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Show i BELLAMYISM IN ENGLAND. I Spirit of raternalisin Manifested Toy th -4- London County Council. England is trying all sorts of socialistic social-istic experiments. If it keeps on, it will ocn become Mr. Bellamy's ideal country. coun-try. 'The latest manifestation of the pater nal spirit in government is the proposi- tion, now seriously entertained by ths I Xiondon county council, to open munio J . ipal pawnshops for the purpose of lend- ing small sums to poor people on pledges 1' of personal property at small rates of interest The Ijondon pawnbrokers are up in erms against the proposition. Of course they cannot go on charging CO or 100 per cent, as they are now said to do, if the city pawnshop will loan money at 5 V"T or 4 per cent I And the London Chronicle wants to I know why, if the state undertakes to do I banking for the rich man, it Bhould not I do it also for the poor man. s The idea cf making governments gen I erally useful and using their powers to I break down odious and oppressive " monopolies by exposing them to an un . 1 equal competition is gaining ground ev- I erywhere. I If New York's plain people could I have their way, unobstructed by the politicians and the stock gamblers, the entire transportation service of the metropolis me-tropolis would be, like the Brooklyn ! bridge, municipal property, run for the general benefit and exacting no more lares than were needed to pay for its maintenance, repairs, extension and j Tunning expenses. Editor New York ' Recorder. |