The Marshall republican., 1907-10-18
REVERSED BY TIE PEOPLE.
English Voters Cell . Halt ss to Mu-
ricipaI Ownership.

English Voters Call Q Halt ss TO Mu.
rieipaI Ownership.
The most dramatic incident In the
history of municipal government DC.
Cured on Nov. 1. when the greatest
city in the world reversed Its policy
In regard TO municipal ownership by
nm overwhelming vote. For several
years the "Progressives," rs the munIc.
ipal ownership party called itself, have
controlled the London county oun
ell. which has charge OF most matters
affecting the city as n whole. and OF
seventeen Of the twenty eight borough
councils. which deal with local matters.
borough being nonpartisan. After
the borough council election on Nov. I
this purity was left In control OF but
two boroughs. having elected with their
allies. the 40 called "Laboritcs," only
300 councIlmcn out OF 1852. That Il
was n popular and not n class victory
Ia shown by the fact that the Pro
g~resslves" were beaten worst In the
boroughs where the heaviest vote was
cast.
Such n political upheaval must have
nm adequate cause. and the cause In
the case was tho rapid Increase In
taxes, and consequently rents. which
resulted from the taking over by the
city or Its boroughs Of tramways. cleo
trio lighting. watcrworks. ETC.. the
building OF luxurious public baths and
other expenditures Of public money out
OF all proportion 10 the results attain
cd. This lavishncss had raised the Dor
ough tax rate In the boroughs control
led by the "Progressives" 10 per cent
above the ratio In the other boroughs.
A few examples Of the losses incurred
may be OF interest.
In Isllngton tho street lighting costs
nearly three times as much per mile
ms In the boroughs lighted by private
companies. In ~. Pancras the cost In
nearly as high. while In Woolwich. In
spite OF the high cost. the loss for the
current year is expected to reach $780,
600. In Bermondsey and Southwark
the councils have refused IN oner from
a private company TO light the streets
at half the cost under municipal a
agement. The same condition exists
I'm commercial lighting. for the Aerated
Bread company found that the bills for
Its depots In municipality lighted Dor
oughs were 10 per cent higher thar
the rate paid to private companies.
In shoreditch the palatlai public
baths. built within a stones throw OF
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 a 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-
lions exist In the work carried on by
the London county council. which. for
example. is paying At per cent more
for inferior brlckwork than the stand
ard contract price for the best work.
The failure Of Its municipal ferry Is
typical OF It's waste Of public money.
and the county council election to be
held next spring II expected to result
similarly to the borough council cleo
ton.
The Pail Mall Gazette sums the sit
uation up by saying:
you may coniscate capital, but you
cannot conflscate that mighty force Of
self interest which belongs TO the great
generating station OF all human &C
tivity. Municipal trading, conducted
by amateurs and financed out Of an
open and bottomless pocket, can never
be more than a weak and false imita'
tion Of real IN and industry.
II the city council collected its capital
by the issue OF prospectuses TO the
public, who would invest . sovereign
on the faith Of its promises or the rep
utation OF it, directing committeesi
And II the ratepayer II wise he viii
take care that bis money does not and
It's way by compulsion Into specula.
tions where he most assuredly would
L'- a. - n N"f IA HX.Ik.