The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1907-11-22
The Enormous Cost of City Govern
ment In The United States.
From the Baltimore Sun.


There is loud outcry in the city of New
York over the rapid increase in the budget.
Ten year ago the debt of the city was $780,
600, 600 and the annual cost of the city gov
eminent. that is to say the city budget, was
ST., 900, 600 The city debt is now over half
a billion and the budget is $l43. zoo, 600. In
10 years the debt has nearly doubled and the
annual cost of the city government has nearly
doubled. How to collect the vast sum now
required to pay the cost of municipal govern.
ment without imposing a direct tax which
would blight business is the problem which is
puzzling the governments OF many cities be-
sides New York.
The position of New York in this re-
spet is far more favorable than that OF
most American cities. 1t owns the city docks
and other property from which 1t receives
large sums in rentals. and these revenues go to
the relief of the taxpayers. While the public
debt of New York is more than half as great
as the interest bearing debt of the United
States. which is mainly the legacy left by the
Civil War, yet the wealth of New York city
is so enormous that its vast debt is proportion
ately no larger than that of other cities. Baltl-
more has gross debt of about $45, 900, 600,
or nearly one tenth of the debt of New York,
while lis assessed wealth is only one fifteenth
AS great The wealth of New York city ex-
ceeds that of the ancient kingdom OF
Spain by more than $l,0OO,OOO,OO and
its debt is not more than one fourth the
national debt of that country.
The increasinglicost OF municipal govern
ment is not ordinarily due TO corruption nor
to bad methods, but to the public demand for
expenditures. Expenditure has greatly IN
creased in recent years because people are
not satisfied with what they formerly thought
good enough. They want better pavemeuis,
better parks better fire service, larger police
and better schools. SchOolhouses that were
good enough generation ago now excite gen.
eral protest The expenditures for health
protection, sanitation and inspection are a
burden that did not occur to our fathers
And the growth OF the city makes parks more
and more necessary. When Mayor Swami
brought Druid Hill park at what would now
be considered comparatively small outlay,
he became IA benefactor TO the city OF BalIl-
more for all time. And yet the conservative
people of that day either literally denounced
the transaction or questioned its wisdom.
OF each IS gathered by The Baltimore City
Collector from the direct tax about $l.25,
or one fourth, goes 10 the public schools
The increased cost of living in cities has
caused the demand for more liberal salaries
to city officials and employees, and these
sal aries constitute the major part of the bud.
get The city debt of Baltimore has been
increased by the demand for better school
houses, more extended water service. drain
age, etc., until now it requires 81, 100000
year to pay interest. Like other American
cities, Baltimore gave away rights and priv.
iliges at time when big city revenues were
not demanded. But even in this Baltimore did
better than most other cities by reserving
percentage of the gross receipts of the street.
tar companies which il is estimated, will
yield this year about $455, 900. besides reliev-
ing the city of a large expenditure in street
paving.
The conclusion of the whole matter is that
the modern city is better paved, better light
ed, better policed, better drained, better pro-
ected from disease, better protected from
fires and has better parks and schools than
the city of half century ago, and the tax
PAYERS must pay the bill.