home. We had always to hold up our
dresses 10 keep them of the tram floor,
which was covered with tobacco juice
while the sidewalks were in the same con-
dition.
In a visit OF only a few days II was OF
course impossible to make any detailed
Investigations but a CITY so widely adver-
tIsed for its municipal government one has
a right 10 Judge from general appearances.
We walked for miles through the streets,
which for the most part are OF cobblestones,
and evervwher they showed urgent need
of repairs and looked as II they had not
been cleaned for weeks.
In the aristocratic residence portion
they were we'll paved and swept, but these
include but a small part OF the city. The
railway stations are flthy-no other word
expresses their Condition-and this IL the
case not only here but in all parts Of Scot
land, while the cars are fully as bad as those
in Italy.
It ia true that the municipal buildings
OF Glasgow are magnificent, but within a
stones throw Of them are slums which
would be a disgrace to paganism. In
walking down High street from the Ca
thedral. on which millions Of dollars have
been lavished, to these buildings costing
other millions, on Sunday morning when
appearances are at their best. we threaded
our way through droves Of miserable, half
fed children, while out from the foul alleys
came b~arefooted women in the lowest stages
Of poverty and dissipation.
Intemperance is fearfully on the increase
In Glasgow, according TO the statistics,
which show the actual arrests for drunken
ness this year ODE % in Thousand Of popu-
lation. And yet while We were in the city
a proposition to inquire into the cause OF
this increase was strenuously fought in the
Municipal Council. One member declared
that the reason for this opposition was
because at the last investigation they found
too many OF the ecclesiastical commissioners
directly interested in the liquor traf1ol
Edinburgh at first impresses . visitor
as among the most beautiful Of European
cities, but in order to enjoy il ono must
not enter the old part, for after . glimpse
OF this the rest will seem like q whited
sepulchre. The guide book warns tourists
to keep away from the Grassmarket dis
trict, where even the policemen 60 about
in twos, but the most famou walk Il through
High street from the Castle 70 Holyrood
Palace.
Here one passes the John Knox house.
the Supreme Law Courts, the famous old
st Giles and Canongate churches. and, in
fact, q church on every third corner, and
yet the filth, squAlor, disease and misery
are not equalled In any city Of the size in
Europe or America.
We felt IL necessary 70 walk in the middle
Of the street at monday and finally asked
policeman II IL was safe for us 10 60 any
further.
YES was the answer; 'I've just been
down through there and there don't seem
20 be many drunks just now
Exactly in front of the police station two
hall intoxicated men were trying 70 force
two sickly. frightened women to give them
money.
We literally had 70 wade through the
swarms Of children; crippled; diseased and
all barefooted on a cold day, while beggars
besieged us almost to the extent Of those
In Naples.
On either side OF the street the ancient
buildings rise to an immense height. while
between them at intervals are the closest
narrow, mouldy alleys which seem TO run
down into cellars where the people live like
rats. They remind one Of Chinatown in
the old lays OF San Francisco, but they
aeem infinitely worse because inhabited by
white people and teeming with children.
These places are the property Of the re-
liRious denoccinaEions, the nobility and the
wealthy classes, who thrive on the income
they produce. II Edinburgh were . large
city there might be some excuse for these
conditions, but Il has only about 300 600
,inhabitants; and; IL one may judge by its
parks, monuments, art galleries and Other
public buildings. It has plenty Of money.
Why does it not clean out these plague
spots and take some measures 70 redeem
these wretched people, physically and
morally III children are being raised FOL
the almsh0uses, the asylums and the
prisons.
The situation would not be quite 90 I'm.
endurabIe II the Scotch were not sucI
Phariaeee. Edinburgh Ia Q city OF churche,
and they are filed at every service. On
would think there was q circus in town Il
see the crowds on their way to divine wor
ship on Sunday.
IT, s.xnla 80 - nlo,aa that 6ak q k~afr 4
allowed to move on that day: not q news
paper II published, and only Of late hav,
the street cars been permitted to gun. 4
c~ompronisS with the holy instincts Of tn
inhabitants 10 made by not letting thsn
begin running till time for church and onl!
running about BALI the usual number.
This makes 1t as difficult as possible for tn
working classes to go to the country for
Sunday holiday or to get home again AM