The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-10-17
BRITISH WASTE GOOD
 LESSON TO AMERICA
By JOHN $. STEELE

drawing over ss5 week in pay and all lowances.
 In every other department of life the same story Is to be told. England Is a rich country and has been accus
 toned to living on a high scale. Her public officials are well paid--far bet
 ter paid in the cases of the higher ot-
 fees than those of the United States.
 Her cities never hesitate to spend on
 public Improvements and they have not
 realized that they must economize now.
 The income tax-the national taxation has gone up from IS cents to 36 cents in the s5 on small earned incomes
 and theIe Is talk of further increase when Parliament meets to S4 cents or even to $1.25. In these circumstances one would expect the cities and towns to save as much as possible in their local taxation. but so far little if any thing, has been done In London, for instance. the cost of local government
 per head is s450 more per year than In other municipalities and the average local tax here Is about third of the
 rents. Nothing has been done to re- duce this The London county coun- Gil Is going ahead with the construc- tion of a magnificent county hall, which will cost over 5000, GOO: 1t has increased | the pay of its workmen in several branches and 1t Is now considering | Scneme TOT eNItHul1B tne lire DIOtct- 1 ton service which already Is extreme l ly efficient. The borough of Hornsey,
 which Is one of the districts just out l side the county of London. Is also planning to spend nearly s20o,000 on town hall and its engineer is work l ing at present on an extensive scheme
 of road improvement which could very | well wait until the war is over ana national taxation comes down to some l thing like normal.
 1 One or two instances which have 1 come under my notice of the lack of l control in some branches of the pub 1 lie service may be mentioned as typ
 ical At the beginning of the war a l landowner who had traction engine l offered to sell it to the war office for l s3000. which was considerably less than I its value. The war office replied that l 1t was not buying traction engines I just then and offered to hire 1t at S35 l day the owner to provide a driver l and fuel The bargain was made and the owner went abroad. He returned six months later and discovered that the was office was still hiring his engine
 at S35 day and that the machine he | lad offered at 5000 had earned foi him s6500. He then offered the machine I to the war office for nothing, but Il again he received an official letter thanking him, and saying that they preferred their own system of hiring. | Another instance was that of q man T who had a motor car which he had I used for two or three years. The wal | office needed motor cars and he of fered his at $500 The car was a good one and had cost about $s000. It was accepted and few days later he re ceived check for 5000. He called al the war office and pointed out that 2 mistake had been made and offered to f,,.1 .ya1 fk 1s.t ! the matter rest as the tracing of tht mistake and the confusion which would ensue would cost far more than the s50t involved
 Il One would expect, too. that the ma. : tiona1 government which is issuing constant appeals and advice to the na- tion on the subject of economy woulc set the example itself The formation of the coalition government added nearly stoo,0o0 year to the cabinet salary list.
 Another item In which {. saving coult
 he made is in the paynie,t of nembef' of Parliament. It is | i,ew thing si
 this country and is 1ise ,l"oved Of b.
 netrly half fhe members cf the House
 A number Of M. P.'s offeiou vountaril.
 to relnquish their salaries. out were tolt
 that 1t could not be done. Parliament go
 on very well until three or four year
 ago with unpaid M Ps and one woul
 think that while the war lasts at least
 could save the si,16o.0o0 spent in giving 6a members 5000 a year each.
 The system of political pensions is als one which might be overhauled. Thes
 pensions are paid to ex-ministers who ap ply for them, and who make a statemen that their names do not permit them t : live in a style becoming their former dig nities. There is no provision, however
 for compelling them to relinquish thei
 pensions if their circumstances in Tiff