Omaha daily bee., 1906-11-10

didates for local Offices in London and tho
provinces occasions great rejoicing in tory
circles, being considered a distinct rebuke
for the liberal party and its labor allies.
The conditions which provoked the party
uphoaval in local administrative ofices re-
lated TO municipal problems wholly and had
no more relation to ministerial policies
than city elections in the United states
have 20 the policies Of the federal govern
ment. Just as the minority party In tho
United States chuckles and wakes joyful
over favorable 'straws" in OF years, so
likewise the tories take all the comfort
possible from the local elections, magnify
ing their importance for the purpose 81
encouraging and Strengthening party tol-
lowers. The primary causes Of the revul-
sion in local administrative affairs were
extravaganza in distributing public funds,
municipal paternslism, excessive cost OF
public works and the inevitable increase in
taxation. Taxpayers in England would be
rare class indeed that did not revolt
against increased burdens especially when
normal taxation is difficult TO bear. They
demanded a change and worked for e.
They struck right and left with their votes,
caring little for party labels so long as
the candidate was pledged to economy and
relief.
An article in the North American Re
view for October 10, BY Priest Z. Will
Hams, an English writer upon economies
gives an account Of the conditions against
which this revolt OF the people has taken
place. For a number OF years past the
policy Of municipalzing every possible
service has had full swing The London
county council has been operating street
railways and steamboats,, building houses
and carrying on public works by day labor
Thus 1t appears from the councils own
reports that in the municipal steamboat
service $50 has been expended for every s.
received during the winter season. While
offices OF the imperial government have
been paying contractors $3.50 per rod OF
briclSwork, the public works department OF
the council has been paying $40 per rod
for inferior work. The difference IS easily
explained when It is known that brick
layers working for contractors will lay
Loo bricks q day, while $50 a day is enodgh
for bricklayer on a public ownership
job. The council started a municipal brick
yard, and the bricks turned out are de-
clared unfit for use in building hut they
are being used in order to prevent total
loss ON the experiment. 50 that the coIln-
Gil itself is doing Jerry building such as
it would never allow a contractor TO DO.
In all departments expenditures have in
creased, while results are declared to be
crude and unsatisfactory. The municipal
debt has more than doubled in the last
twenty years, and taxes also have increased
to abnormal figures. The people who pay
the taxes have found the situation unen-
durable, and they have risen in their might
and swept the municipal ownership politi-
clans from power.
During the last fifteen years there have
been repeated crop failures in Russia ana
the cultivators have grown steadily poorer.
The number of people drifting about
the country sometimes seeking work
and sometimes committing violence has
increased rapidly. They have no land to
cultivate, or no means of cultivating 1t,
and they are Industrial "hoaters"-a very
dangerous element Twenty-seven prov
inces are suffering from famine, and it is
only a few weeks since harvest In some
of these provinces the famine was marked
in September. From March to June there
was drouthed, and the seed did not germi-
nate. Some peasants are selling their
horses but they have been doing that at
intervals for several years, and there are
stock of domestic animals is entirely in.
adequate for cultivation and for the manur-
ing OF the soil. The small production per
acre is due in great measure to the scarcity
Of cattle and horses, Other peasants are
feeding the thatch to their animals. That
has been done before, but In the end the
animals are lost; they cannot stand the
winter without shelter. Nearly 100000
people are doomed TO starvation this wintor.
The government hasn't money to do much,
and relief funds are habitually stolen. The
famine is described as more terrible than
the memorable famine following the crop
| failures Of 1891.
! Among the many Buddhist-Shinto saints.
whose quaint efiigies set up in every con-
| ceivable nook and corner Of Japan make
! II country of craven images" says a
writer in I4eslie's Weekly. one of the most
impressive and interesting is the pathetic
| person called Binzuru He was once upon
/ a time n member of that strange company
of Buddhist disciples known as the six
/ teen Rakkan" But one day he fell from
| grace by remarking upon the attractions
/ of a woman, and he was expelled from the
| society of chaste brethren, The great
Buddha gave him, in return for all that his
worldliness had cost him. power 10 heal
human ills and to grant the prayers Of chill
| less women who longed for motherhood.
But he was put outside the temples. He
must henceforth sit without, in the midst
of the passing thrOng, and submit himself
to personal contact with all that was I'M
clean and healthless. The simple-hearted
people love him, I think, above all saints,
/ His wooden images in the temple porches
are the strangest objects in all Japan.
They give him soft cushions TO sit upon,
and he Is always clothed Ia quaint little
cotton-stun collars and mufiers I'm all sorts
81 soiled-looking oolors and on his head
his devotees usually keep a curious LITTLE
cotton cap.
Its garrison having departed, the famous