Municipal Socialism by Scotchmen.

Thames Star, Volume XXX, Issue 9111, 4 July 1898, Page 4

Municipal Socialism by Scotchmen.

The Corporation of Glasgow is much disappointed at the decision of the Government, acting on the recom mendation of the commissioner appointed to inquire into the Bubjeco, not to grant them the control of the telephone system in the city. About £4000 was spent in support of the application. The decision is regarded as a serious impediment to the extraordinary progress of the city. Few people outside Glasgow (says the Pall Mall Gazette) are aware of the enterprise of its municipal legislators. They long ago acquired the gas and water undertakings; in 1894 they took over the tramways. They are about to es-i tablish a municipal bank! The city owns a municipal bureau, and the corporation have charge of 10 churches, which they are bound to maintain. The municipality provides baths at twopence " a swim," and public washhouses for the convenience of housewives who have not the facilities for purifying clothes at home. The city owns several model lodging-houses, not to speak of a family home. On Saturday afternoons during the winter months there are corporation concerts the admission to which which is one penny. The council have laid out a golf course, the rate for a day's play on which is twopence. In the summer months they nave occasionally a dozen bands performing in the public parks on one day; .they deal with cases of infectious diseases at their own hospitals ; they have built and are still building houses where the working classes can live at moderate rents. Only quite recently the corporation opened a " People's Palace," in which musical entertainments are given free. Apart frons other projects on hand such as acquiring the telephone system, the cleansing of the odoriferous Clyde at a cost of over a million Stirling, the establishment of free libraries, and the installation of an electric system ot haulage for the tramways, the corporation seriously contemplated a measure the other day for the reform of the " corner boy " and have resolved to build for themselves, on the banks of Loch Katrine, a house for what one member called " a home for decayed councillors." Then a scheme for the municipalisation of the public-houses is shortly to be discussed.