, 1877-03-18

4
consideration of the coils. The first evil cor
sidered is * The accumulation of permaneu
municipal debt" The present debt Of Ne,
York City (includ,ng the sinking-fund c
/ about S27,ooo, ,0oO amounts to $40, ,ooc
| and the interest on this debt taxes the peopl
every year to the extent Of $9,000.000 ! Th
alarming feature Of this great debt exists il
| the fact that it has increased out Of all pro
portion to the increase of population
In 1910 the debt was. go. .... .....$ 10, COO, 90
III 1850 the debt .yAs. II, Ou0 ON
| In 166o the debt was. 1s. 0o0, Oo
In 1870 the debt was. q, 0U0 w
In 1876 the debt was. ....-...... 140 600, OD
An increase in the first ten years OF 20 per cent.
An increase IN the second ten years Of 50 per cent
All increase in the third ten years Ut 400 per ceut
An Increase in the last SIX years OF 92 per tent.
This showing is simply fearful to contem
plate. 1tshows expenditures amply suficien
for century, and large enough to have made
New York the most beautiful city on the
face of the globe. Aud yet it is a well
known fact that there are many public im
provements within the immediate limits oi
the city which are pressing for beginning a
well as completion, and her docks and piers
are Of the most unstable and rotten charac.
ter. In fact, considering tue outlay, there is
positively nothing to show but stolen, stolen,
stolen.
EVIL H.-The great increase Of annual
expenditure for ordinary purposes" t.The
increase of annual expenditure since 1850, as
compared with increase Of taxable property,
is over 200 per cent, and as compared with
increase Of population is ouer 400 per cent !!
The annual expenditure in 1850 was $9,000,-
600, and in 1876 was $2s, 1000, 0o0." Having
shown the existing evils, the Commission
proceed to give the causes which have pro-
duced them. The first cause is "incom-
petent and unfaithful Governing Boards
and officers The places of position and
trust being gained by personal exertion
on the part of those occupying them, and
not being given. to them by the people,
necessarily requires tie outlay OF money and
promises Of more. AL this must be provic-
ed for by the offceholder when once in
power. Thus, large amounts are appropriat-
ed for all sorts Of jobs; but, being put into the
shape Of bonds, the people are taxed only
for the interest, which, OF course, produces
apathy on the part of the taxpayers, when, if
they were taxed outright for these immense
appropriations, the people would rebel at
once. However, the positive absence OF
dishonesty and roguery in City Government
does not necessarily carry with it good gov
ernment. A man may be IN idiot aud still
bo honest. Good Municipal Government
demands the presence in Office Of the best
aud wisest men in the community. Had the
destinies Of New York City been presided
over by such men during the past twenty
five years, tile debt would not have been
one-third of the present amount, nor the
taxes one-half Of what they at present are
and the history Of the past twenty-five years
bids fair to be repeated in the next, unless
there shall be radical change
Cause II. is ''Thc introduction of State
and National politics into municipal affairs"
This is not of itself considered as causing
evil, but evil grows out Of it, in the opinion
of the Commission. Fe1low-merchants nre
SO antagonized on State and National politics
that it seems impossible for them to work
together when the vital affairs of their own
city are concerned. This view of the. case
hardly needs comment; it presents itself
to oil observing men. "Party lines are
bound to be sharply drawn when National or
State politics are the subject matter; but
when taxpayers 60 to the polls to vote it
should bo with view Of casting their ballots
for those who, from having interests Of their
own at stake, will be 1npst apt to legislato
for the best good Of the community and for
say the Commission.
Cause Ill" The assumption Of the Leg
stature Of the direct control Of municipal |
atfairs." The objections to the interference |
IF the Legislature, as it formerly was in this |
State, rest in the facts: "They have not the /
'imet they have not the knowledge of the de-
ails. and they have no personal interest in the |
natter" save as to the small proportion Of |
members who hail from the city. Another
objection to legislative interference is, that
SO frequently changes and alters the laws
cities to suit clques and individual
interests which may arise, that to-day, as
hief~justice CHURCH, OF New York, says,
1t is scarcely safa for any lawyer to speak
confidently Of the exact condition Of the law
regard to public improvements in the
'ities Of New York and Brooklyn"
Having thus enumerated what to the Com
aisslon seemed to be the evils and their
aases, they proceed to TINT part Of the sub
sct which should engross the attention of
u taxpayers, s,-for, bear well; in mind,
his body Of men WIS no conclaye to white
ash any person or any party, but they were
hosen for their high standing, courage, and
apacity; and that they we'll weighed and
arefully considered the subject, is shown in |
1e fact that while busily engaged, and holding
,gular meetings, before which were read pre-
ared papers, and while they went back to
den times in their research, yet were they
20 years in completing their work. II
The report proceeds now to give some Of
le many remedies which from time to time