Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-13
REMEDY FOR DEFECTS
Conference ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
and Comparable Statistics.
MUNICIPAL DEBTS INCREASE
Alleged Uselesshess of Figures Pub
ished by City Officials.
STATISTICIANS AT ARLINGTON
Address by Director North of the Cen
sus Bureau-Commissio Mac
farland's Welcome.
sTATIsTICIANs AT ARLINGTON

sl,s Bureau-Commissio Mac
farland's Welcome.
1--WE have in the United States 175 cities
with a population of 10000 or more-the
most magnificent group of cities, the
wealthiest, most progressive, most prosper
Gus group of cities in the world; and they
arc resting today under the stigma of be-
ing the most extravagantly and inefficient
~ governed group of cities. The financial
officers of these cities annually collect ana
disburse a sum exceeding $I65, 0O0, 0C0-or
more than the annual cost of all the state
governments and more than the annual cost
of maintaining the national government.
These cities have bonded or funded in
debtedness equaling 81, 50o,51So GOO after de-
duction for sinking fund assets-an indeot-
edness greater than that of the United
States. This municipal Indebtedness Is III
creasing at an enormous rate, probably not
less than s15O,0OO,O00 year. Prom speech
OF Director North of the census bureau,
this morning.
The useiessness of the statistics pub
lished by officials of the various cities
throughout the country for comparative
purpose, on account of the wide diver
gence In the methods of classification en-
ployed, Is the matter which Is sought to be
remedied by the second conference on uni
form classification of municipal accounts
and comparable municipal statistics, when
opened in the banquet hall of the Arlington
Hotel this forenoon. The members of the
conference about one hundred in NUMBER,
are controllers, auditors, treasurers ana
to, ISti Inc
They were called together at the invita-
ton of Director S. n. D. North of the CEN
sus bureau.
The conference elected L. G. Powers OF
the census bureau chairman. and Edward
NJ Hartwel of the statistical department
of Boston secretary.
Welcomes the Delegates.
Commissioner mcfarland welcomed the
delegates to the city.
1--WE of the District government he said.
always on the lookout for improvements
In methods, await with interest your def
mite conclusion as to uniform municipal &C
counting. There ought to be such stand
ardizing would make an accurate com
parison of municipal statistics practicable
and at the same time give the individual
citizen q clearer idea of the income ana
outSo, the debt and taxation, OF a partlcu-
lar municipality. While the municlpal re-
ports are so different as they are now IL
is Impossible to make accurate compar1-
sons and even the best of the comparisons
are misleading.
1--WE have a modest pride in the state
ment made to me yesterday by an emf
nent member of this conference that from
our District reports any one can easily
learn all about the District expenditures
and finances, and also that District govern
ment bookkeeping was utilized with APP
prevail by the committee Of experts which
framed the recent Ohio act for uniform mu-
+{,1o NNa " n q
any new standard plan when you have Sc
cured general agreement on It,
Figures will not lie, the prOverb says,
but they do lie even in the hands of the
best of men when they attempt compari-
sons between different. items under SINH
lar names. Nothing is more deceptive than
comparisons Of municipal statistics under
the present system of reports because the
items of the same name do not represent
the same things.
Director North's Address.
Mr.. North also made an address, extend
ing a welcome to the members of the con-
ference The great need of STANDARDIZED
ton of municipal accounting was explained
In detail by the director Of the census, as
was also the work Of his bureau in this
behalf
las understand It," said he, "the object
you seek, in which the census ohice Is ear
nestly striving to cooperate, may be con-
cisely stated in the phrase, the standard1Za-
ton of municipal accounting. AS the finan-
cial officers of our municipalities, you have
a natural pride in your business and de-
sire to apply to 1t the best and most scien-
tific methods. You also realize what pro-
lection standardization will be to you in
the discharge of your duties; when the con-
ditions surrounding your stewardships are
made such that your books will convey on
their face the evidence of official integrity
and regularity. Even more important, from
the public point of view, is the practical.
effective protection Wnlch UNIFORM inuni-
cipal accounting will afford against what Is
commonly known municipal graft
1.-THE most prolific source of municipal
graft, it's securest hiding place, its most
effective instrument in seeking immunity, Is
the chaos which exists in the classification
of municipal accounts and the absence of
uniformity in municipal bookkeeping.
Municipal Ownership.
Another aspect of the subject can not
fail to impress the thoughtful observer Of
present day conditions. There is arising
throughout the land. the result of syste-
matte propaganda, movement for munic
ipal ownership and management of public
service utilities Sooner or later we have
got to face this question, and there is
bound to be increasing experimentation
along these lines. 1t is impossible TO in
diligently study and measure these expert
ments until we possess definite standards
by which the results of private and public
MANAGEMENT OF THESE Utilities Tan De COM
pared. In the existing chaos of municipal
accounting this is impossible, and we grope
and founder in the dark. What an object
lesson it would be, in the consideration of
this impending question If it were possible
for the census office to present complete
statement of the relative sums which prl-
vate corporations have paid and are paying
for the use and monopoly of the public
streets In the different cities of the land!
Until very recently. and since this gem
eral movement was organized, no two of
our large cities have kept their books in
such shape that receipts and expenditures
for particular purposes can be compared
with similar receipts and expenditures of
other municipalities. 1t goes without say
ing that, given half dozen cities of prac-
tically the same population and the same
geographic and climatic conditions, the
costs of government. for police, fire and