The San Francisco call., 1897-01-24

and museums, art galleries and art
schools; and is, above all, business city
run by business men upon business prln-
ciples with very low rate OF taxation.
It's gas is sold at a price OF 80 cents per
1000 feet and the cost of water to the con-
sumner is almost nothing. This great city
is practically free from debt and is the
owner of immense values in realty and
buildings. Its citizens enjoy Dement'S un-
known to those of other communities,
benefits possible only under well-admin-
istered municipality. No socialist has
ever been elected to its Courcils. 1t is the
city of Birmingham, England.
That such a condition of affairs is to be
desired goes without argument. 1t may
not prove uninteresting TO briefly examine
conditions as now exist in the principal
cities and see which one promises the
speediest realization of good municipal
government.
The table herewith presented has been
prepared from data furnished by the
United States Bureau OF Statistics in the
report of the last census and contains
some figures which are worthy OF atten-
ton. lis statement showing the popu-
lation and the public debts of the fifteen
largest cities in the United States and also
the assessed valuation OF property, the
percentage such assessed valuation bears
to the actual value, the rate OF taxation in
each city, the actual value of city prop
erty, the rate OF taxation based upon
actual values, the amount of wealth per
capita and the amount of debt per capita
in the respective cities. No table has ever
been published until now giving the data
EN- braced in the last four columns OF this
table. The enormous total of actual
wealth shown by New York is not. as
matter of fact, the correct showing. A
great portion is actually owned by nom
residents, but is held by New York capi-
talists under their control for purely spec
ulative purposes. The per capita wealth
obtained in all cases by dividing the actual
value of property by the population-is,
therefore, misleading. A similar condition
in lesser degree obtains in Philadelphia
and Boston, while in Washington the
holdings of the General Govern ment are
embraced in the total of actual property
values. Notwithstanding these facts, the
amount of per capita debt holds as against
the taxpayer, and 1t is consoiing TO the
Coast to learn from this reliable data that
while his Eastern brother may be bathing
in the financial sunshine of fictitious
wealth he has to rustic with exceeding
energy to meet the payment of heavy
per capita debt, a labor which the Western
man is exempted from.
Among these giants of municipal
growth San Francisco stands proven the
most desirable of all for the man who
owns his own home, CT is engaged in
business transactions necessitating the
ownership OF property. The table shows
that the individual San Franciscan holds
$13O3 of the wealth of his City. and is
called upon to meet but 67 cents and Z
mills of the City debt.
A homely adage, but an exceedingly
trite one, has it that "the proof Of the
pudding is in the eating thereof" That
form and practice of municipal admins
tration which can confer upon the indi-
vidual citizens of it's community so splen-
did a condition OF financial affairs as is
here exhibited stands above criticism.
II IS condition which must attract the
attention of every thoughtful man con-
templating the change of his business
JTOUi a place NaeI6 per CdplIa
city debt OF $25 to $50 stands like menac-
ing specter that will not down, to some
other community where such harassment
| is impossible.
1t might be said by the uninformed that
the paltry amount of San Franclsco's per
capita debt was due to an absence of pub
lie works and enterprises such as in this
modern age mark the presence of high
class civilization. Only the ignorant could
entertain such erroneous imaginings. But
very few cities equal San Francisco in
matter OF public institutions. Her parks
her museums, her art schools and gall
! leries, her baths and other affairs devised
and maintained for the education and en-
| tertainment of her citizens are pre-emI-
nently first class and modern. They are