The Washington weekly post., 1900-12-25
c0sTlIEST CITY IN THE WORLD.
New York's Tax Budget Is One Hundred
Hiiiion Dollars.

Prom Leslie's Weekly
The New York City tax budget for 1871
is 500, 00O000l This means that every
man. woman, ard child In the city will be
taxed at the rate Of $50 per head for the
support of certain branches of the munic-
ipal government for TIE year.
One hundred millin dollarsi This is
double the cost OF the government of
Mexico, with it's 1905. 900 inhabitants, in
cluding the cost of Mexico's army and
navy. II is almost third of the cost Cf
the government of the German Empire,
including the support of that country 5
immense army, its great navy, and its
railroads, and the interest on its debt;
and Germany has a population of 52,0oO.-
tle 1t is q quarter as great as the cost
of the government OF the United King
dom of Great Britain and Ireland, includ-
ing its army, its gigantic navy, and the
interest on its debt; and the United King
dom's population is in the neignoorhood
OF 40 O00. 600. Frances burden OF taxation
is crushing that wealthy nation of 40eOO,-
OCO of inhabitants, with its great army
and navy, and the interest on its eolossai
debt-the largest that any country IN the
world carries-yet New York Citys gov
ernment costs sixth as much as thdl Oh
France. n. of
the United States in 1860. when the coun-
RVS population was 3l,OOO,0O0, was So1'-
Ol0 COO, or not much more than nan OF INC
yearly cost of the support OF the govern.
ment of New York City at the present
time. The cost of the United States gov
ernment in the present year, Wnen tne
country's population Is IN excess OF 'oVOo'-
0O0 will be but little more than llVe times
as great as that OF the city Oh New iOrn' jim
Ln States
ment is supporting an army or Io,VOO
n en-, is building a big navy, mas Just
teen engaged in a war in China, ana ma, mas
been participating in one IN the fhiilp-
mines for almost two years.
This one hundred million dollars repre-
sents the earnings of quarter OF MIL
lion of Wage-workerS for a year. Al %
ner week for each individual 1t Would
keen nearly 100000 persons a year, ana
the average cost of living IN this country
is considerably less than s. per week Tor
each person. The value or the gold ana
silver produced in this country in 1881 wa was
but 500 600 900; of anthracite coal but $66,-
600 600. and of iron ore but So, ,2ol, ,OV0. Inc
taxes OF the people of New York city are
greater Der year than the value or the
Entire amount of anthracite coal, and
three times as great as the value or the
iron ore mined in the country in 1880,
one hundred million dollars! This is In
excess of five times the cost of carrying
on The government OF the Imperial oldIe
of New York. with a population consider
ably more than 100000. Excluding the
States income from indirect taxation. it
is ten times as great as the Common
wealth's tax levy for the present year.
The State maintains 63S miles of canals.
numerous normal schools, charitable
institutions, asylums for the insane and
other wards of the community. refC rma-
tories, prisons courts, and also bears
large share of the cost OF the ns,ional
guard AL these items, as well as con-
siderable percentage of the cost of public
schools, improving roads. abolishing
grade-crossings. together with the entire
expense of carrying on all departments of
the State government. are met by tax
levy not one-tenth as large as the city
of New York, with a population of less
than 100000
Enormous as is this s100 900, 900 that is to
be raised by direct taxation, il does not
represent the cost of government by
Richard Croker for one year. The de-
partments of water supply and of docks
and ferries are supported by their own
revenues. The city has other incomes
not, because OF official remissness, as
much as il might have-from franchises
rent of markets and other property, per-
mits, and from variety of other sources