The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-11-12
WHY CITIES ARE SOCIALIST.

A 1NSHN 'ttSAiO4lS luI-
nish another and a convincing argu-
tnent for better municipal conditions.
Viewed in q large way, with the single
exception of the gross corruption prnc-
decd in the Pension Office, our ma
fional government has been honest and
efficient whenever it could free itself
from the entanglements of red tape.
nThe large cities of America, how
eyer. have been appalling of
extravaganza, waste. mismanaEement
and only too often OF deliberate pill-
age.
The public has been sickcned by
these conditions. Take Now York, for
example: the last election In that city
offered the Taxpayers no choice be-
tween two plans for civic betterment.
To the citizens huddled like cattle IN
badly ventilated and wholly INADEQUATE
sabways, neither party offered any
adequate relief.
For two generations New York In.
sudurcd such barbarous municipal mis-
government that nothing could have
sRved the city but its magnificent loca-
ION and the fact that It became the
financial centre and chief port OF
America before Tamrnany and corrup-
don sot control.
Philadelphia, with its enormous ad-
Tantages of population, cheap homes.
nearness TO the coal fields and excel
lent waterways, has likewise grown
in spite OF a reckless extravngance
and waste. The simple fac. is that
municipal elections at present In tho
ihGEcr cities have become mere strur-
giles for office between opposing fac
IONS. No choice between constructive
programs is offered; those who want
Improved schools or better streets or
better health regulations or work
houscs or hospitals have TO depend
upon the bare chance that this or that
political boss may find the promise OF
graft and plumber in the desired i'm
p~rovcments.
That is why the Socialists make such
a powerful appeal to city voters. AS
the New York Evening Post put IL.
i.nen who are not Socialists vote John
smith, Socialist, into the mnyoralty.
not because they want him to get the
salary or the patronage, but because
thoy want to ret better streets. more
economical government, more equitable
expenditure OF taxes" none Of these
requirements arc essentially sociaIistic,
and the only reason that the public
turns to the Socialists for CARRYING out
these policies is because at hear, the
Socialist has a very much higher idea
7f ene dignity and responsibility of
municipal ofhceholdcrs than ever ham
pers the acts of the average politician.
,y,sy 0Y ST. 2 r 65y5n}d15Ssia. .,yS9IEn@se :he gov
ernment of the city of New York at
tempted In a small way TO condemn
more p~ropertylt1ian syas actually need
ed for public purposes. Tho civ
Fathers saw then what everybody has
seen since-that when the city made
improvements 1t greatly Increased the
value of property fl the Immediate
Observation-Disclosures doubtless the CITY
Gathers felt that as this added value
N0"sHt dOoul py spending the
p%uplio's money the public had an eaui-
Nable right TO share in the products so
created.
The courts held that excess con.
domination was unconstitutional ana
ihc result has been that New York
Lost opportunities for making the pros
perity OF the city pay for the welfare
"f the citizens that can never be re-
gsined. That Is why New York is SO
eongested, 50 pitifully ovcrcrowded
and SO siokeningly bare of breathing
spaces for those whose lives arc spent
In making the city great.
Hero in Richmond the same sor, Of
problems have arisen in q small wa
Take William Byrd Park. for example
In the centre OF this beautiful pubIi,
playground there lay for many years
unnotioed q small tract of ground be.
longing to private citizens. This prop.
erty was offered 10 the city OF Bich.
!nond time after time at 5000 an
acre and it should have belonged :,
the City, for no one you wish to Sc,
a row of houses in The middle OF .
PARK, but the city turned it down. an,
the property passed into other hands
In the last two years the price OF mi,
property has quadruplcd; the opportu
nifty for the city TO acquire 1T has prob
ably gone by-an opportunity that vii
not be recovered.
To the theory OF Socialism w. a.,