The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-01-14

| to London has been II half-million and
| the granting OF the lease delayed tho
electrification Of the tramways for seven
| years."
This is the testimony OF the man who
has written numerous articles to Ameri-
can magazines exploiting the municipal
purity of English cities: the man who
has told us that in English municipai-
ties there is no politics and no graft He
IS a professed Socialist; the idol OF tho
red ranters OF tho east side docks. But
| he finds 1t easy to point out graft and
corruption when 1t suits his purpose TO
have IL that way.
Not all the members of the governing
bodies of the English municipalities are
men who replensh their depleted Golfers
from the public purse. Many OF the
London Councillors are citizens whose in
| tegrity is above suspicion. But. unfor-
tunately for the best interests OF the
municipalities, these men are In the MI
| nority. The ao-called Progressive party
is now in control In all the great manu-
| featuring centres. This is the party Of
municipal trading. 1t is the union Of
the Socialist and the union agitator ele-
ments; the party that has been mixed
UP In every legislative scandal in Eng
land during the last ten years. and there
have been hundreds OF them.
In this letter / have enumerated only
Incidents of recent date. in which tho
piotters have been able to escape with
their plunder-incidents In which the rate
payers have been forced to accept
Scotch verdict OF mot proven"
In my next I shall give the details of
instances in which the grafters have been
caught In the act. Two ex-lieutenants
OF the ring are now doing time in prison
for grating. The especial Specification
OF these incidents Is that prior to the
advent of municipal trading. or, more
properly, the Socialist regime, such incl
dents were practically unknown. The
patronage and opportunities extended to
councillors through handling the great
municipal trading enterprises have made
places In the Councils popular in tho
extreme.
Housing Scheme Failure.
Municipal housing schemes have been
prolific of a great deal OF graft 1t enters
with the purchase of the land, thrives
on the construction of the buildings. and
WAKES exceedingly fat In the leasing to
tenants, who form privileged class
/ have not found that the municipal hous-
ing scheme does away with the Sums.
1t simply drives the very poor from ono
street to another.
In most instances the rental charged
for the new district is greater than the
very poor can pay; for it must be remem-
bered that the Progressive voters VIII
not stand for any Improvement that
visibly increases the rates. The NUM-
cipal housing either attracts n class OF
tenants who could afford TO pay rent
elsewhere and who make profit from the
city's alleged philanthropy. or tenants
who are getting cheapr rent than their
fellows.
In no cases are the houses occupied by
those who really need the relief, ana
IN either case class OF privileged ten
ants has been established at the expense
of the ratepayers
London Is bonded for Its municlpai
housing schemes In an amount equal 10
five times tho municipal debt or LOS
Angeles, water included.
In these letters I have laid especlal
stress on conditions In Greater Londoh.
The reason for this Is that ten or inc
twenty eight borouglis of the metropohs
are themselves among the largest cit'es
in Great Britain. The borough or west
minister contains more wealth than any
CITY in the empire outside OF LONDON.
In population five Of the London borouGhH
would be among the first ten cities IN
England. It is in London that mead
quarters of all the munlcipal trading So
cicties are maintained: and IN Lohoon
are the leaders Of the Sociallst-Lapor
Union ring that has achieved tne ho'o-
rety Of prostituting English politics.
have visited tho large cities in Eng
land. from the Scottish border to the
Channel and in every one OF them
have found the hands of the "Frosres-
sives,' stained with the tar OF the CROOKS
kettles. Municipal trading mas neither
,ownred prices nor improved service but
- has built up a political machine that ID
increasing taxes at a rate that is bound
sooner or later to bring crisis In Eng-
fish politics.