382 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



nessed, along both physical and general lines, and I am not at all sure 

 that the war will check the latter. That it has seriously interfered 

 with the former, however, there can be no doubt. This condition is 

 partly due to the unsettled financial condition of the country, and 

 would have prevailed even had there been no war. Municipal credit, 

 as such, however, does not seem to have been seriously hurt, or 

 jeopardized. 



There has been a natural disclination of capitalists to invest in 

 municipal, or, for that matter, in any other issues, although this tim- 

 idity and unwillingness is beginning to show signs of disappearing 

 with the opening of the stock exchanges and the reestablishment of the 

 financial machinery. This hesitancy to take municipal issues in large 

 blocks has accelerated the tendency to market municipal bonds in a 

 new and more democratic way, namely, in small denominations, over the 

 counters of the city treasurer. In this way municipal undertakings will 

 be brought more directly home to the attention of the voters and their 

 interest in the construction and up-keep thereby stimulated. In addi- 

 tion municipal finances will be placed upon a more substantial basis in 

 that cities will consider more carefully their expenditures for permanent 

 capital account and for maintenance, and will eventually cease to borrow 

 on the future for the expenses of to-day. Here again, however, the war 

 has helped on a movement already well started. There seem? to be a 

 great difference of opinion among social workers as to the effect of the 

 war on social problems. Miss Addams's opinion has already been 

 quoted. On the other hand, however, we have the opinion of another 

 Chicagoan, who speaks out of a long experience, and a profound sym- 

 pathy with every forward social movement. Dr. Graham Taylor de- 

 clares as a result of his personal observations: 



That first week in August, which threatened Europe with the greatest de- 

 struction which has ever overtaken its civilization, was signalized by the most 

 eons+ructive, or rceonbtructive, legislation ever cnr cted in any one week tlirough- 

 out the long history of the British Parliament. And it did so in the rush of its 

 gigantic defensive and offensive preparations for war. Although all these 

 measures are temporary provisions to meet the emergency demanding immediate 

 relief from the present or possible disasters of war, yet they can not fail to 

 affect profoundly the social legislation and administration which had already 

 become the permanent policy of the British empire and of its county and 

 municipal governments. 



So far as my personal observation has gone, there has been no sub- 

 stantial falling off of interest in American constructive programs, and 

 in many directions there has been an increased effort to offset any pos- 

 sible slackening of interest. The obvious reply to Miss Addams's lament 

 (and we all deeply sympathize with the feeling which gives rise to it) 

 is that the very greatness of the European cataclysm will emphasize 

 the need for even greater social and civic effort. In the words of a 

 Milwaukee student of the problem : 



