Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-07-27
Census Bureaus Report Shows
An Expenditure Of
S4O5,O0O.00O.
PER CAPITA COST INCREASES
Burden Grows From $3.50 Per Capita
TO St6.S1 I'm SlN Years for
Cities over 10000.

Washington, -. c., July al
About 100000 were spent in
sos in maintaining and operating the
cities In the United States having an
estimated population Of 10000 or
more In 1908, whose financial statis-
tics for that year have been collect
cd by the census bureau and are
analytically presented In its annual
report on the statistics Of cities for
the year 1908.
In his letter Of transmittal TO Sec
rotary Nagel OF the department OF
commerce and labor Director Durand
Of the census bureau states that the
report was prepared under the super
vision Of Or. LeGrand Powers, chief
statistician for agriculture, with the
assistance Of Division Chief Mailing,
OF the census division of statistics or
cities.
The maintenance OF schools repre-
sents 50 per cent OF the total expenses
OF cities for Education" and cost
more than any other municipal func-
ton, while the protection OF life and
property by the police. fire, and as
ISOLATED departments was second in
cost. These two functions Of education
and protection OF life and property
cost 55 per cent OF about s406. 900. 900,
winch was lllt lbldl expense OF HnhiU-
tanning and operating city depart
ments. For the whole group OF cities
the average per capita expense for
schools was $40. for police depart
ment s2.25; and for fire depart
ments, SIZE. These per capita
averages vary greatly among the
several cities. Salt Lake city ex-
pended $S1S per capita for schools
Newton. Mass, sS and New York.
Boston, Washington. Newark, Denver.
Springfield. Mass, and Sacramento
each expended over So for the same
purpose, while Montgomery expended
only sl.G3; Charleston, S1.S1 Nor
folk, S2.15; St Joseph, t217; Mem
PMS, $2l9; Knoxville, s22S; and
Manchester and Galveston, each
S234
PER CAPITA COST INCREASES.
Tho increased costs Of maintaining
the government departments OF cities
In recent years is illustrated by the
fact that in 49, cities Of over 80, 600
population in 1902 it was S13.36 per
capita, while for the same cities in
1905 It was 1861
The costs Of maintaining the police
department during the same interval
for the same cities have risen steadily
from $3.50 to E2.26 per capita; the
IRE department from S133 TO SIZE:
health conservation. from S0.e2 20
5000; sanitation, from s0.91 to Si,3s;
highways. from S1.T2 70 81 So: and
schools. from $500 to $40.
The financial transactions OF these
l5S largest cities involved the re-
ceipt and expenditure Of more than
one and a quarter billions Of dollars.
the payments amounting to t12S4,-
100000 and the receipts TO 1880
900, 900 Tho excess OF the receipts
over the payments was due 60 large
loans by the cities during the year
and Is reflected in cash on hand at
the close Of tho year. sl9s. 900. OO0. as
compared with S14b,oO0. 600 on hand
at tho beginning Of the year
Gross payments and receipts are al
vided into municipal" payments and
receipts and agency" payments and
receipts, the latter forming only 81
per cent Of the payments and SO per
cent Of the receipts. and consisting Of
transactions in which the CITY acts as
fiscal agent in collecting revenue for
the state or county or as trustee for
private parties
THE DIVISION OF PAYMENTS.
OF 81. 2s6, 7s2 s24. which was tho total
NJ the municipal payments, 80 : per cent
was for the expenses OF maintaining
and operating the ordinary municipal
departments and offices; 25 per cent
was paid for the expenses Of the main
tenance and operation Of self-support-
ms public service enterprises, such as
water supply systems. lighting systems.
etc; So per cent was paid In
interest on city debt: 222 per
cent was paid for OUTLAWS for
new buildings. equipment and pub
lie improvements: 93.3 per cent repre-
sents payments in liquidation OF debt:
and 1925 per cent represents payments
Of refunds. purchases Of Investments
by city funds. and general transfers
The expenses Of maintaining and op-
Grating the ordinary municipal depart
ments and offices for tho entire 15S
cities amounted to s4O4 997. 812, more
than one fourth OF which was paid by
New York city. The EXPENSES Of the
Of Philadelphia were less
than one-fourth Of those Of New York
CITY
The city Of over 100000 population
with the smallest running expenses
was New Orleans. with Milwaukee n
close second.
Expressed in per capital averages,
the cities Of over 100000 pOpula alton
ton. t27 IS: New York. s24.Tl washing
were New orleans. s1276 and Ralti-
more. $685. Tho cities 81 from 100000
TO 100000 population, with the highest
and lowest per capitl payments for eV-
nenses were Denver. S234, and st.
Iosenh. s56i. or the cities having from
q go 20 100. 90 inhehitanta. the high
nst was YonNers. $40 81. and the lowest
savannah. 500 ~ those having 30 600
10 10000 population. the highest was
Sacramento. S2o 81 and the lowest Jop-
I'M, $3.50