The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-08-08
CITIES OWE MORE
THAN THE NATION
Bulletin on Statistics for the
Year 1904 Issued by the
Census Bureau.
FIGURES ARE IMPOSING
SALT LAKE ~ THE IRRIGATION
BUSINESS.
FIGURES ARE IMPOSING

Washington, Aug. 1.-THE census bu-
reau today issued bulletin on statis-
tics for 1904 of cities having a popula-
tion of over 10000 the cities covered
numbering 151. OF these New York
held the largest land area, 209,2lS acres;
New Orleans with 125,600 acres and
Chicago with 1882 ranking next. Ho-
boken, with S25 acres, had the smallest
land area.
The total corporate expenditures or
the Isl cities for the fiscal year 19O4,
exclusive of payments by one depart
ment of the city to another, were $554,-
4i0,215 of which those of New York
constituted $167, $50, III, or three-tenths.
The total expenditures showed an in
crease of S27. los. 713. or 5.S per cent over
1903, and of sS5. 040. $50. or 1871 per cent
over 1902 The increase for the single
city of New York during the two years
ending 1904, was So, 1854, 625, or 44.6 per
cent of the total increase.
In the ISL cities the amount spent for
permanent works increased almost 6
per cent over 1908.
Chieago's Good Showing.
Though New York has only twice the
population of Chicago, its current eX-
penses are nearly four times as great.
The next six largest cities of the coun-
try together expend less than New
York Though Chicago is one third as
large again as Philadelphia, the latter 8
running expenses are slightly greater.
Though about equal In size with Balti-
: more. Boston's current expenses are
nearly three lines as great. Washing
ton spends more than any of the next
eight large cities of the country, 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.
OF the total running expenses OF the
151 cities. ST. per cent went for sal
aries and wages, and 1873 for all other
objects.
Enormous Receipts.
Total receipts were 1894 175, 99S, of
which SAFE, 423. S5S, or 1915 per cent, were
from taxes and other revenues. and
s121, 752140. or 20.5 per cent. from loans
increasing Indebtedness.
The receipts from municipal indus
tries, such as gas and waterworks and
other commercial revenues, amounted
TO si12,2S6,827.
OF the municipal industries, by far
the most important are the water
works, They are reported by 10s OF the
15l cities, and their value constitutes
63.6 per cent of the aggregate value Of
all municipal industries as reported.
The cities over 1000 population not
owning waterworks We're San Francis
CO, Denver. New Orleans, Omaha, New
Haven, st. Joseph. Scranton and Pat
erson. OF the S64. OO00 900 in electric
light works. Chicago reported about
one-half.
Irrigation In Salt Lake.
Nearly all of the sS1. OO0, 900 invested
in gas works. was reported by Philadel-
phia. Four cities were shown to be In
the irrigation business-Denver, Los
Angeles. Salt Lake City and San An
tonic; three had toll bridges-New
York. Covington and La Crosse; and
two were operating municipal ferries
Boston and Portland, Ore. The only
city running a stone quarry and crush
er was Auburn, n. Y, and the only
one having a municipal asphalt plant
was Detroit.
The aggregate value of the properties
of all municipal industries as here re-
ported was $780, 70, 726. The 151 cities
have already met from general rev.
enues nearly one-half the cost of their
industrial plants. but still owe 53.4 per
cent Of the total value. OUTLAWS for
permanent improvements are met from
current revenue in American cities
more generally than in British.
\ Aggregate Debt 53f,462,6
The aggregate debt of the Isl cities
at the close of the year was 81, 531, 462. =
655. and debt less sinking funds 81 ,22S,-
2l6533, or more than One-fOurth great p
er than the national debt. The per
capita debt less sinking funds was
$56.97. OF the individual cities the
largest per capita net debt was report
ed by Newton. Mass, S12556; the sec
ond largest, New York, S113.25; the
third. Boston, $lOS.17; the fourth, Paw
tucket. s104.19.
Only ten other cities had a per cap
ita net debt OF over SIS. The tax levy
per capita was largest for Boston.
$30.16.