BIRMINGHAM'S ACHIEVEMENTS.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7542, 13 August 1886, Page 4

BIRMINGHAM'S ACHIEVEMENTS.

in a' communication J;At! furnished by him forpublication inAmenca si?^icspeeting'tlibr--:p/ogrcss of Birmingham,. §:^. says:— Municipal institutions and the ivi' /''practice of .local gdverriment havo received ?r;^>' their highest development in the town of '*.-\\-BirTriiflgham.- Tho Town Council has> m '€rl'' : 'tlib'cpurso 'of -'2O. years, acquired possession * ; *fi ;-.of>tHo"'.'supplysof:ga3;and water at a cost ft, rt^pf sqinetjung like£4,ooo,opo.' In tho former result has been a great.reqne.^'■i'tipn -'in . tlie" pricey of gas, ' and at s<,i!;i' : « : tji6 .same' an annual contribution, as one the undertaking, in aid of, the -fates of ,from f £25;000 to £30,000 :per )?.':': 'annum. ' : In the case of water the supply p;';' has been Rreatly increased and improved, r 3 ; .V:' : tli6"' ? cost : , has been reduced about 30 .per ■V'- Vccnt., 1 and a sninll contribution made in- :- V >" nid - of: the i rates. •• In addition to these "::;i; i ;n'»dertakings, the 1 Town Council- ; has tr/' 1 . carried' out a- great improvement scheme ?-'X";'\ involving" the- acquisition of land in ,the the town -to the value; of .'■-'V?-:'£i;6o0 > 000.^,.Tho. purchase lias beeiiifol-' '.>.": -Vv- lowed by vast- improvements, a broad :•'>'■' street. .having been driven; through ;the •>-^v. heart -of what was once the ' worst dis- ■?;;'"■': trict -in' the. town, and beautiful build!j|s;'!" i 'itijs;.u'av,d' taken the place of the hovels fe.y.Avhichj.were • once a. source of disease and £:"'.' .crime? Meanwhilo the sewetage of 'the i^-vtown^lias', teen' completed, large works i'(, 'of.Vpavitig, lightitiK) ' &c., have been ff"- -pYiice'edfidwith, ahd a general system of '•5..-''*-' samtaiy,-. inspection has oeon established, .-^vi'whiclrnas resulted in a reduction of ithe i '-'A dcafh rate by it 1 least six per 1000, and air :.■■•: .-... 'annual saving i of. between £2000 and v ".',.' £300(); v- It has provided no less than eight „ : lending libraries in different parts ofithe ':'.'; .'town,- -and has now completed a splendid ?-'. lending - and reference library, :■:■■ ;!' which, is one of 'the' finest" out of ,tho >'3 (; liictropolis. ~ The Corporation has recently ;'. • 'established a ;inagnincent art gallery ; for S <?.^".tho". exhibition of pictures 1 and works of •■ i-. ■ftivt of all descriptions. The gifts by pri--s-;>i vatd individuals, in money aud works of i*^'.^ 'art have amounted' in the last few years ;: ; .-"to"mdre than £100,000, while further ;> ( ;;", benefactions for parks, scientific and lite- ' \ '„:; rai-y ' institutions, have reached in 20 ,<i M'nyears the srim.of f 1,000,000; . '