Omaha daily bee., 1906-08-08
STATISTICS OF BIG TOWNS
Census Bureau Issues Report Dealing with
Municipal Affairs of 1904,
NEW YORK CITY SPENDS THE MOST MONEY
Only six Towns of over One Hun
dred Thousand, Including
Omaha, Do Not own
Water Plants.
NEW YORK CITY SPENDS THE MOST MONEY

WASHINGTON Aug. THE census
bureau today issued bulletin on statistics
for 1904 OF cities having a population Of
over 10000. the cities covered numbering 15l
OF these New York held the largest land
area, 2O9. 2s acres, New Orleans with 125,6oO
acres and Chicago with u4,s32 ranking
next. HobOken with S25 acres, had the
smallest land area.
The total corporate expenditures of the
l5l cities for the fiscal year 1904, exclusive
OF payments by one department of the city
to another, were 54,440. 215, of which those
OF New York constituted S167,060,11, or
three-tenths. The total expenditures
showed an increase Of s27.1Os,71s or 6.s per
cent. over 1908. and of $s5.O4O,59O or 1871 per
cent over 1902. The increase for the single
city of New York during the two years
ending 1904 was SS7.s64.625. or 446 per cent
Of the total increase.
In the Isl cities the amount spent for
permanent works increased almost per
cent over 1903
Though New York has only twice the
population OF Chicago, its current expenses
are nearly four times as great. The next
six largest cities of the country together
expend less than New York. Though Chi
| cago is one-third as large again as Phfla-
delphia, the latter's running expense are
slightly greater Though about equal. in
| size with Baltimore, Boston's current eN-
penses are nearly three times as great
Washington spends more than any one OF
the next eight larger cities Of the coun-
| try and twice that of other cities OF about
the same population. Only one-half OF its
| expenditures are met by local taxation,
the other half being paid by the United
| States government. --
Receipts and Expenditures.
or the total running expenses OF the l5l
| cities, 6l.7 per cent went for salaries and
wages and 1873 for all other objects. Total
receipts were $594,175, sos, OF which s472 423.-
| sbS, or 1916 per cent, were from taxes and
other revenues, and $121, 1910, or EOS per
cent, from loans increasing Indebtedness.
The receipts from municipal Industries
such as gas and water works and other
! commercial revenues, amounted to SIP, 2S6,
| S27.
OF the municipal industries, by far the
most important are the wafer works. They
are reported by los Of the ISL cities and
their value constitute cas- per cent OF the
aggregate value Of all municipal industry
properties.
The cities Of over 100000 population not
owning water works were San Francisco
Joseph, Scranton and Paterson. OF the
100000 invested in electric light works
Chicago reported about one-half Nearly
all Of the 100000 invested in gas works
was reported by Philadelphia.
Money from Business.
-Four cities were shown to be in the
irrigation business-Denver. Los Angeles
Salt Lake City and San Antonio; three had
toll bridges-New York, Covington and La
Crosse; and two were operating municipa
ferries-Boston and Portland, ore.
The only city running a stone quarry
was Auburn. ". T., and the only one hay
ing a municipal asphalt plant is Detroit
The aggregate value of the properties Of
all municipal industries as here reported
was s7So,57O72d TIE 1a cities have already
net from general revenues nearly one-hal
the caet OF their Industrial plants, bu
sun owe S3.4 per cent Of the total value
DugIays for permanent improvements arr
r1et from current revenue in American
c,neg more generally than in British
the aggregate debt OF the Isl cities a
fhe close OF the year was q, Sri, 1862 sos, anC
Gebt less sinking funds 81 IDS 2l6 sSs. NOR,
than one-tourth greater than the nationa
Sebt The per capita debt. less sinking
funds was Ss97 OF the individual cities
the largest per capita net debt was re
ported from Newton Mass, Sl255s; the sec
ond largest, by New York s113 Is: the third
by Boston, tlOs.I7; the fourth, by Paw
tucket, $l04i9. Only ten other cities hat
a per capita net debt OF gT5 The tax lev,
per capita was largest for Boston. SSOls