Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-14
RUN ON SINGLE TAXI
Land Values Bear the Burden
in Edmonton, Canada.
NOT QUITE SATISFACTORY
People Generally Believe, That the
Principle Is Right.
OWNERSHIP OF UTILITIES
Subsidy Granted by the Dominion
Government to Alberta
@ Province.


Province.
1T was Mr. Curtis habit to prepare his mat
sity. inasmuch as he often travelling some
times in far distant lands and with untrust-
tribute. to his careful method that his copy
never never failed. and now at the time of his death
revised by him and supplied in advance OF the
dates assigned for publication in accordance
these letters belong to its readers and that they
should be printed Just as though Mr. Curtis
snd yas0 i M tn
Curtis letters" despite the fact that death has
fallen so swiftly to put end to career that
has few parallels for usefulness
BY WILLIAM f. CURTIS.
Special Correspondence of The star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
EDMONTON.
Edmonton is the capital of the province
of Alberta as well as the commercial
metropolis, and one of the most perfect
state capitols to be found in America or
in the entire world is now nearing COM
pletion there. 1t has noble site upon a
bluff overlooking the Saskatchewan river
and the wide stretches of prairie that sur
round the city. Immediately in the FORE
ground is a great gulf through which the
river flows. \ little to the right is a
magnificent bridge being erected at the
cost of a million and a quarter dollars
by the Canadian Pacific railway. The
piers of cut stone. 10 feet high, are COM
pleted and are awaiting the steel trusses.
The bridge will be one of the finest in
America. The rails will be 100 feet above
the water, and the distance between the
abutments will be three-quarters of
mile.
Immediately opposite the statehouse,
on the western bank Of the river. group
of buildings for the Alberta University is
now in course of erection. The campus
of $50 acres which surrounds them cor
responds with the site of the capitol,
which occupies a portion of the site of
the Hudson Bay Company's stockade that
was erected here century ago. The
capitol is built of buff sandstone. four
stories in height. of simple classic design,
with monumental portico sustained by
six pillars. and a dome surmounted by
lantern 1872 feet from the ground. The
approach is impressive, and the main en-
francois reached by a wide fight of steps
with balustradeS on each side embeliiShed
with bronze lampposts.
The interior of the building is well ar
ranged for the accommodation OF the
provincial officials and the legislature of
Alberta, which will assemble here for the
first time In December, and it is expected
that the building will be dedicated
shortly after the beginning of the new
year.
Unique Form of Government.
The form of municipal government at |
Edmonton is unique, although l am told |
that it originated and still prevails at |
the city of Fort William. the terminus |
of the Grand Trunk railroad on Lake |
Superior, about 200 miles north of Du-
luth. 1t is modification of the. Calves
ton or commission plan that Is being in |
trOduced so rapidly in third and fourth |
class cities of the United States, and in |
cludes features of the German system. /
Every two years the people elect |
mayor and eight members OF city coun- |
Gil at large. who form the legislative |
branch of the government and exercise
supervision as representatives of
the people The mayor is the presiding |
officer of the council. He is also the
executive of the municipality and ap-
points all necessary subordinates SUBJ
ject to the confirmation Of the council
He receives a salary of 5000 year.
The members of the council are not paid
The subordinate officials need not be resi-
dents of the city. The mayor is ex-
get to take charge of the street car lines
the electric light plant, the telephone
system, the schools and other municipal
He appoints a street COM
missioner, who has charge OF paving and
sewerage: an auditor. who looks after
the accounts; assessors and collectors,
who have charge of taxes, license fees
and other sources of revenues. All these
men are paid liberal salaries. fixed by
the mayor, with the approval of the
council.
The mayor grants licenses for the sale.
of liquors to hotels, but there are no
saloons. In order to obtain license a
hotel must have at least twenty five lodg-
ing rooms, separate and completely fur
nished. A cot and chair will not do.
There must be a bed, bureau, wasastAnd
and wardrobe, two chairs in each room
and provisions in the kitchen and dining
room and a sufficient number Of servants
to take care of twenty-five guests. lars
must close at 10 o'clock every evening
and at o'clock Saturday nights. and
must remain closed until O'Clock Mon
day morning. NO wines. beer or iiquor
OF any kind can be served in the diaing
room of a hotel Sunday. and the law is
strictly enforced. The other day the
contained an account of the
of restaurant Keeper who
had been running blind tiger" in his
place. He was fined $500 cash and was
notified that a third offense-this appears
to have been his second-would be pun
ished by one years Imprisonment and the
forfeiture of his restaurant license.
All public buildings in Edmonton nave
been erected with borrowed money and
the interest on the bonds is paid from the
proceeds of the single tax
Municipal Ownership.
Municipal ownership also prevails. The
city owns all of the public utilities-the
street car lines. the electric light plant,
the water works and the telephone sys-
tenn Telephones are rented for $50 a
year for private houses and $50 a year
for business houses. The city telephone
lines connect the government lines,
which are under the control of the post |
office department of the Dominion. The |
rates for lOng-distance messages are less
than one-half those which prevail
the United States.
The public utilities are not operated for
profit, but all of them are paying a sur
plus, which goes into a sinking fund to
be used in extensions and improvements. |
The original cost was paid by the pro-
ceeds of loan.
There are several fine schoolhouses in
Edmonton, which were paid for in the |
same way. and a dgnified courthouse OF
classic architecture-one of the best /
have ever scents just being completed. |
and will be paid for by special issue>I