Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-07-29
Census Figures Show What They
Are Doing to Get
Bigger.
DEBTS STEADILY INCREASE
New York Heads the List With Sf5I.1i
Per Capita-Nuch for Public
Service Enterprises.

I
| Washington, D. c., July 29.-Pay.
ments on account OF OUTLAWS for new
properties. or new work, by the los
largest cities in the United states,
each having an estimated population of
10000 or more I'm 1908. amounted in the
aggregate to t275OO3 COT for 1908. com.
pared with s2ii1l7,29S for 1907. accord
ing to the Census Bureaus annual re-
port on the statistics Of cities. now in
press
Nearly third OF the total. or sSS,
4iGl4g. was paid by New York city.
Chicago spent SIS, O93.9S6i and Phlladel-
phiu, Si44731Si. cities OF less than
100000 inhabitants with the largest pay
ments Tor OUTLAWS were: Los Angeles,
Ss,25g,sOO; Seattle S6,4S5.76; Portland.
Me-, S4,536,993 Denver, $3.50, 902, and
Portland, On, s.. ga, 72f. Nearly one
third OF all OUTLAWS, or $50, 260, 1879. was
spent ON public-service enterpr SEES,
nearly onc-half OF the Uutlays by New
York city being of this character.
Nearly another third was spent Tor
highways. and more than one=seven IN
went for schools and other educational
objects Most OF the OUTLAWS reported
for Portland, Me, were for the pur
chase by the water district Of Its
water-supply system, and New York
extension of It's water system.
NET INDEBTEDNESS OF CITIES
The Indebtedness OF cities is evil
denced by SUCH forms of debt obliga-
lions as general bonds, special assess
ment bonds. outstanding warrants.
mortgages on real property and OUT
standing judgments. The net" debt IS
the same as the gross debt, less the
sinking fund assets. For purposes OF
comparison the net Indebtedness Is OF
much more significance than the gross
Indebtedness.
The total net indebtedness of the is
cities of the close Of 1908 was t1.7ls. O0O.-
coo, ana of this amount 1894 100000. %
1913 per cent, is credited to New York
city alone. This city had more than
seven times the Indebtedness of any
other city and more than one-half or
the total OF the 20 largest cities OF tho
country. The per capita net debt OF
New York city was Sl5774, ana the
only other cities having a per capita
net Indebtedness Of over 800 were Gin
ciunati. S12S.6l. Boston, Sl194S; Calves
ton. Sl13.07; Portland. Me. SOFA; New
ton, Mass, s1O613. Pueblo, Colo, 104. 81;
cities Of over 100000 estimated popula-
ton, the city having the smallest per
capita net debt was Detroit, S2G.02 ~
the cities having a population OF from
100 900 To 100000. those with the small
est per capita net debt were Indian
apolis, 81 43, and Scranton, sl9S2. OF
tho cities having from 10000 TO 100000
population. those having the smallest
per capita net debt were Jop..n, SS,N9.
Erie, SlOSs; Johnstown, Sll.10; New
castle. S1245; Terre Haute. sl256; Dav-
export, Sl4.l6, and Peoria. Sli.69.
THE INCREASE IN NET DEBT IN
1905.
The increase in the net debt for
the fiscal year 1905 was $lS5,S77.-
S56. as compared with a similar in
crease for 1907 OF s12O.930,631. more
than three-fourths of which increase
is credited to the 10 largest cities,
and nearly one-half Of which is credit
ed 70 New york City.
The only cities Of less than 800
600 population increasing their net |
debt by more than So 000. 900 we're |
Los Angeles, s6,395,254. and Port
land. Ne, S4,21O.922. In the latter |
city most of this debt was incurred |
by the water district
During the year IS cities reduced |
their net Indebtedness, compared |
with ~ cities for 1907.
The ony cities of over 100000 popu-
lation reducing their net debt in |
1908 were Washington, u. c.; Kansas |
city, Mo; Paterson, y. j.: and
Cam bridge, Mass.
inc report states mat In any discus
sion of Indebtedness II should be re-
mem bered that the value OF public |
improvements, and especially the |
expended on public service
Enterprises. should be taken into |
Many cities own their
yatcrworks, some their lighting
plants, and a considerable proportion
" the Indebtedness Of such cities may
have been incurred I'm the purchase
" construction OF such plants Thus
m New York city 500 per cent OF
INC total debt. much larger percent
lge than that for most cities has
been issued for the acquisition and
1rises as the water-supriy system,
oil bridges. etc, which enterprises
ire self-supporting.