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MR. A. W. FLUX, M.A., ON CITY GOVERNMENT AND

obtained the control of the lines affected, securing the necessary powers from the central govemment which had grauted the privileges to the various companies. The control thus obtained was at once leased to a company which undertook to establish an electrical system, the mode of applying the power being by accumulators. This system came into operation on the line in question in 1897, the remainder of the lines still being worked by horses, though overhead electric wires seem a likely develop- ment in the immediate future over part of the system, especially in view of their adoption by the neighbouring township to which I have already made reference. The trial trips were there in progress at the time of my last visit in September. The lapse of the various leases at different dates has been amicipated by an arrangement by which the city acquired the reversion of all the leases, and arranged with a single company to take over the whole. One peculiar feature of the arrange­ ment relates to the fares charged. The fares had been previously at about the same level as ours are at present in Manchester. Some were lower than our .lowest, being only 2d., but that is in part due to considerations of convenience in respect of the coinage system. Ordinary fares were l^d., 2§d., 4d., and higher, especially where the passenger needed to pass from one system to another. The new fares introduced last January are simplicity itself. The rate is ljd . from any one point to any other point, with any requisite number of transfers from car to car. All previous fares of |d. are retained, and in some cases these special fares have been extended. One would suppose that such a Wholesale reduction of fares would have at least reduced the total income at first. Instead of that, it has increased it. In the first few months the increase was extraordinary. Then, in May, the outbreak of a serious lock-out, very wide>-spread, which lasted till September, began to show a serious effect on the tram revenue at the time of year when it is usually at its best. In spite of the unfavourable oircumstances, however, the change has increased the revenue over the first eight months, for which I secured the figures, very substantially. The extent of the