Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-19
TERMS OF THE DISPATCH.
P1TTsBuRG. FRIDAY. FEBRUARY 10.
THE COMING CITY APPROPRIATIONS

recommendation of THE DISPATCH t.
Councils to limit the appropriations thi:
wear to the aggregate for the year pas
should not be followed 1t proceeds tt
say that Pittsburg is now one of the beS
governed cities in the country; that prog
ress. not retardation, is demanded; ano
that there are a number of necessary eX
tensions of services which will inevitably
require great deal more money than was
raised and expended last year
The non-essential part of these observa.
tons NAV be disposed of first, by the sim.
pie statement that the quality Of city
service is not the element of dispute in the
matter, but what is paid for it; and that as
for the desire for progress and growth and
for every requisite of government CON-
mensurate Herewith, THE DISPATCH
and it may be said all sensible taxpayers
are as earnest for these things as the
Times is.
But all that does not in the least affect
the fact that the growth of city expenses
has been extraordinary, and so far beyond
the growth Of population or Of values, that
when a further increase of over half a
million of dollars is asked, it becomes
necessary to look at past figures. These
speak definitely. They are more con-
elusive than mere opinions They show
that in 1880 when Pittsburg had 156, 900
population the total city expense Cess
sinking funds, interest, poor and educa-
Jional appropriations was S96S, ,000 The
latter sum represented the cost of all
other functions, including salaries, police
and fire and water service street cleaning,
sanitary inspection and the like. In 1890
our population was 239,0O0, an increase
Of slightly more than 80 per cent. The
city expenses for 1890, deducting again the
sinking funds, interest, poor and educa-
tinnal appropriations amounted to s, 516,-
600. or an increase of over $50 per cent.
That is, the ratio of increase Of expense
was three times as great as Of population.
In 1891, the expenses-still making deduc-
tiOnS for the same items as were deducted
for 80 and for '90-amounted to 81, ,914, 600;
and if the estimates asked for this year be
granted, as the Times seems to think
proper, the sum, exclusive of sinking
funds, interest, poor and education, would
exceed s., SOC, 600, or nearly 800 per cent
more than the cost for the same branches
of service in 1880.
Allowing that the city has grown-and
that it has grown in the value of its real
estate even more than in its population-it
will still be seen at once that this exhibit
presents much greater and more extraor-
dinary growth of expenses; and that the
time has most decidedly arrived for Coun-
els to call a halt. It is utterly fallacious
TO point to the growth of the city as re-
suit Of the growth of this particular ex-
pense. That the city has many more
miles of good streets now than in 1890;
that it has sewers, and sidewalks-is true;
but these have been paid for by special
assessment wholly apart from the annual
expenses of the mere routine functions of
government which alone we have been
considering. We have rapid transit: have
natural gas; have increased trade from the
surrounding towns and many new enter
prises; it is to these things that the growth
of the city is due. But surely they were
not paid for in any part by City Hall.
THE DISPATCH believes that a city
should be as enterprising and liberal as a
business firm that expects to keep its
place in the world. 1t recognizes that as
the city grows there will be necessary in
crease Of expenses; that the ratio will in
crease; that the people demand and should
have parks, clean streets, efficient health
inspection, and many other things not fur.
nished or less adequately furnished years
9r PINT ao+ hal i,,,
penditures, or in expenditures which run
wholly out of sight in proportion to the
growth of population.
We feel assured that even among the
regular supporters of the city administra-
ton there viii be many Councilmen who
will see the situation in this light, and who
viii agree that the time has come to call
halt upon the extraordinary annual growth
of appropriations. As the city had very
large appropriations last year-including
hundreds of thousands of dollars for spe-
cial purposes not up this year-it can man
age very well to get along upon the same
aggregate. The total of estimates wilI.w
think, be cut very greatly; and the Times,
when out Of the heat of political feeling.
Will see that this is the course which ordi-
narily good business sense would dictate.
Whenever there is anything up to help the
growth of Pittsburg, THE DISPATCH. it is
to say, will not be second to
anyone in advocating it; but prodigal out
lay for mere routine services, if continued
at an ever-increasing pace, is sure to
operate sharply in just the other direction.
THAT DIPLOMATIC WASH.
Tho ,,o+iopo1 ;, -