MUNICIPAL NOVELTIES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CIII, Issue 12158, 23 March 1900, Page 2

MUNICIPAL NOVELTIES.

(Tit-Bits.) There is a decidedly humorous side which occasionally comes to light in connection with *tthe un-d'ertakings of municipal corporations in England, but the following account of the enterprising city fathers of a small Hungarian town is certainly unique. The Mayor and whole town Council, consisting of eight members, formed themselves Into a band of forgers, and carried on. a thi’iving business in the town hall, manufacturing paper notes current in Austria, which they circulated pretty extensively. A workshop, Well fitted with the necessary implements, was fixed up in a cellar of the town hall, and they -actually set policemen to guard the door while they were at work. This remarkable State of affairs existed for over a couple of years, when the business was detected; the Mayor and Councillors fighting like professional brigands on being arrested.

The Brussels municipality in instituting “douches for the dog days ’’ during the summer months -originated quite a new form of parental authority, and certainly can be said to have conferred a boon on the popula-tion-of the city, particularly the'working classes. They’ erected a number of ’chalets where free shower-baths could be had by the fatigued and heated residents. Each chalet was about 10ft square and 10ft high, and contained three shower-baths and the same number of foot-baiths, as well as dressingrooms. This was as thoughtful an act as that of the Liverpool Corporation, who introduced A DEVELOPMENT OF THE PENNV-IN- . THE-SLOT MACHINE

for the purpose of supplying hot water at a halfpenny per gallon—a particularly useful institution, especially in cold weather. Glasgow' is an enterprising city, and the municipal authorities have introduced many novel innovations. The city may be said to be in the entertainment business, for it gives many splendid concerts in -the lai'ge halls on winter evenings, out of which a profit is made. The corporation, too has an extensive system of municipal insurance, and has also what might be described as mumcipal time for the entire city. By a rather elaborate scheme the corporation has established a system of standard time, by means of electrically-con-trolled clocks, regulated every fortnight from the stellar clock at the Observatory. A regulating clock, directly controlled from the Observatory, has been placed in the City Chambers, and this in turn controls three circuits of public clocks erected at various points in the city. It was decided that, if the trial proved successful, the corporation shoixld erect from 200 to 300 18in dials, thus providing a reliable system of standard time for all parts of the city. This involved the laying of sixty-one miles of w*ire, and it was intended eventually to include time-keeping in pri: vate houses. Penrhyn is a happy place, for it knows no rate-collector—a truly enviable position. It has no borough or district rate, for it has so much property that its rents meetall the expenses, and the only rate levied in the town is the poor rate. There are, however, some Continental communities in an even happier state than this. The municipality of Orsa, in Kopparberg, Sweden, owns extensive forest lands, and by the judicious sale of some of them, the village; has a revenue of about £15,000 per ye*ar. No taxes of any kind have to be paid, and, in addition, all children receive a first-class education without the parents having to pay even a penny. Moreover, each district has its own telephone, which is open FREE TO THE PUBLIC USE. There, are several other Continental communities whose municipal affairs are equally ideal. Staufenberg, in Darmstadt, also owns a large tract of forest land, which yields enough revenue to pay all municipal expenses, and,-in addition, every citizen gets a “ dividend ” of about £1 a year and free fuel. The revenues derived from the public estate pay for the town hall, schools, water supply, municipal bakehouses, efc. Freudenstadt, in Baden, is more fortunate still. Out of the income derived from the land .the municipal authorities supply the inhabitants with free wood for firing and buflding, with free pasture for the cattle, and with roads, schools, churches, fountains, hospital, communal music, etc., without levying any rates, and gives each family a yearly present which amounts to from £2 10a to £3. Klingenberg-on-the-Main and Langensslbold in Hanau are equally fortunate. No rates or taxes are claimed, and the villagers of each place receive annual bonuses.

A striking contrast to these ideal Arcadias is to be found in the drastic methods of collecting taxes) which occurred a little while ago in Norman County, Oklahoma. The local authorities resorted to an extraordinary expedient in order to collect the taxes from the Atchison Railroad Company. The sheriff, at the head of AN ARMED POSSE OF POLICE, rode up one morning and arrested one passenger and two freight trains of the Atchison Southern Division. They chained the locomotive to the railway line, and’announced their determination to allow no traffic to pass over it until the school taxes, which they claimed to be due, were paid. Endless litigation has ensued over the matter.

A truly delightful prospect would open itself to Englishmen were our municipal authorities to follow the example set by the city of Grenoble. The municipality has been running a restaurant and kitchen for fifty years. Meals are supplied at cost price in the restaurant, or delivered at residences as may be desired. The food is of the best quality, the cooks are as skilful as any in Paris, and the service is excellent. All classes and tastes are catered for, the dining-rooms being of several grades, and one may dine on three half-pence on bread and soup, or pay sixpence arid enjoy a lullcourse dinner. The city of Grenoble makes no financial profit from this huge restaurant, which serves from fifteen to twenty thousand meals a day. Charges are based on the cost of the materials used, labour, and the keeping of utensils and building in repair. ■