Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-01-23
REVERSED BY THE PEOPLE.
English Voters Call a Halt as TO Mu-
nicipal Ownership.

EngHSn voters Gat 2 F7atC as 70 VIII
nicipal Ownership.
The most dramatic incident ia the
history OF municipal government oc-
Cured on Nov. ]. when the greatest
city in the world reversed its policy
i'm regard to municipal ownership by
an overwhelming vote. For several
years the "Progressives.' as the munic-
ipal ownership party called itself. have
controlled the London county coun-
ell, which has charge of most matters
affecting the city as q whole and Of
seventeen OF the twenty eight borough
councils. which deal with local matters
one borough being nOnpartisan. After
the borough council election on NOV. !
this party was left i'm control Of but
two bOrOughs having elected with their
allies. the so called "Laborites. only
292 councilmen out Of 1902. That i
was a popular and not class victory
is shown by the fact that the Pro
gresSives" were beaten worst in the
boroughs where the heaviest vote was
cast.
an adequate cause, and the cause in
the case was the rapid increase in
taxes. and consequently rents, which
resulted from the taking over by the
city OF its boroughs Of tramways. cleo
trio lighting. waterworks. etc. the
building Of luxurious public baths and
other expenditures Of public money out
of all proportion to the results attain
cd This lavishness had raised the bor-
ough tax rate III the bOroughs control
led bv the "Pr0gressives'' 90 per cent
above the rate in the other bOroughs
4 few examples of tie losses incurred
may he Of interest
Lin IsIington the street lighting costs
nearly three times as much per mile
az in the boroughs lighted by private
companies. tn st. PancraS the cost is
nearly As high while i'm Woolwich. i'm
spite Of the high cost. the loss for the
current year is expected to reach 500
600 In Bprmondsey and Southwark
the councils have refused IN offer from
private company TO light the streets
at half the cost under municipal man
agement. The same condition exists
in commercial lighting, for the Aerated
Bread company found that the bills for
its depots in municipality lighted Dor
oughs were t16 per cent higher than
the rate paid to private companies.
In Shoreditch the palatial public
baths. built within a stones throw or
baths erected by a local philanthropist.
are now closed for lack Of custom
though interest must still be paid on
the investment and the borough has
lost the taxes previously paid by the
property. And in Poplar each bath
taken in the public baths costs the tax
payers 20 cents in addition to what
the bather pays for his ticket.
In this borough cases were proved
in which outdoor relief was given TO
families earning $500 Il year, equiva-
lent to $3.50 in this country. while the
fare in the wOrkhouse was better than
could be afforded by the average indie
pendent wage Garner.
Examples of this sort could be multi
piled indefinitely. and the same condi-
tions exist I'm the work carried on by
the London county council, which, for
example. is paving AZ per cent more
for inferior brickworll than the stand
ard contract price for the best work
The failure of its municipal ferry l.
typical OF its waste Of public money.
and the county council election 81 be
held next spring is expected to result
similarly to the borough council cleo
ton.
The Pail Nall Gazette sums the sit
uation up by saying:
"Tou may confscate capital, but YOU
cannot cOuhscate that mighty force Of
seIt interest which belongs to the great
generating station Of all human ac-
tfvity. Municipal trading, conducted
by amateurs and financed cut of an
open and bottomless pocket can never
be more than n weak and false imita-
ton Of real commerce and industry.
If the city council collected its capital
by the issue of prOspectuses to the
public who would invest a sovereign
on the faith of its promises or the rep
utati0n of its directing committees?
And if the ratepayer is wise he will
take care that his money does not find
its way by compulsiOn into specula-
tiOns where he most assuredly would
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