, 1873-07-13
THE COST OF MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT.
Tho Cincinnati Commercial has tho following

.ouutry. The tax-payors arc in4uring how It hap.
pancd. OF hoy know for they eco that tho way
~ nakn city prosperous is to borrow sud collect aud
.,neas vast ssns Of money. and spend IT, The sqnan-
acring If millions nakeS ivo1y tnscs It naH 40 during
The ays of tho wAr when tho Homo Guards were say
ha tho Naaions life, aas It not7 That mighty bless
l,g, tho National debt, was hsapcd up in that way
The appropriation Of six millions Of dollars
represents tho ontiro annual oxponao Of tho
government Of tho City Of Chicago. Tho ap-
preparation Is tho largest TINT has over bccn
p,aslo in tho City Of Chicago, but 1t is not for
TINT roaHon to DO considered excessive. In 1871,
tho city mado itH appropriations boforo tho fire,
and loyied the tax thereon; but, while tho appro-
printions were all expended as msdo, one"third
of tho tax was repealed, mud worry largo pro-
portion OF tho rest wns ronittod because Of tho
destruction OF tho property worry large do
felt was, therefore, loft to DO otherwise provided
for. In our extremity, after the fro, tho State
generously advanced to tho city the amount Of
the lion on tho canal-Bome 81, ,060, 900 0,-and tho
Expenses of the City Government, tho intorest
on tho dobt tho maintenance aud support Of tho
Police aud Fire Departments, tho construction Of
new bridges, and the restoration OF frc-appara-
tus, and various other expenses made necessary
by tho fro, have beon paid to the extent Of that
sum without taxation. Tho fire loft tho city
without water-works and these have had to 10
supplied.
In 1870, the now Constitution put an
end to the reckless system OF borrowed
Nancy. Tho enforcement Of this prohibition
nna 1ift1n fnnr off tbn fra Init
thiuga havo turned out, porhapn, on tho WHOLE 1t
has proved an beneacal as it undoubtedly would
have boon had thcro taon no fire.
Wo have, therefore, from April, 1871, until
April, 1873 two yearB,-had an annual tax
much lower than that Of ordinary years. III that
period of unusually low taxatioa the city has been
practically restorod,-and restored upon scalo
that Induces the belief that tho fro, notwith-
standing Ill the destruction Of propprty 1t
caused, Inns been vast benefit to tho city; tho
iucrcas, in tho valuo Of real eBtate since tho fire
b3ng g:eatcr than the cost Of tho new buildings
erected ~ it. The fro loft uB several logacics
OF expcn which cannot be avoided. It left us
largc u:aber Of stroota, tho pavement Of
rich was 10 badly injured TINT, after bearing
the wear .nd toar of tho work Of rebuilding, tho
work Of rep:tvomout has become on absolute NO.
cessity The extension of tho water-maius was
also necessity % n sanitary measure and as Il
preventive from fro. Tho vast extension Of tho
residence districts has rendered sewerage esBon-
+ial to public loalth and comfort, and now, after
two ynare Ut light taxation, cut of from all
loans and all external mid, we have so meet tl,is
incrcaaol. and in nomo instances extraordinary,
expenditure by taxation. Tho totnl sum to DO
rnsod by taxation is about $4,000, 600. The pur-
kinds, aa follows:
/. PERMANENT IMPROVEMENTS -Ropaying in
torsectiona OF streets, s191 1,875; new bridges
Ss8,57o laud damages, eco, ,101; viaducts, s45,-
0il0; now fre-apparatus und stations, s160, 0,445;
now polico-statiops md lots s5s,2G5; SCHOOL
buildings and lots, 9s27,@o; dro-tolograph,
$4,000; extension Of wttor-mans, a400 900;
1sw Sewers, 100000 sidewalks, s39, 800 public
hadnss, $4,000; PARKS, $4,000. Total,
so,20s,e es5.
2. MA1NTENANcE-strtot-c s315,O00;
Chicago harbor, $74,45'; bridgo-repairs, s24,-
00s; tu',nciy 1s,4Gs comctory, 81, 900 Henltl,
Department, sB8, 100. Dridowoll, 100000; Police
Courts, $4,000 legal expenses md Judgments,
SCI, 5on printing and library, $4,000 street.
lamps, 100000; repairs Of tlre-apparatuH and
lose, SCI, 1873 cleaning North Branch, s200,000.
Total, ai,i25, ,0o0.
!. DEPARTMENT ExpEfBEs-Tro Department,
s?sG, 40; achoo1s s44o,5 Police Department,
&ji8,9G0. Total, 81 ,2sl,85
1. puE11o DEpr-Contingont fund, $100oO
interest bonded debt, saB5000 interest On
s'woraso debt, 1868, 1903 redemption Of bonds
and certificates, 925,o00 sinking fund, ss2, 900.
Total, a77010
Tho appropriations for these four clnsgea of
a"rvico aggregate $6,G68,874. Tho balance OF
t;le nppropriation--about sA00.Oo0--covcrs tho
general aud special oxpouscs OF tho aluiuistra-
c, tho City Government.
1t will bo seon that over two millions of the
h'm Appropriated aro for improvements OF n per-
n'nnent character; thinga absolutely needed,
visible to tho eyo, having n property yaluc, and
essential to the business, loalth and comfort Of
Lie cit1. The second Glass of appropriations ia
49, sAo "'A'AAhoHAASo AAI 1GHAtEB u lu0 nnuu0
property alrcady constructed and paid for, and
foot up nearly ono million aud half OF dollars
Ill" cont OF the Fire. Police, and School Depart
meutn ii GIG million and a quarter, while tho in
t'feht and sinking funds Of tho public debt call
for s77o.Io0. Tho expenses for salaries AID sun
Plies for tho various executive departments OF
the City Government aro betrayed by the Bpocia1
rcvouuo from licenBoB.
The amount to he raised by taxation is about
s5,6o0,0oo Tho ordinary valuation OF the real
and personal taxable property in tho city III about
s3oo,o0o,aoo. The real value, or the yaluo at
phleh tho owncra would alone part with 1t, Is
ahont $55o ooo, 600. Tho tax, therefore, nocesBa-
~ to raiao this amount Of revenue will bo about
per cent on tho actual value of the property
taxed. Considering that two-tlftha OF tho money