The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1875-10-15


straint. ....~ .....
suppose his. hands are folded now and
he is lying asleep with his red lips open,
looking so like a child Of four or Ave
years that you can scarcely believe his
friends when they tell you he is per-.
feet Little Old Man. vi -.
H0W TO GOVERN OUR CITIES.
[Chicago Tribune.]
Mr.. William NJ. Grosyenor Of St. Louis
has been making a recent investigation
into the municipal indebtedness of this
country. His search demonstrates that
Mr.. Blaine has rather understated than
overstatcd the local debts of the country
in the exhibit which he made about
year ago, and which attracted so much
attention at the time Mr.. Blaine esti-
mated the aggregate municipal indebted.
ness, near the close Of last year, ut $780,
100000. This showed an enormous in.
crease within four years, since the census
Of 1870 stated the municipal debts cx-
elusive Of State and county, to be $685.
244,520. But later investigations cover
ing period Of five years, show that Mr..
Blaine's estimate was low one. A recent
number Of the Financial Chr nicle gave
list Of city securities, which showed that
the bonds Of only thirty.two cities i'll the
country Exclusive Of their floating in.
| deotedness) amount to $525,632, 728, or
nearly as much as Mr.. Blaine's estimate
of the g"oss municipal Indebtedness. But
the last annual reports of Massachusetts,
show that the cities in the State alone,
! besides those included in the thirty
two cities cited above, owe $36,0i4,63
In Ohio, the reports show that the cities
Of the State, outside Of the cities included
in the Financial Chronicles statement,
owe $8,009,7l4. Thus the bonded debt
Of the thirty two cities, and the cities Of
| only two States among all those not in
cluded in that list, amounts to $571,457,-
016, or a larger sum than Mr.. Blaine csti-
mated for the whole country. a compar.
ison OF the census statement shows that
| these cities owed less than two-thirds Of
the total municipal Indebtedness of that
| time: Assuming that this ratio remains
the same, the present showing
would make the aggregate municipal
Indebtedness $sS56,l85,Gl4. This is a
higher rate than even Mr.. Grosvenor is
willing to accept. lie therefore makes a
proper allowance for smaller ratio of
increase in the cities where statements
are not made. The increase in the thir-
ty-two cities b.tween 1870 and 1875 was
100 per cent. The increase Of the Massa-
chusctts cities not included in the list Of
thirty-two, is 100 per cent. The increase
Of the Ohio cities has been 200 per cent.
The average increase in the two States
has been more than 100 per cent.
1t is entirely within bounds We assume,
that the increase in the other cities of
the country has been 10 per cent or less
than that Of the average increase in the
States Of Massachusetts, and Ohio. Upon
this basis, the aggregate municipal in
debtedness of the country at this time
amounts to $75S,000, 900, or'ncarly $780,.
100000 more than Mr.. Blaine estimated.
New York furnished proof that the
estimated increase of 70 per cent. is en-.
tirely reasonable. From statement
furnished recently by Gov. Tildcn, it ap.
pears that the municipal debts of that
State outsideo of New York City, Brook
lyn, and Albany, have increased ll0 per
cent. in less than two years. It should
be stated, however, that the thirty.
two cities which have a total
bonded indebtedness of 1926, 632,72
have sinking funds that amount to &c.,.
443,053. Deductins this, the net indebt.
edness in these cities, and those of New
York, Massachusetts,, and Ohio not in.
cluded in that list, is 1851, 684,533. Add
to this the debts of the other cities in the
country upon the estimated increase of 10
per cent. since 1870, and the net munich
pal Indebtedness Of the country, after
deducting resources, is still 500, 1912, 497.
In an article which We printed few
weeks ago, we drew comparison be,
tween the municipal indebtedness OF this
country and that of Great Britain. This
comparison may now be extended still
further. The avcrage municipal indebt.
edness Of twenty English cities. smaller
than London is about: gao per capita.
But the minor American cities, With
about the same population as these twen.
ty English cities, owe about 500 per cap
lta. The contrast is presented in still
another form. The report Of the local
government board in Great Britain shows
that, deducting the British national
debt, there is total local indebtedness
Of $3.50, OOO, 900, or about $$ll per capita.
A"No WIZ oAaAC lOCA1 1AuCOtCUHCSS III t1llS
country, including everything except the
national debt. and VIC have:
State deos ....... VS., 97O OH
County debts go. go. 80. .... .. l8U,0O0,0 Od
Municipal debts 80. .... ........ 5000, zoo
Total ...... .. go. . ...... 1881 ,97O, 5l7
This is local Indebtedness Of about
$50 per capita for all the people in this
country. or about three times as great as
the local Indebtedness per capita in Great
} Britain. The strain in this country is
still more notable when we count the in.
terest paid. The interest on the local in
debtedncss probably averages per cent
which would make it $685..
100000 annually, while the in
terest on the British local Indebtedness
does not exceed sl5,O00,000 year; SC
that, while the interest on our national
Indebtedness is more than 10000, 00C
less than Great Britain pays on its ma
). tional5 debt the total interest we pay
} every year on all debts is from $40, 000,.
4 GOO to $50, 00O, 600. more than Great Bri
tain, pays on its total indebtedness. 81. ;.
The statement of local indebtedness
does not fully set forth, the full, measure
Of recklessness and extravaganza that
characterize our municipal governments
for Notwithstanding the startling increase
of local indebtedness, taxation has like.
FIJI ~ :