Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-05-04
60 Main st.
The Worlds Most Expensive City.
New York CiIy's Budget for the CurrenI
Year.

New York Gays Budget for the CurTenI
Year.
Bird 8 Coler in Appletons Monthly
The annual expenses Of the city Of New
York are larger than those Of any other
municipality in the world, and the finan-
cial transactions Of 4 year represent the
receipt and expenditure of more than 500
900, 600, counting temporary loans, sinking
funds, and bond issues. The gross budget
of the city for 1899 was SIC, 900, 900 great
er than the expenses of the city of Lon
don. SIS. 600. 900 in excess of the budget
of Paris, and only 81, 000, 900 less than the
combined expenditures of Boston, Chicago
and Philadelphia.
The expenses of New York last year for
local purposes, exclusive Of bond issues,
amounted TO Slq.56 per capita Of an esti-
mated population of 3, 100000 The com.
bined annual expenditures Of the six larg-
est states in the Union are less than those
of the city of New York, and the finan-
cial transactions of the latter are equal in
amount TO one-seventh of those of the
national government. The credit of the
city. il may be stated at the outset, is sec
opd only to that of the federal government,
and the property owned by the municipality,
il sold at market value, would pay the en-
tire funded debt several times over.
The consolidation of 90 municipalities
with the former city of New York was the
elimination Of sentiment so fixed upon
An ideal that there had been little careful
reckoning of the cost. The municipality,
by taking in the extra territory and popu-
lation. doubled its debt, added less than
one-fourth to its tangible assets, and in
creased the cost of local government $15,-
OOO. 600 a year. This added cost is the
| price paid by the taxpayers for a senti-
ment and for haste and carelessness in the
work of completing consolidation. The
/ cost of government for the enlarged city
was in 1899 approximately $4,000, 0OO
more than the combined expenditures OF
the various municipalities for the last veal
of their separate existence. This increase
was excessive and altogether unnecessary
to the maintenance of thorough and pro
gressive government.
The budget of the city for 1900 is $40, 78s,
972.4s, which will be reduced So, 1000, 0OC
by the general fund, leaving some $50, 900,
900 to be raised by taxation. The mAgni,
tude of this outlay for current expenses
may be better understood by comparison
with the expenditures of other large cities
The approximate current expenses of Lon
don last year were $73, 900; of Paris
$75, 900, 600; of Berlin, $23, 347, 600; o
Boston, S35, 454, 5SS; of Chicago, 1872,
OS4, COS; of Philadelphia, $27 ,075,Ol4.
In 1899 the state tax paid by the city o
New York amounted TO So, 275, 659, o.
nearly 10 per cent of the whole; interes
on bonds absorbed 1915, 1922, leaving
SIS, s13, GA as the actual cost of the eur
rent expenses of the local government
The gross budget represented a per caplt'
tax of $24 81 on $500, 600 inhabitants, Of
which $l9.56 was for local expenses. o
this enormous expenditure, more thar
S35, 600, 600 is paid out in salaries AM
wages to 81, ZOO officers and employees
The police department costs 81, 900, 600
year, of which $40, roc, 900 is for salaries
NewYork has 6400 policemen. Philadelphia
has 260O, and the annual cost of the dc
partment in that city is s., 100, 900 year
much lower in proportion than that of tn
metropolis.