New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-08-08
LOCAL INDEBTEDNESS.

CENSUS BUREAU on STATE AND MUNICIPAL IN
IFBTrDNr SAN ARRAY OF INTERVENING AND
INSTRUCTIVE FACTS
IRON RaodsSs J0urnot Of BdnkfHG for august
The literature and statistics of local taxa
on moth in this country and in Europe are not efnVery
satisractorv character The Golden Club some years
ago publlshed an interesting volume on me Io"i
government and taxation OF different countries III "N'on
some LIGHT was thrown upon these important P"os'o
nv exhibiting the gin and nature OF various system Oh
local government actually at work, rs well rs couF"t
ing their merits ana dement's. But the deieee III uuS
volume as recognized by the Golden CiuD' Is ue an
eenee of any notice OF the local institutions OF some OF
the most important countries, such the constitutional
rnonarches Italy, the Acknowledgements state anu
the scandinavian kingdoms, well as of tie republics
of the United States and switzerland The late Mr. Dud
ley Baxter wrote, in 1874 alte volume on local gov
ernnen and taxation, but did not attempt to do more
than point out the gigantic increase Of the
total rates and tie workings on the POOR
Law in Great Britain. Palgraye, in hns WORK
on 90 Local Taxation" undertook to make com
plee inquiry in this field and treated the questions III
vOlyed from statistical point of view MI GOscheh i
weI-known and exhaustive report made about the same
time as Pagrave's, sufficiently demonstrated the dill
Guilty of obtaining precise information as TO the aeSre
gate spent by local authorities, both i'll England
and the Continent. AT that time MI Goschch sue
ceeded in obtaining approximate data from the trench
authorities, but obliged to acknowledge that no ac
curGe accounts could be procured OF portion OF the
communal income and expenditure. In Prussia the same
desire been felt to collect reliable information as TO
the total extent of their local burdens, and the same
irritation e difficulty of obtaining complete reports
than twenty years efforts have been made TO
exhaustive scientific returns but the same dnl-
Guilty which has often baied other countries in their
attempts in this direction has baled also the Prussans
the difficulty of compelling the vast number of local
authorities, dealing with different rates, and often with
overlapping Jurisdictions to nh up forms the same
principle however minute the directions given might be-
NJ Paul Leroy Bcaulieu in his great work, Tr0ite de
Ia Science DIES Finances devotes only one chapter in
SOOpaged volumes to the important subject, and
the dearth of statistical data in the chapter clearly
points out the difficulties which this eminent
political economist could not Pareu devotes
the seventh volume of his "Traite des Impots" pub
Ishcd in 1867, to "Des Taxes PrOvnciales." This is
probably the most exhaustive treatise the local
finance of France, but owing to the changes the
work published it is useful only for comparison
NJ Joseph Koros Director of the Bureau of Statistics
Budapest, has recently published two volumes relat
ing this subject Alarge portion of the second volume
local taxation and debt is taken up with EXPOSE
ton of the thousand difficulties he encountered While
the Hungarian sastican has not surmountcd them all,
he has certainly his work with patience exacttude
and clearness, and it possesses many incOntcstabe
merits.
MAGNITUDE OF AMERICAN CENSUS WORK.
General Walker, the eminent Superintendent of the
Cnted States Census is making every effort present
country with complete budget of the local finances
the Union The following table gives a summary of the
total number of countless cities villages townships and
school districts which have been dealt with from the
Wealth. Debt auaxation Division Of the Census Oce:
Crit Decisions Total number OF places reported.
Counties .............. 24OO
Cites Of 1000 to I. 500 population .... 1000
Other municipalities 5l37
school districts exclusive Kansas Kentucky and '''
other States without school district system 98GSs
Total III 537
To the above number must be added thou-
sand school districts in Kentucky and Kansas, which
total OF about hundred and twenty Thousand
minor subdivisions and from this number the officers OF
responded with voluntary reports payment being de-
handed IN only s comParaiyeY lew eases Sufficiently
townships and other subdivisions OF the coun-
try have already been received warrant the statement
that complete exhibit OF the local Indebtedness will be
given Tins will show the purposes for which the debt
and maturity 1t Is probable that very satisfactory
picking difficulties stand in the way Of absolute accuracy
in the analysis of receipts 1t hoped however that
most thorough exposition OF local finances made in
Say eo%s5y fRs d nt % form valuable basis for
ton, and the methods of assessing property for pun
least useful part OF the inquiry and viii aid in bringing
about more uniform system of taxation and "A reorgi
nzatIOn OF the administration OF local affairs.
ENGLISH MUNICIPAL TAXATION.
In England, according to "a recently published mem.
orandum there less than twentythree distinct
kinds OF local authorities differently constituted having
different but often overlapping and interacng areas
rates contributions different basis and valuations
No in abstracng the accounts Of these authorities
could possibly elaborate clear budget local finance
IL is certain that tine effects this confusion are more
than mere statistical perpeX and that has an i'm
portant tendency to perpetuate waste and extra
Judged by the golden maxim OF NJ Say. that tho
very best of all plans OF finance 20 sDcnd ttle nd
INC best taxation of all is that which is least amount
the municipal taxation of England hardly be called
successful More than forty years ago the Door rates
IN England and Wales reached high an amount that
revision OF the system under which they were admins
Of
the Poor Law Amendment the poor rates in in gand
Ie in three years from S31 5e6,275 to $50 In
greatly Increased not only in amount but in proportion
10 'e Nue OF property assessed and to the popu-
crease OF local taxation in England very marked
present local Indebtedness is not far short Of $50 900
600. OF the $J73,4 1900 of debt as given i'm 1873
tolls dues aud rents So 225 900 on duties An sn9vsa
OF these different amounts shows that $3.50 $40 of
for urban sanitary purposes that $50 49S $40 was ecu
bended py the Metropolitan Board of Public Works !;
FooJS4oOo Dy the school Board land still later
show that the Public Works Loans Commissi6ncrs
a 9 9 Tor educational purposes in England $47
wen would increase the amount to $50 1903 $50; the
Poor law sS5 OS Go@Syp sFP9sss
eontan Local Management SI 239 975; Drainare and
s7949,260; with other uni,n portant items whic
make the total of nearly $425, 100000 OF the amount
City Of London. Va ''''''o0"p ny Tue
HEAVY BURDENS IN EUROPE
An analysis of the local Indebtedness in tho Ir,.s
States will show that two-thirds OF IL ia owned -,
OF the large cities, and in England, the metronolis t
some SIX or seven large cities, is the debtor for nj
the same proportion. For example,:
The city Of London is indebted to amount in
The metropolis outside Sz99 7 o o0G
gham.' $4,000 00G
MancPceer 2o,OOO00O
BraSfor % 100000
Hshiax ..'-'-.''-'''.----'.---- ls.967G5g