New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-01-09
MUNICIPAL REPENTANCE.

A city cannot run away. II it owes more than it
can pay, il must still stay at home and face the
music. Within few days past, many Mayors have
been delivering their inaugural addresses and how
ever much these may have differed IN other respects,
they are unanimous in expressing the opinion that
the time has come for civic retrenChment Our
own Mayor, exultant over "a gradual diIn!nution OF
expenditure" thinks ECONOMY can be pushed
much further in that direction" Tie Mayor OF
Brooklyn believes that I" the structure OF the city
government can be made moro simple and less eX-
pcnsive than it now isl The logic of this gentleman
is beyond reproacb. He argues that two men should
not be fully paid each, for doing what one man can
do with perfect ease and he proposes to abolish the
departments of Auditor, Collector of Taxes, Regis
trar of Arrears of Taxes, and Registrar of Water
Service, with a saving of 100000 per annum.
while other single-headcd commissions" will save
$4,000 per annum. Down in Massachusetts, we
observe that the chorus of economy equally loud
and earnest. The Mayor of Boston, aghast at the
reflection that the city debt OF SAL, SiS,f4f,
not ONLY hopes that there will be more improve
ments at present, involving large expense" bnt Is
moved to declare that "the practice of eating and
drinking at the city's expense has been abused to
such an extent (by the City Councii) hat reform
Is imperatively demanded The Mayor Of the little
city of Chelsea Mass. (which 81. G61 500. con-
siders the magnitude of the debt matter of most
serious concern The Mayor of the little city of
Someryilc, Mass. (which owes 81 ,606,S 54), calls
loudly upon the Council to forw ard the policy Of
economy" The Mayor of the not very large city OF
Cambridge Mass. (which owes 1921 ,53l, begs
the Council to take a firm stand that there shall be
no increase of the city debt during this municipal
year, There probably vii! be none, either in Cam
bridge or in any other Massachusetts, city. The
,Iac oh inv
Ii ought in justIce TO be stated that there has
been a considerable decrease in the debt of many
cities during the past year. In only two towns in
Massachusetts, has there been any increase, and this
i'm each instance has been incOnSiderable. In add-
ton TO this it must be remembered that cities have
spent much money for what they could not well do
without, and that they are in tie possession of 4
great deal of property set-0it 10 their indebted
ness. Moreover if posterlty will have TO nay its
share of the debt it will share also in the improve
mcnts. TO secure which the debt was contracted.
Of course, some of these cities c0uld well enough
have afforded to wait but il is hard always TO de-
tcrmino whether their prosperity really de-
mards the creation of indebtedness. Where
there is doubt. expenditure usually gets the
benefit of it, especially as it Is so much
easier to vote money aud borrow it, than is to pay
IT, II is not easy for city fathers to manage city
affairs as prulently and economically as they do
their own Payday Is far of III the dim future.
The credit of the city is tirtratc. Capitalists are
wiling and even anxious, to lend. These tempta-
tons TO prodigal expenditure on credit are supple
mened by the negligence of constituencies, who
never feel the burden until taxes are increased to
meet yearly interest, and such portions of tie prin
cpal as may fall due. Money raised easily, IS easily
spent. and whether it be public or private money,
is apt to be spent without much judg-
ment. Little cities aspire TO be like large
ones and to have their parks and their costly build
ings and other things which 1t is supposed will in
crease the prosperity of the place. More than one
municipality not a hundred miles from Newiork,
has found out that after the dance, and soon after.
the piper must be paid. One manifestation OF this
solemn fact is sometimes found in sudden check to
the increase Of population, and dminuion in the
value of private estates. More than one town, after
two or three years Of flaming prosperity, has come
TO the sackcloth and asnes of hopeless insolvency.