The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-16
What the Taxpayers Have
to Support.

According to the New York Herald,
it costs more to govern New York than
any other city in the world. During
the past year the taxpayers of the me-
tropolis of America had to pay for
maintaining the citys government the
enormous sum of $138, 900 900, one-fifth
of the entire cost of maintaining the
United States government for one year.
As regards expenditures Of money for
its government, New York is in a class
by itself
London and Paris combined do not
require so much money for municipal
administration, although in population
| they are nearly three times as great.
Berlin, half as large as New York,
meets its city expenses with little more
than one-seventh the amount of money
paid out here last year.
1t costs more proportionately to gov
ern the leading American cities than
the greatest cities of Europe but it also
costs more proportionately to govern
New York than it does to govern
Chicago, Philadelphia or Boston, which
cities spend more money every year
than do any other American cities
aside from New York.
1t costs $65,000,000 a year to meet the
expenses of governing London. If the
English metropolis paid bills as lavish
ly as does New York, her annual eX-
penditures would be 800, 900 a year
more than they are London, Berlin
and Vienna combined spend $50, 900 900
year less for city government than
does New York alone. Chicago, Phila-
delphia and Boston could spend twice
as much as they do each year and still
require less money all together than
does New York alone.
Everything connected with city ad-
ministration seems to cost more here
in New York than in any other great
city in the world More money is
spent for salaries, more for street
cleaning, more for police, more for the
municipal legislature, and more per
capita for all purposes than in any
other city in the world.
And yet despite this enormous outlay
OF money, writers on municipal admin
istration do not point to New York as
the model city. They do not even
accord it the distinction of being the
best governed municipality in the Unit
ed States. In London, Paris, Berlin
and Glasgow, and in several smaller
American cities the authorities on this
subject point to lessons which the New
York authorities could study with
profit. They find that the streets of
foreign cities are better cleaned than
are those of New York, that foreign
cities have fully as efficient police, that
their educational advantages are fully
as good as and in many instances bet
ter than those of New York, and that
In the matter of parks, paved streets,
good sanitary conditions and imposing
ia hIITl RI -.
the continent are far ahead of New
York.
No parallel is found in London, Paris
or Berlin to the lavish salaries paid
to officials in New York. With the
exception of the lord mayor of Lon
don, whose position demands the ex-
penditure Of large sums. there are no
officials in the leading European cities
receiving salaries of $4,000 year. New
York is running over with such Off
Gals. Beginning with Judges of the
supreme court, who receive $17,5O0 a
year, the list includes the mayor. at
$4,000; the corporation counsel, at $15,-
900: -Surrogates, $4,000 county clerk
$4,000; chamberlain, district attorney
sheriff and register, S12 900 each, and so
on With the exception of the presi-
dent of the United States, no officials
in the federal government receive such
Sfiicl iCo do tie pau 10 NEW L 1k s
leading officials. The vice president is
not so well paid, members of the cab
met are not, and governors of the va
rious states all receive smaller salar-
les.
Oddly enough, despite this liberality
in the matter of salaries, authorities do
not concede to New York the possess
sion of the best executive, adrninistra-
tive and legislative officials. On the
fefNt1 tI..lY ~,
of officials, obtaining more practical
results for the cities they govern, hold
public station in foreign cities and
perform their Work. III great many
instances, with no comparison at all.
Summarized it may be stated briefly
that our rulers New York; spend more
in the aggregate and more per CAPITA.
receive larger salaries, require more
money for policing and cleaning the
streets, and find other opportunities for
using millions of dollars annually more
than is required for any other munich
patty at home or abroad"
The following figures show what the
largest cities in the world have to look
after in the matter of sewers, paved
streets and parks
Sewers-London, $500 miles; New
York, 1855 miles; Paris, 599 miles, and
Berlin, 465 miles
Paved streets--London, 1918 miles.
New York. 1907 miles; Paris, 6O4 miles,
and Berlin, 500 miles.
Participants, 10000 acres; London.
$4,000 acres; Vienna, 5000 acres; New
York, 5000 acres Berlin, 5000 acres;
Philadelphia, 5000 acres, and Chicago,
2150 acres
In the department of education. New
York spends annually 81 900. 900; Paris.
$5,0O0,0O0, and London, ST. ,O00, 0OO The
annual expense of the police depart
ment in New York is $11, 900, 600; in
Paris, $5,60OO00; in London, IS, 900, 900.
The following table shows the popula-
ton, annual cost of government and
cost per capita of eight cities: