Omaha daily bee., 1902-03-01
INCREASING COST OF CITY LIFE.
Growth Of Municipal Debts and the
Burdens They Impose.
Atlant Constitution.

Abanta CONSTITUTION.
? For many years our abIest public econd-
mists have been deprecating the strong
trend Of population into the cities. Yet the
destinations of city life and the Elitterinr
prizes offered In its lotteries OF Opportunity
were proof against all arguments opposing
them. Urban populations have continued
to increase and country life to become more
distastefui to educated n enterprisIne
youth.
But the law Of compensation Is Begin
ming to operate upon the problem and
promises to do more In checking the rush
to the cities than all the of
economists, sociologists and statesmen.
The greatest attraction exerted by the city
upon the rural spirit is the promise of
easier and quicker material gains. But the
fact that one may pay too dearly for hts
whistle is bound to claim the attention OF
the dullest min In time. 1t needs only 10
be Demonstrated to the sensible man that
the gains OF the city life cost as much az
they are worth and are accompanied by
privations for which there is no recon-
pense. to make him prefer the suteT, safer
and more independent profits Of rural life.
Counting, for our present purpose, moth
ing more than the increase OF city debts
and consequently Of city taxation, which
in the last event always comes out Of the
pocket Of the common citizen, city life Il
getting to be one OF the c~oAtliest Iuxurles
Of the American workingman ana taxpayer
The rich persons and corporations may pay
into the city treasures large wads OF taxes
but they get the money out OF the levies
they make upon the dollars of the wage,
earners and the pennies OF the poor.
Take Chicago as an instance. Six year.
ago the debt OF that city vas 81, 200, 600,
now It is s2s, 700. 000-an increase Of $1,000
900. That is more than n so per cent in.
crease and means that. directly or indi,
rectiy, the real taxpayers-the wage-earn.
ers and the hand-to-mouth lab~orers-mus
pay so per cent more for the privilege o
living In Chicago today than they needed
to pay sir years ago.
Jump over 10 Boston. There the debt sl
years ago was $50. zoo. 900; now 1t is $50.
900. 900 In 1896 the debt Of Cleveland wa
$6.4eo. 900; now It Is 50. 800. 900. Kansas Cit
owed then $500 900. and now 81 0OsO00-tha
Is so per cent increased Detroit then owe
100000 and now $4,700.000. Louisville
then had a debt, OF 49, SOC. 900, while now /
is $500. 900. Hartford In the same period
jumped from $3.50 900 TO $4,000 .O0o, and Jer
sey City from 81. 800. 900 to SIC, 800. 700. w
might name nifty other cities that show tn
same enormous inoreasesN Of their publ
debts within the same space Of time.
And nov the people are beginning to con
slider these appalling figures and to thin
twice before moving into cities where the
must go about the paying OF the interei
and principal Of these vast obligations
People in the cities. who have small propel
ties and buEinesses, are beginning to fes
the pressure OF taxation 90 sensibly thu
they are consldering the question Of takin
the back track to the country district
So that we begin TO see that the great Ia
Of compensation IL working toward a rel
t~oration OF the equilibrium between n
costly sllurements Of the city and II
cheaper eontentment Of the country,