The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-07-01

HS Dufedu OI the census mas Just published Bulletin 45. presenting sta tistics of the s6s cities In the United 1 States having population of 5000 to 25,o00. This is in the nature of a sup plement to Bulletin 20, issued August i 1905, which gave similar statistics for cities having population of over 25,- 900. The two bulletins together con stitute the decennial report of the Gen. sus Bureau on statistics of cities. Like the earlier publication. this bull letin contains comparatively few sta-
 tistics relating to the population living in the cities. The greater part of the data included relates to municipal finance. comprising tabulated state ments of the receipts, payments. public debt, and funds of each city. By ref erence to these tables ono may readily l compare the cost of government and of the several departments of government in different cities. The other subjects covered are somewhat miscellaneous in charactr. but for the most part consti- ute an inventory of municipal proper ty, resource and equipment. They in- clude statistical data In regard to the police and fire departments, pubi!c schools and libraries, almshouses and hospitals. municipal waterworks, gas and electric light plants. paved streets street lighting, street railways, public parks, building permits, street clean ing, sanitary inspection and sewers, and liquor saloons and licenses.
 Police and Fire Departments. The statistics of arrests present some interesting data. It Is notice
 able that drunkenness appears as the most frequent cause Of arrest in 310
 out of the 367 cities which furnished reports; disturbance of the peace, in 37; vagrancy, in 12; assault and bat tery, in [; and larceny. in l. Arrests
 for homicide were reported by 1855 cit-
 ies more than a third of tho total mum ber.
 Sixteen cities reported more than 100 retail liquor saloons each. In fifty-one cities, nearly cne-seventh of the total,
 there were no liquor saloons that ob-
 taired official recognition. In fifty six others the license was s1.0o0 or
 more. The highest amounts paid for licenses were in Carthage, Mo, $2,400;
 Moberly. Mo-, s2,250; and Springfield.
 Mo. and Chicopee and Webster, Mass,
 s1,S
 The, statistics relating to fremen and fire equipment show that sixty three, or about one-sixth of the total number of cities included In the report had no regular firemen; and in forty one the dependence was entirely on the volunteers.
 Schools and Libraries. PUDllC kIDQeT&aTIGHS were nldihbAtA- ed by no, or not far from ona-third or the cities; and night schools by seven ty-two, about one-fifth. There were fourteen which maintained no high schools, and ninety-hve, no public IT. braries. Northampton, Mass, had the largest number of volumes In public libraries, 13S,405. Brookline, Mats. stood second with 63,e30; and Bangor Me. third, with 55,154. Five other cit- ies all but one in New England, re- ported over 10000 volumes There were tws reporting between 30.o00 ani 10000; thirty-two, between 10000 and 80. .oOo; eighty-six, between 10000 and 20.000. and 131. under 10000. he greatest city of readers appears from the statistics to have been Braddosk, Pa, where the circulation for the year was 1a7,03s. Northampton. Mass, first in number of volumes, stood second in circulation, reporting 169,03S. Efgin, III. followed, with 155,060. and Brook line, Mass, with 137,144. A circulation of over 100000 was reported in eight other cities.
 A majority of the municipalities re- port public park areas, and in fifteen cases the amount is 100 acres or more
 San Diego, Cal. reports the largest park area for the minor cities. 1,4o5 acres; and Minona, Minn.. stands sec- ond. with s37. The water works hre
 public property in 1Ss, or about half the cities Only eight own gas plants, while ffty-nine own electric light plants. In nineteen there is no system of sewerage.
 Expense. The total payments for expenses or 1 the 369 cities for the fiscal year 1905 1 was $54,2O5,342. a trifie more than onc- seventh of the total expenditures Of Lhe ITS cities of over 2S,o00 inhabitants, and a trihe less than one-tenth of the annual expenditures of the United States government. There was oaid for salaries and wages 32S,759,63S, and
 for miscellaneous objects, S25.445, ,704. 1 Of these expenditures. 92.4 per @ It was for general and municipal service expenses, including general adminis- l tration, courts, police and fire proteo- ton. health department, charities nd corr eel tiops. highways and sanitation. | education, recreation, and interest on
 the public debt; and 7.6 per cent was for municipal industrial expenses. l Ahout two-thirds of the latter was for
 the operation of waterworks. and o.te-
 third for public markets and scales. | cemeteries, crematories, wharves. and
 electric light plants.
 l If is a noteworthy fact that of the total expenses, nearly one-thirds 5l Ter
 cent. went for schools. General ad-
 nninistration of the municipalities, the
 executive and legislative branches of