The London County Council is rather in a fix. The
"Pro- gressives" role that body, and the Progressives, like all muni- cipal Reds, are governed by two conflicting ideas. They wish to make their city magnificent, and they wish to make the poor richer. As the way to be magnificent is to tax, and as taxation makes nobody except contractors any richer, the Council has a difficulty in reconciling the two aspirations. It would like very much to build a magnificent town-hall in West London ; but as the site would cost £750,000, and the hall at least as much, and as the mass of voters live in East and South London, the way is not quite clear. The building trade would like the job, bnt the mass of the poor might think it a bit of gigantic waste at their expense. So the Council has called for more information, in order to mark time. As the Council expects to get—and ought to get—the City buildings, the enormous expenditure proposed is a mere throwing of taxpayers' money into the river. If they have not room enough, let them hire houses on yearly agreements, or, better still, let them hire a decaying lane, and utilise that.
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