The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-11-24
The City Finances.

The City Finances.
WE publish this afternoon the annual state
ment of the finances Of Philadelphia, which is
prepared by the City Controller for the assist
anoe Of the Finance Committee of Councils in
fixing upon the tax rate. Every taxpayer ia
the city should study this statement carefully,
for IL concerns his best interests and appeals
very forcibly to his pocket.
The total estimate of the expenses Of ths
city government for the year 1869 is fixed by
the Controller at 81, $50, S9S. The estimet
of the expenses of 1868, made ia September,
1867, reached s., 3s9, 743, an amount less by
$44l, ,l55 than those for the coming year
When these estimates went before Councils
they were cut down to So, 1S8, ,574 in ths aggre-
gate. This sum, however, was found to bs
insufficient, and additional appropriations for
the present year. up to November l, amount
ng to 81, 539, 795, were required, ruuoing tho
actual appropriations for 1868 up to So, 72S, 3G9
This sum still fell $6Gl 374 below the estim Ate5
for the year, and is 81, 1922 527 beloE the esti-
mates for 1869. Although the estimated ak
penses for the coming year are so largely i'll
excess of the actual appropriations for 1853,
in several departments there is a marked de
crease, among these cases being the following:
Police appropriations for 1868 81, lO3 COZ
Estimates for 1869 S9j, 245
Decrease $2O7 357
We fear that, in this instance, the hope of
q decreased expenditure will prove delusive.
The aggregate appropriations for 1867 in this
lara artx 4 % rnhi
estimates for 1868 reached 1915, SAT only. But
the actual appropriations for 1868 ran up to
81, 103, ,602-an increase of $l2S,7 739 as COM
pared with the appropriations of 1867, aud OF
1927, 755 as compared with the estimates for
1868. With this unreliable character of the
police estimates before US, we can scarcely
expect to see decrease of S207, ,357 iu the
expenditures of the coming year, unless
Councils should 60 TO work in the most zeal
ous manner to preach and prsctiss economy.
Market and Guy Property Appropria-
tiOns Tor
Estimates for I3i, i2g
Fairmount Park Approp prlatIoirs for 1868. $40 900
Estimates for 5000
Decrease. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. $40 900
Water Appropria, ,ous for 1868 1917 75l
.."..". 25j7. .3II
Here again We fear there will be delu sion,
unless Councils should display the most
careful scrutiny of the bills brought before
them. The appropriations for 1867 amounted to
only $45l, $50, and the estimates for 1868 to
only $345, ,8l7, which latter sum, as will be
perceived, fell 1851, 944 short of the amount
II,y A, A.,
ments under way at the FAirmount Water
Works are far from being complete, We doubt
whether there will be decrease of over half
million of dollars in the expenses of tAis
department.
Two other large items of decrease are en-
braced in the City Solicitors and City Tcs
Boat Departments. In the former, 1926 992
were appropriated this year for the payment
of the League Island meadow awards; aud ia
the latter $166, 500 for the new Ics Bat, both
of them being expenditures of an extraDrli-
nary character.
Among the increased expenditures contem-
plated are the following:-
Department of Street Cleaning, $40, 200
Highways, 1906
Guardians of Poor, . 1925
Lighting City, "a, l20
A" Public Schools, 81 400
The total liabilities of the city for the year
1869, including the estimated expenses of the
different departments at $3.50, S9S, amount
to an aggregate of $12, 389, $50. OF this sum,
81, 208, 3S2 is to be charged to warrants out
standing on the lst of November, and 81, 2OO,-
900 to warrants which will probably be drawn
prior to January l. 1869. 1t is also estimated
that special appropriations amounting to
100000 will be carried forward to 1869.
To meet this enormous demand, the city
has actual and estimated assets amounting to
So, 766, ,553, leaving balance of $8,622 727, to
be provided for by taxation. According to
the new assessment, 1862 G58, ,627 of property
is subject to taxation for city purposes. To
meet the demands of the municipal govern
ment full rate OF $500 and an average rate
of $l'91s will be necessary, the amount thus
to be realized being $S,S6l, 735-whch is
S239, 009 in excess of the amount required.
In this connection we have occasion to notice
an example of bad faith on the. part of the
Democratic members of Councils. Included
In the statement published elsewhere were