New-York tribune., 1910-07-30
NEW YORK HEADS LIST
Owes Over Seven Times More
than Any Other City.
PER CAPITA DEBT, S157 ~
Census Shows This Citys In
debtedness Is More than Half
That of 90 Large Cities.
frrom me Tribune Bureau. I

from The Tribune Bureau
Washington, July 29-The total net In
debtedness ar the close OF 1908 of the %
largest cities Of the United States. each
having an estimated population OF 50.9fs
or over was 81 rs .0G5 Goo OF this amount
s6S4. eco 900. 39-S per cent, was credited 20
New York city These figures are con-
tanned in the annual report OF the Gems IL
Bureau on statistics OF cities. now In press.
BY net debt IS meant the gross debt less
the sinking fund assets
1t is shown by the report that the
close OF 1898 New York had more than
seven times the Indebtedness OF any other
city and more than one-half the total
Of the twenty-nine largest cities Of TIE
country. The per capita net debt OF New
York City was S157 "A. and the only other
cities having a per capita net Indebtedness
Of over Sl00 were Cincinnati s12S 81; Boston.
s119 IS; Galveston. a13 o.: Portland. Me-.
S107 II: Newton. Mass, sos 13: Pueblo. Col,
1o4 81. and Pawtucket. r I. H03 70 OF the
cities OF over 10000 estimated population
the city having the smallest per capita net
debt was Detroit. $500 OF the cities hav-
ing population of from 10000 10 3ooo ogs
those with the smallest per capita net debt
We're Indianapolis. ST 4s. and Scranton
SO s. OF the cities having from 10000 70
10000 population those having the smallest
per capita net debt were Joplin. 50 %; Erie.
so S.; JohnstOwn. 81 10: New Castle. 81 As:
Terre Haute, 81 80: Davenport, 81 Is, and
Peoria. 81 Sc
IT Is pointed out in the report that in
any discussion OF Indebtedness it should be-
remembered that the value OF public I'M
provements. and especially the amounts
expended on public service enterprises
should be taken into consideration MANY
cities own their wateTwOrks, some their
lighting plants. and considerable propor-
ton of the Indebtedness OF such cities may
have been incurred in the purchase or con-
struction Of such plants Thus. In New
York City S6-9 per cent of the total debt a
much larger percentage than that for most
cities. has been issued for the acquisition
and extension Of such public service enter
prises as the water supply system, toll
bridges. etc. which enterprises are SELF
supporting
The increase in the net debt for the Isl
cities for the fiscal year 1893 was SIS ST. s56.
as compared with similar Increase for
1897 OF st20, $50, 631. more than three-fourths
Of which increase is credited 70 the sixteen
largest cities and nearly one-haH OF which
is credited TO New York City.
Payments on account OF OuflayS foT new
properties. or new work. by the 15S largest
cities IN 1905 amounted In the aggregate 20
s275, 005. 695. compared with S244. III. 29S for
1907. Nearly one-third OF the total. OF So
l714g was paid by New York City: Chi
cago spent S1S,0s3,9 ,9SS and Philadelphia sl4--
473Is4- Cities OF less than $1,000 iuhabi-
tants with the largest payments for OUT
lays were Los Angeles. IS 259. 500. Seattle
s6 4S5. .676: Portland. Me, 81 $50. .S93; Denver
50 $50 gO2 and Portland. Ore. s2.644 -
Nearly one-third of all Outlays. OF $50
2s0. .1S9. was spent on public service enter
prises nearly one-haIf of the outlay by
New York City being of this character
Nearly another third was spent for high
vyavs. and more than one-seventh went for
schools and other educational OBJECTS
Most OF the outIays reported for POTtidnl.
Me were for the purchase by the water
district of its water supply system. ana
New York City spent more than slo,0estJP
in the extension OF it's water system