Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1900-03-05
FINANCIAL CONDITION
OF THE CITY OF ANNAP-
OILS.
Some Suggestions AS To The
Remedy.

ANCAAAS0I.
Written for the Evening Capital.
Baltimore gets dollar gas. Annapolis
pays s. per thousand feet. while gas is
made on a small scale at the Naval Acad-
envy al cost OF 63 cents per thousand.
Baltimore gets bill providing for muni-
cipal light. while Annapolis enters into
contract for hve years with private
company.
Annapolis is asked to help build
county road from Camp Parole TO South
River. and TO help build railroad from
Drum Point. through Millersvile tc Bal
timore. An electric railroad gets the
franchise Of our streets without compen-
sation to the city, not even the require
ment to establish modern methods of con-
ducting the current underground.
A private trust company has no diff
Guilty in getting bill through the Legis-
lature. and our honorable Mayor is one
of the incorporators. while the people >of
Annapolis who desire municipal owner
ship of water and municipal trust that
will benefit the entire community adding
health. comfort and economy to every
household, meets with opposition.
If our city is to heeome attractive as a
residential place, cheap water, cheap
light and low tax are the essentials.
This can only be where there is munich
pal control and economical administra-
ton of affairs. When all the money for
public and private lighting and public
and private use of water is paid out OF
the city. and there are no manufacturers
to bring money in, how can the city pros
per with a continually increasing deb!
Increasing the debt without increased
resources for revenue, means boom, a
false show of thrift and burdensome taxes.
One hundred thousand dollars at four per
cent. interest for fifty years will require a
payment of $6, 900 annually out of the
city treasury to pay the interest md sink
ing fund. This means that 10 cents on
the one hundred dollars must be collect
ed in taxes annually tor fifty years for
the sole purpose OF the debt. Ii may be
said that the interest on the sinking fund
will decrease this. but what will be the
cost OF repairs on the paved streets in
fifty years.
The repairs on the streets will probably
offset the interest derived from the de-
posts to the credit OF the sinking fund.
The same amount levied for two years,
5000 year. would pave College ave-
nue. with vitrihed brick just as Prince
George street is and we would have no
debt. and taxes could be reduced if need
be. but with debt of the character pro-
posed we must meet it, whatever the
cost. This money should be appropri-
ated first to the purchase of all the water
stock not now owned by the city and to
perpetual sewerage system. 1t is pro-
posed though to perfect the sewerage sys.
tenn for the benefit of the State and pri-
vate stock OF the Water Company.
II the city should set aside Soc, 900 OF
the $Ioo. 900 of bords for the purchase OF
the water stock at 4 per cent. or 81. 400
and derive 6 per cent. from the S5I,45o
of stock so purchased, it would make by
this transaction alone $685. 40 annually.
Would not this be better than paying in
interest alsne $7.4oo annually? The
largest debt the city ever had was when
Mayor Martins term began with debt
OF $46.73I.I2. August 5th. 1879. The
smallest debt was at the end OF Mayor
Claude's term, &7.827. 4o. January Ist.
1899. Mayors Martin and Claude re-
duced the total debt in ten years by $38.
3.o3 out Of total revenue during both
administrations OF $226. .o84.Io. The total
debt now is $s2. AGA. SO. an increase since
January Ist. 1889, OF $44,436.77, with a
total revenue from that time of S434,-
o64.74. In other words. with an increas.
ed revenue in the past eleven years Of
$2o7, ,oSo,55 over that OF the nine pre-
vious years. the debt OF the city has in
creased f44,436.77.
To be sure S43. 900 of this amount rep
resents bonded debt for special purposes.
but with this deducted, first offsetting the
S38, ,oo3. sc paid during the first nine years
under Mayors Martin and Claude, you
have $5.533.I4. which taken from the
$2o7 $50 S. increased revenue, and you
have left $7oz,447.4I, which represents
the excess of expenditures in the past
eleven yearsover the previous nine years.
The average revenue OF the city, less the
debt paid during tn. first nine years. was
| $40, ,8o7.26 The average for the last
eleven years. less the bonds issued, is
S3s,633.I8. In other words, under the
practice of the same economies as exer-
cised by the boards in previous years,
there would be SI4,74o.oz annually tor
Improvements. without bonding the city
1t would be we'll for our City Fathers to
see the minutes of the Board during these
years Of struggle to bring the city paper
to par, that could be bought at from &c
to IS cents on the SI.oo. when Mayor
Claude was elected IN 1883.
II is to be hoped that the commission
| to whose paternalism our honorableM Mayor
has entrusted US. will consider the matter
OF the purchase of the water stock of the
State and private holdings and secure, il
possible. something to Offset the debt
they propose to US TO assume. The City
Council, by an order. on motion o: the
Mayor, referred the matter to them
Under an administration such as Mayors
Martin and Claude gave the city. the en-
tire debt could be paid and all the water
stock purchased without increased taxes.
The above figures are given. allowing
for all debts due to the city less than
those due by the city. as based upon
previous Mayors reports.
Ii