An Ideal Borough.

Te Aroha News, Volume XIV, Issue 2124, 5 July 1898, Page 3

An Ideal Borough.

The Corporation of Glasgow is much disappointed at the decision of the Government, acting oh the recommendation of the commissioner appointed to inquire into the subject, not “ to grant them the control of the telephone systemcity. About.£4ooo in support of the application. The decision is regarded as a serious impediment to the extaaordinary 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 tir*gas and water undertaking? j in 1894 tesjr took over the tramways. Thev are about to establish amuncipal bank ! The city owns a mun c pal 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 t! e facilities for purifying clothes at home. The city owns several model. lodginghouses, not to speak of a family home. Oh Saturday afternoons during the winter months there are corporation concerts, the admission to which is one penny. The council have laid out a golf course, the a day’s play on which is twopence. In the summ< r months they have occasionally a dozen bands performing in the public parks on one day y 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 reuts. Only quite recently the corporation opened a ‘ People’s Palace,’ in which musical entertainments are given free. Apart from other projects on hand, shch as acquiring the telephone system, the cleansing of the odoriferous Clyde at a cost of over a million sterling, the establishment of free libraries, and the installation of an.electric system of 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 honse 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.