, 1877-09-08
$i.OOO,OOO,COO.

These figures represent large sum OF
money. 1t Is equal to about four cities
of the size and wealth of San Francisco.
II Is almost rs much as the great city Of
New York is worth, a fourth more than
Philadelphia Is worth, and more than .
fourth more than the rich city of Boston
is worth. Yet this 81, l,OOO, 900, 900 repre-
sents only the aggregate indebtedness Of
one hundred and fifty cities Of the UNI
ted State. These figures are simply ap-
palling. In many cases there Is little or
nothing TO show for thenh The aggre-
gate has been increased by two-thirds
since 1866 That IS, since two years after
the war, with its extra expense, was over,
the cities have twice doubled the debt
they then owed During all this time
they have been paying enormous taxes
Their schools, their police and hire de-
partments have been supported by cur
rent taxation The money for which
these debts were created has gone into
snowy public buildings, and into the pock-
cts of rings by which every city seems to
be cursed. The money has not been sto-
len outright, but everything In the way
OF parks, public buildings, water works,
sewerage, etc, has served as a means by
which the taxpayer could be Legally
robbed.
1t is hardly worth while to go into de-
tails. The aggregate indebtedness OF one
hundred and fifty cities has been increased
within ten years by two-thlrds. During
the same time the annual taxation has
doubled. The valuation OF property al
though IN many c;rses considerable, Is not
in equal ratio, hence this valuation is Of
ten deceptive. In many cities, property
IS NOW assessed ut its full value III place
OF two-thirds, rs was the custom ten years
ago.
The Galdry for September, from which
these figures are obtained, glves list OF
cnc hundred and more cities whose aggre-
cate iudei tedness is NOW SG44 ,39o, ,663.
in lSG6 the Indebtedness of the same
cities was S22I ,3l2 ,G09. The valuation
cfpropsrty in these cities was 81, ,l13, ,Os2,-
15o in 1876, and S., ,45l ,6l9 ,3Sl IN 1866.
The annual taxation in 1876 was S112,
7Il,275 III 1866, SD, ,060, ,09S. Popula-
tion in 1876 Was S,51G, ,249 III 1866, g.
919,9i4 1t will be seen therefore that
the debt and annual taxation have in
creased much faster than either popula
ton or taxable property Property has
increased faster than population, appa-
rcntly +; but perhaps not SO in reality,
OWING To the practice now adopted In
nearly al cities of assessing property at
It's fail yai,,e.
There are seven cities In the United
States whose tax list in 1876 amounted to
upward of $1,000, 900, Viz: New York,
81 ,l09, ,52l; Phi!adelphia, S11 ,739, ,364;
Boston, s., ,2I0, ,S04; Brooklyn On Y y
81 so, ,2G3 San Francisco, S4,309, ,952
Baltimore, 81 ,0S9 $40, and Chicago, $4,-
046,9o New York, with a population
OF 40 ,SJS, pays interest on a debt of
Si4J, 33jjJ, ,507 !; Philadelphia with a popu-
iation of $780, 900 pays interest on debt
Of SG6, iG9, ,211 Boston, with a pOpula-
ton OF 81 100, pays interest on debt Of
SO $50, 437 Brooklyn, with a population
Of :o5, ,2J2, pays interest on debt of $780,
153, IL San Francisco, with a popnla-
ton of 2!0, ,112, pays interest on debt
os s.; ,SJ5, SJl Baltimore, with popula-
iion Of 319,3l5, pays interest on debt
Of 81, 33i3, ,25l, aud Chicago, with a pop
u!ation Of 4O7 ,66l, pays interest on debt
Of 81 ,S3l ,G92.