VIII. J. M. SMAIL. 



tioned by the Local Government to local bodies in 1871 was 

 £267,000 whilst in 1896 the amount totalled 5| millions of 

 pounds. The nature of these works comprised road making and 

 maintenance, with bridge and viaduct work, tramways, sea and 

 river walls, water and sewerage systems, public lighting, isolation 

 hospitals, public offices, free libraries, mortuaries and other build- 

 ings incidental to municipal administration, public parks and 

 pleasure grounds, fire brigade control, and supervision of new 

 buildings. The foregoing may be taken as an example of 

 municipal government as it is understood in Great Britain and 

 also as in America, and there are many points which may be 

 copied in connection with the former, and many which can well be 

 avoided as far as the latter is concerned. 



It may be of interest to review the extent of control exercised 

 by the municipal government in some of the leading cities of 

 Great Britain, and a few have been selected from the Municipal 

 Year-book. Birmingham with a population of 301,241 and rate- 

 able value of .£2,254,666 and area of 12,705 acres. The advance 

 in municipal government in this city dates from the time of 

 Mr. Joseph Chamberlain's mayoralty, during which two important 

 services were municipalised. In addition to these services the 

 control extends over markets and slaughter houses, tramways, 

 baths and wash houses, cemeteries, libraries, museum and art 

 gallery, technical schools and school of arts, artisans' dwellings, 

 sewage farms, hospitals, industrial school and asylums. The 

 greatest enterprise undertaken by this corporation was the 

 acquisition in 1876 of an overcrowded and unhealthy area in the 

 centre of the town, of 90 acres with 3,744 houses and 16,596 

 inhabitants. The gross cost was £1,308,221, under this scheme 

 the centre of the city has been completely transformed, where 

 slums were, the best business streets of the city now stand. To 

 carry out the work a special rate was necessary, but a valuable 

 asset has been obtained. The sites are let on leases of 75 years 

 and contain the best buildings of the city. In the meantime the 

 Corporation receives a ground rent, and on the expiration of the 



