688 



REVIEW OF REVIEWS. 



September l, I91i 



amongst those who stand at its back — 

 controversy must be left to those an- 

 tagonistic forces which are now hur- 

 riedly assembling to block and side- 

 track, if they cannot destroy, the Gov- 

 ernment Bill. That main objective may 

 be expressed thus : — 



The creation of a directly elected Greater 

 ■Melbourne Council, with power to control in 

 the interests of all the people of the metro- 

 polis, without distinction of wealth or posi- 

 tion, all municipal work of a really metro- 

 politan character, and the management of 

 public utility services. 



The attainment of this objective in- 

 volves great changes in existing insti- 

 tutions and methods of local govern- 

 ment. It carries with it the abolition of 

 the following bodies, and the transfer to 

 the new body of all their powers : — - 



1. The Melbourne and Metropolitan Board 



of Works. 



2. The Metropolitan Fire Brigades' Board. 



3. The Melbourne Tramway Trust, the 



Prahran and Malvern Tramway Trust, 

 and all other tramway authorities. 



4. The Metropolitan Parks and Gardeus 



Committee, and the Foreshore Trusts, 

 o. The various Cemetery Trusts. 



6. The Hackney Carriage Licensing Com- 



mittee. 



7. The Weights and Measures Unions. 



8. The Gas Conference. 



Ihe transfer may be gradual, and 

 spread over a course of years, but it 

 must eventually be complete if the ob- 

 jective of the movement is to be firmly 

 secured. Behind that objective stands 

 the belief that the highest interests of 

 modern civilisation in great urban 

 centres are served more efficiently b}^ 

 one popularly elected and strong met- 

 ropolitan council than by a series of 

 delegate trusts and boards who are 

 out of touch with the people ex- 

 cept through their members being com- 

 ponent parts of local councils. Behind 

 it, too, stands the strong belief that — 



Tlie time lias come when Metropolitan Gov- 

 ernmenir of Victoria should be lifted on to a 

 higher plane, and made so attractive as to 

 draw to its service the cream of the construc- 

 tive intellect of the metropolis. 



So long as a number of semi-secret 

 trusts and boards split up among them- 

 selves metropolitan powers, so long must 

 the civic life of Greater Melbourne be 

 the patchwork, inefficient and stunted 

 organism that it is at the present 

 time, without dignitx', unity or any 



means of giving corporate expression 

 to the throbbing aspirations of the best 

 elements in the community. London 

 has few characteristics in common with 

 this young city under the Common- 

 wealth flag, but the Empire City will 

 serve to illustrate this point. Prior to 

 the creation of the London Count)' 

 Council in 1889, she was without a 

 voice or unity in the civic arena. She 

 still lacks much that is necessary to per- 

 fect her unity and secure an overdue 

 and necessary simplification of local 

 government machiner)'. But she has, 

 through the London County Council, 

 a great engine of civic righteousness and 

 humanitarian and eminently practical 

 administration for the public good. 

 which, in less than twent\-iive \'ears. has 

 transformed the Imperial metropolis. In 

 due proportion to her size, Greater Mel- 

 bourne should have a council to do for 

 her the great work in relation to tram- 

 ways, public improvements, slum clear- 

 ance, housing reform. ]3arks equipment 

 and extension, fire brigades organisa- 

 tion, etc., performed by the L.C.C. She 

 needs a body powerful enough to ad- 

 minister and control, at least, the fol- 

 lowing matters and services : 



1. 

 2. 



3'. 

 4. 



8. 



9. 

 10. 

 11. 

 12. 

 13. 

 14. 

 15. 

 16. 



Water Supply. 



Sewerage. 



Fire Brigade.s. 



Markets and Abaiu>ir>. 



Rivers and Streams Purification and 



Beautification. 

 Weights and Measures. 

 Cemeteries and Crematoria. 

 Tramways. 

 Electricity Supply. 

 Gas Supply. 

 Buildinj; Kegulations. 

 Town Planning. 



Public Impiavements of a Metropolis. 

 Pure Foods and Health .\dininistration. 

 Licensing of Public Conv.iriiK'os. 

 Noxious Trades Control. 



With powers extending over such a 

 field of usefulness as is embraced by 

 these services, the Greater Melbourne 

 Council should appeal to the imagina- 

 tion of the community in such a fashion 

 as to cause it to dedicate of its ver\- best 

 to the membership of the new authority. 

 Provided the franchise be a popular 

 one, viz., based on ' one ratepayer, one 

 vote,' and all the members of the new 

 authority retire simultaneously at a gen- 

 eral election, there will be no danger of 



