The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-08-01

from taxes ana OtneT SeHcini ioVonuSs
4 per cent from special assessments;
5.4 per cent from services performed
by city departments; 9S.9 per cent
from loans; and 14.5 per cent from re-
funds, general transfers, and miscei-
laneous sources.
Revenues Of the Big Cities.
Taxes and other general revenues,
including licenses and permits, hnes
and forfeits, and subventions, grants,
and gifts, were the chief source OF
revenue for nearly every city. Re-
ceipts from the general property tax
formed the chief item Of general reve-
nue.. and for the cities of Massachu-
sets, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio,
Iowa, Louisiana, Virginia and Geor-
gia, comprised more than 70 per cent
of the total.
| Liquor licenses and taxes formed
I13.4 per cent of the general revenues
in the cities of Ohio and 1912 per cent
in the cities of California. New York
City received $7,927.3OO; Chicago, T.
252.6S7: and Philadelphia, $1,969, 459
from this source The only other cities
tderiving more than $1,O0O,O0O from
liquor licenses were st. Louis, Boston,
Cleveland, San Francisco, and Cincin-
natl.
Business licenses formed 1913 per
cent of the general revenues in the
cities of Alabama, while general prop
ty taxes formed only 53.1 per cent, an
unusual condition among the cities OF
the United States. Business licenses
also formed large per centage, 14.5
of the general revenues of the cities
of Georgia.
In most cities sewers, pavements,
and similar public improvements are
lpaid for In the main from the general
property tax, but there is marked
variation from this practice In several
cities, especially Of the West. Okla
lhoma City received more money from
special assessments than from taxes
and other general revenues, and New
York City received $10,029.153 and
Chicago $4,765,393 from the same
source.
The proportion of receipts from spe
cial assessments to receipts from tax
es and other general revenues fol-
tspecified cities was as follows: Okla
homa City, 164.1 per cent; Seattle
Takoma, and Spokane, Wash, 1858;
6S.5, and 3S, respectively; Oakland
43.9 per cent; Superior, Wis, Alb pei
cent; Joplin, 1926 per cent; and Kan
sas City, Mo-, 26.7 per cent. Compare
lively low tax rates for most of these
cities are accounted for by large re
ceipts from special assessments.
Public Service Enterprises.
From revenues of public-service en-
terprises, such as water-supply sys
tens, toll bridges, etc., New York Cit.
realized $1S,6O5,O56; Chicago, s5,127
4O1; and Philadelphia, $4,36S,213. TIL
. only cities of less than 100000 inhab
! tants which received more than 81
900, 900 from this source were Jerse
City, Los Angeles, and Seattle. Chico
go derived $2,3S6,275 from privilege
or taxes for the use of the public higl
ways; New York City derived trifi
over one-half as much money from tn
same source. A majority of the cite
receive comparatively small amount
of revenue from public-service corpo
atoms for the privilege of using tn
public highways.
From a careful analysis of pa
ments and receipts it is found that a
of the 1853 cities, except Jersey Cit
Yonkers, and Montgomery, receive
enough money from taxes and all OF
er revenues during 1908 to meet the
payments for expenses and lnteres
but that only 80 cities raised enoue
money from revenues to pay for a
of their OUTLAWS in addition. Over
series of years it is undoubtedly Il
policy of every city, the report state
to finance a considerable portion OH
OUTLAWS, or new works, from bond
= sues, and 1t is also clear that the pr
: portion Of the OUTLAWS met from Dol
Il issues shows tendency to increas
II All outlays must eventually be m
Y from revenues, and it is undoubted
H good financial policy for cities to p
H for a considerable proportion of Il
II outlays each year from revenues.
II 1902 the excess of receipts from rev
II nues over payments for expenses al
II interest was sufficient to pay for 81
II per cent of the outlays Of the year, b
n for 1907 such excess was sufficient
III opIu o nav oapf and FOR O