The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1879-09-18
Thursday, Sept. 18, 1879
MUNICIPAL INDEBTEDNESS.

One Of the greatest evils Of the present
day and generation 70 the tendency OF
municipal corporations to indulge in
enormous debts. For water works, for
railroads, for fine streets. for public
holdings and other luxuries OF the time
they spend thousands ard millions, e1-
hausting their money il hand and credit,
and involving themselves III bankruptcy
ard wretcbedness. The more flourish
ing and wealthy town is, and the less
the necessity for going beyond its
means, the greater the temptation and
tsndeGcy. Sharks are after them with
Gil sorts Of schemes. ard the gullible
public yield to their seductive persua-
sions only, in a majority Of cases. to
bitterly rue it in after years. The
cities Of the older States have been go
ing to such extremes, Of late years, as
to attract general attention, and inves-
tigations have brought to Light such
startling disclosures AMI made such IN
happy comparisons with times gone
past that, if the people arc wise AID
will take warning, good is likely to re-
suit In 1866 one hundred and thirty
Of tho leading cities Of Tie country con
tanned in the aggregate population OF
j,9l99l4; the taxable property Of which
vas valued at 81 .i5l .ei9.38l; the dsbts
OF which were s22l.3l2.009. aud the
Snnbsi tAxation Of which was s64. &C.,
GJS. The same cities ten years later
contained 1916. 2i9 people. had sc. 49,
0s2, 1853 Of property, sG4i.37s.663 Of
debt. and an annual taxation of Sll2.>
.ll,215. A moment's comparison Of the
figures will show the reader that the
population Of the cities increased in the
ton years fifty per cent. their taxation
eighty per cent. and their pro
perry about the same, while their debts
increased nearly two hundred per cent.
The debts Of the various cities of the
State Of New York have increased from
Sl27.399 900 in 1870 to s2I4,079, $50 in
1878; in Massachusetts, tho cities have
gone from forty million in debt nine
years ago to ninety million at the press
cnt time in Ohio the increase has been
from twelve to forty one million and
throughout the whole country the story
is the same. A very good authority
estimates the aggregate Of State, county
and city debts in the United States at
eleven hundred million dollars on the
FIRST Of last January. The burdens #
some Of the Eastern cities are terrible
10 contemplate. For instance. Jersey
City. having population Of l09. % In
1875, had . deot Of Sl4,2l7.435, or
$3.50 l6 for every man, woman and
child in tho city. Elizabeth. with 49,
923 people. has . debt OF t5,sos, 800. or
SEA per capita Of its inhabitants. The
worst illustration We can offer, how ever.
is the little city Of Railway, having
6.947 people aud . taxable property Of
33.093,e75; the debt under which it is
staggering amounting to 81 GOO. 900. or
$a43 per capita, Tho publication OF
such facts has already had marked
effect for good. In Massachusetts, the
people have undertaken to carry q
heavy taxation for the purpose of in
time relieving themselves of these oner-
oNs debts. and the same may be said Of
New York aud other parts of the coun-
try. On this coas. the people have
been moro moderate aud prudent; o
municipal debt II more than ono or two
per cent. Of the value OF the taxable
property being burden not known TO
exist from San Diego to Sitka This
evil cannot be checked tco shortly and
SHARPLY. and i. is the duty of State
Legislatures to repress it continually.
Our own Territorial Legislature. at its
coming session. will have propositions
without number before il looking TO
the increase Of county and city debts
by ambitious young communities. a=d
it should be very careful what action it
takes in the premises. ]. is far better
not to start in tho wrong direction; for
one step is followed by another, and in
y little while the wsnderer is lost.