The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1906-07-14

tions, highways and saftation,S edItca-
ton, recreation and interest on the pub
lie debt; and T6 percent was for muni-
cipal Industrial expenses. About two
of waterworks, and one-third for public
markets and scales, cemetries, cremator-
les, wharves and electric light plants.
1t is a noteworthy fact that of total
expenses, nearly 81 per cent. went for
schools. General administration of the
municipalities, the executive and legis-
lative branches of the government took
only 81 per cent OF the budget; and the
maintainance Of the city courts only one-
half of 1 per cent. The per cents of the
total formed by the other principal items
of expenditure were as follows: Inter
es ton public debt. 12;; highways, other
than for cleaning and lighting, 8.5; fire
department, 81; police department. 6.2;;
street lighting, 6.2; charities, 3; street
cleaning and refuse disposal 2; health
department, 1.5; libraries, museums, etc.,
1.2; sewer sand sewage disposal, 1 parks
and gardens, one-half of l per cent, and
prisons, only one-ifth OF 1 per cent.
There is striking difference between
the cities under 25.0OO population and
those over $4,000 in the expenditures for
police and fire protection In the former
fire protection costs on the average about
one-third more than police protection. In
the latter. police protection costs two
fifths more than fire protection. The
cost of the schools in the smallest cities
was proportionately greater than in the
larger, being 81 per cent. of the total
expenditures. to 25.1 per cent. for the
larger cities. 1t is surprising to note
that the total payments for general and
municipal service expenses for the 1863
! minor cities included in the report, en-
bracing total population of 5.24I732,
amounted to less than fve-eighths of
those for the single city Of New York,
which, in 1903, had an estimated popu-
lation of 3,716,139.
In the fiscal year 1903 the total
amount received by the 369 cities ON ac-
count of debt obligations issued to the
public was $2S, ,750,413, and the total
amount paid to the public for the liqui-
dation of the principal of municipal debt
was $21,120,043. Thus the receipts ex-
ceeded the payments by $7.63037O. OF
the 800 cities 204 received from the pub
tic more than they paid. thus increasing
| their indebtedness; and 163 paid more
than they received. thus reducing their
ceipts of the other two balanced.
A study of the report indicates that as
| a rule the minor cities are very conser-
yative with reference to their methods
of paying for permanent Improvements.
The improvements paid for by these
cities in the fiscal year 1908 had value
of $21,492,546; the net increase In the
debt of the same cities was $7,63O,370,
or only 35.5 per cent. Of the value of
the improvements. Hence these cities,
| as a whole, paid for 64.5 per cent. of
their permanent improvements from
| their annual revenues.
Direct taxes levied upon property in
general We're the most important source
| of revenue of the minor cities, consti-
tuting 764 per cent Of the total. Special
property and business taxes, such as
bank taxes, mortgage taxes. etc. We're
l>reported principally by Massachusetts
and New York cities, and constituted 2.6
per cent. of the total Poll taxes were
| levied in $50 cities, but constituted less
| than 1 per cent. of the aggregate revenue
| for the minor cities The cities of Mas
sachusetts contributed 391 per cent. to
| the total poll tax reported by the 1863
cities. Liquor licenses brought in rs
per cent. of the total revenues. other Ii
censes and permits, 2 per cent; and fines
and forfeits, 1.6 per cent. Cities in the
Southern states reported the largest coll
| lections, Relatively, from licenses other
than liquor licenses.
The The aggregate debt obligations
| Of the 369 cities in 1903 was $155267, !,
| 244; and the debt less sinking fund as
sets S145, ,9561S1, on S27.79 per capita.
The largest DIX ner capita. $107.15 was
owned by Mt. Vernon. N. Y. Ports
mouth, n. H., stood next with per cap
ita Of $93.71 Wakefield, Mass, followed
with SSS24: and New Rochelle. n. Y,
| with $S6S3. Though these figures are
alarmingly high, they are not as high
they are not as high as in the case of two
/ Of the great cities of the country. Bos-
ton in 1908. had per capita debt of
/ $148.25, and New York one of $143.42