The Dominion. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1913. LONDON MUNICIPAL POLITICS.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1686, 28 February 1913, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1913. LONDON MUNICIPAL POLITICS.

One of the most interesting of British ' London County Council clcctioh—-is to take place next week, and for sonip time past an active newspaper campaign has Hbcen'proceeding. - The Council elections resemble the Parliamentary elections pretty, closely, in being clear .' contests between two main parties, the Moderates and the Eadicals. When the London County Council came .into existence in 1888, Lord Rosebery was its first chairman, and some time elapsed before tho existing rivalry between the two parties began to take shape, and eulminatea in a long period i of domination by the Radicals, or, as they • call themselves, the Progressives. As the London Times says, "they did much and spent more," and at'last in 1907 the. ratepayers rose np against their wasteful management and their heaping up of unprofitable expenditure.. The Moderates gained tho control of the city's affairs in that year, and in 1910 they repeated their victory, although their majority was cut down,

They are specially desirous of continuing in office, because the "Progressives," who arc frankly Socialistic in many respects, have not attempted to conceal their desire to carry out a system of what they call "unification"—or, in other words, the abolition of the independence of the Borough Councils and the concentration of all power in the hands of the central Council. They realise, just in the same way as the Australian Labour Government realises, that the centralisation of government by the destruction of local independence is a necessary preliminary to the carrying out of the full Socialistic programme.. In a manifesto which they have issued, the Municipal Reformers, or Moderates, have shown that their record is one of efficiency and economy. They have kept the rates down, completed the gteat main drainage extension, added to the parks,' improved the wages and conditions of the Council's employees, and done more to minimise tlie slum evil than was done by the Progressives when they were in power. 1

One of the largest issues between tjie two'parties is the traffic problem, and it is on this issue that the real difference between the parties bccomes most clear. The growth of the motor-'bus traffic has been enormous, to, the point of 'affecting seriously the finances of the elec,trie tramways. Instead of attempting t.o meet:the situation fairly, the Progressives have simply been denouncing the motpr-'buscs, without even, stopping to consider whether the motor-'bu? is not a useful, institution. ;Thc Moderates, on the other hand, do not take the line that, because, the ''buses affect the tramways finances, they should be i driven off the streets. . They think that it is against the'public interest to check the development of cheap and popular means of trapsit, a'nd they, accordingly propose that ' the' 'buses should vbc regulated by 'a . Traffic Board, and made to contribute fairly to tho upkeep of .the roads. In discussing the situation, the" J/'orninf/ i'psj' makes some observations which are' of general application, and which, with our own'local election's approaching, are worth com-' mending to the local public. "There are' many people," says' tjie Post, "who will grumble against tha ; mis.-', management of municipal affairs, but who will not trouble'to. record thqir'votes," still less to work for! the principles of economy and efficiency! It ls-six years since the Progressives held sway, and in the intervalt. the memory of their, misdeeds may. have grown r faint. .' But it .will- bo. a calamity if through tlie indolence of voters who are in . full sympathy with ; the 'cause of 'municipal reform tho' government of London is again handed over .to a party intent oil .prosecuting its extreme Socialistic aims."-"In" New Zealand we' have had no . experience of municipal control by an extreme Radical majority, but the aims and principles of extreme Radicals . are practically the same' everywhere, and - the wastefulness. and incompetence of the Radicals when they dominated the London County Council may be looked for wherever, extreme Radk cajism, which, in this country has formally proclaimed itself Socialistic,..obtains complete control. ,