The Portland daily press., 1883-06-27
Municipal Extravagance.

The current Atlantic Monthly has a sug-
gestive article by Arthur Blake Ellis on the
subject of Municipal extravaganza" The
writer enlarges on the prevalent tendency
on the part of towns and cities to launch out
into schemes of needless and unwarranted
expenditure, and by availing themselves of
the facilities for borrowing money, shifting
the greater part of the burden upon posteri-
ty. great impetus was given to this ruin
ous system of municipal financing by the
war and the subsequent imitation period
City and town debts were incurred to pay
Tor all sorts of improvements, all scruples as
to the enormous liabilities with which the
community vas being burdened being set at
rest by the plausible excuse that, as future
generations would share the advantages,
they should also divide the cost As the
writer points out, however, the progress of
sanitary science and the introduction of i'm
proved engineering methods generally will
render many of these expensive schemes
worse than useless to those upon whose
shoulders the greater part of the burden of
their cost has been thrust. The result of
sAaahAStk1A ASShkSoonCoot 4QotStSQ NY tuC pup
ular apathy as to the creation of debt to be
paid in the distant future, has resulted ia
erippling the resources and piIing up the
taxes in many municipalities to an extent
totally out of proportion to the growth of
population or the increase IN the value of
property. Some startling figures are given.
The State and civic debt of Massachusetts,
the latter being far the larger item--in 1878
amounted in the aggregate to ASS per cent.
OF the entire valuation of the Common
wealth. New York city is, of course, an ex-
treme case, the debt amounting to no less
shan $126 for every man, woman and child
OF the population. One result of the impo-
sition of these crushing burdens upon prop
erty-holders is the growth of large class of
tax-dodgers among those who have heavy
interests at stake. Wealthy men who be-
long to tax-burdened community endeavor
to escape paying their share by acquiring
legal domicile elsewhere, or by some other
method putting their personal property be-
yond the reach of the collector. 1t is esti-
mated that the city of Boston bas lost from
its assessment roll during twelve years over
hundred million dollars by the devices of
the tax-dodger. Evidently the question of
how the debts so avishly incurred are to be
ultimately met is likely to be serious one.
The same tendency to municipal extraya-
gance, owing to the want of sense of indi-
vidual responsibility on the part of the rate
payers, which is so noticeable there, has for
some time been felt as growing evil here
Many OF our cities and towns have hastily
assumed crushing responsibilities in order to
set on foot undertakings far in advance of
their requirements. 1t might be worthy of
consideration whether some more effective
legislative check on municipal layishness
than the limit at present imposed to taxa
tion might not be adopted The writer in
the Monthly is disposed to regard with fa-
vor proposition made by the Massachusetts,
amount of the poll tax according to the aug
nentation in the rate of assessment. This.
it is contended, would bring the subject
home to very large class of voLaas w6o. BIZ
cause taes taxation tosm RRicsh they are subject
= mainly indirect, are under the delusion
that an increase in taxation does not affect
them personally, and consequently do not
oppose extravaganza as they would if they
realized that their personal interests were at
stake A variable poll-tax would probably
90 good deal to promote economy in civic
matters by stirring up the poorer class of
voters to keep strict watch over the expen-
diture and discourage needless and ostenta.
tiou. outlays.