The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1921-09-02
CITY COUNCIL MAY
BE SENT TO JAIL
Refusal To Levy High Tax On Over
Crowded Poplar Starts
Near Revolt.
by w. K. WALTER
louisville Herald)

knows II will come from the so-called
East End, which comprises roughly
3 900, 900 OF London's population, a
huge overcrowded, overtaxed area. IL
Is there where suffering from unem-
ployment is always most keenly felt
and where spasmodic unemployment
riots were as barometricol warnings
in the unsettled weather of social
conditions. The latest sign of un-
rest is an entirely new phenomenon,
and one with which the national au-
thorities are finding it more difficult
to deal than with any mere acts of
disorder For the new revolt is
constitutional; the rebels actually
have the law on their side.
Poplar is a borough of about 200,-
600 population in the East End 1t
has its own borough or city council,
on which the local labor party won
forty-three out of forty-nine seats at
the last election. Poplar is the poor
est district in London. but it pays |
the highest taxes. higher than West |
minister or Kensington, which are |
the wealthiost districts. This is not |
because local administration costs /.
more in Poplar, but because every /
borough has to collect certain share /
Of the administrative expenses of |
Greater London. Poplar has a taxa
BILE valuation of about 100000 /
only, while Westminster is valued at |
nearly $4C,OOO,0OO and Hensington /
at about $15,OOO,OOO.
Even in 1917 Poplar householder
paid so per cent on his assessed valu-
alton for local taxation; a Nestmin-
stcr householder paid "a per cent and |
in Kensington the rate was SO per |
cent. Since then these rates have /
increased to such a degree that if
Poplar paid its share of Greater Lon
don expenses, as well as its own eX-
penses, Poplar householders would
have to pay 22O per cent to clear the
borough of its debts, and after that
regular annual rate of about 120
per cent.
Poplar OvertaNed.
When the Labor majority came in
to power they found themselves al
ready thousands of pounds in areas.
They found also a community suffer-
ing from unemployment as possibly
no other community in the world has
ever suffered. They found house
holders literally unable to pay high
er taxes and landlords unable to do
so without raising the rent to such
price that half the population
would have had to move out on the
street, a contingency against which
there existed a national law regulat-
ing increase of rent.
The council thereupon refused to
make any further payment to the
Greater London authorities, and de-
cided not to make any tax levy at
all for that purpose. They collect
ed taxes sufficient to pay their own
local administration, including the
special poor relief fund which by law
they were entitled to do. But not a
penny would they pay to the Greater
London authorities, they declared,
until the share of their district as
sessment was reduced to fair pro-
portion as compared with the contri-
buttons of the Weather burroughs.
The Greater London authorities
then went to court and sued the Bor-
ough of Poplar for the amount due
and obtained Judgment against the
borough. On appeal however, this
proceeding was declared illegal. The
appeal judges were very severe with
the lawyers of the Greater London
for their extraordinary
and illegal procedure. The point was
established that no process can lie
against a corporate body like Dor
ough council.
Half and Half.
If that had been the end of it Pop
lar would have won its right to re-
fuse payment for its share Of the
general expenses of London; if the
other 26 boroughs had thought
fit to exercise that right there
would have been no funds for the
London City Council, which admins
ters Greater London. The judges
had to get the Greater London au-
thorities out Of the difficulty some
how. so they made a curious decision.
They decided that altho the council
lors (acting as a counciD were with
in the law and could not be sued for
payment of the central contribution, l
they had no right (as individual citi- s
zens) TO do so; and they further rul-
ed that If las citizens) they continued S
10 do what las councillors. they had q
every right TO do, they would Gas '
have to go 70 jail, altho Gas