Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-01-20

resents an investment of $2O,O0o0oo and contains more
than 5000 inhabitants. Its cost exceeds the assessed
value of all the taxable property in the thriving city of
Little Rock, Ark, and its jewellers equal the whole popu-
lation of Emporia, Kan.
And beyond is seen the snowy tallness of the Plaza
hotel, an investment of $~12,000,00O.
Here, there, everywhere are massive structures, in
each of which are populations large enough to make
whole towns. So tremendous is the cityfs growth that
one years building plans represent a cost of $3.50, 000, 900.
There are nearly 10000 policemen in the 5000 miles
of streets. Their pay alone amounts yearly to $12,865,
259. They made 44,822 arrests last year. To clean the
streets they guard costs ~$7,418,299 for a single year.
The parks of the amazing city cover ID square miles,
including some Of its choicest ground. 1t is said that
they contain more than $4,000 trees and are valued at
$780, 100000. In other words, the parks owned by New
York contain more land than the big city Of Rochester,
N. Y, and could be sold for enough to pay the entire
national debts of Holland, Switzerland, Sweden and
Turkey.
Think of a city that has built 54 schoolhouses at a
cost of about $500, 900, 1000 and that has more than 10000
teachers and superintendent educating 651 900 children,
the salaries alone being $17,58 900 a year! The depart
ment of education spent $~27470,7S6 this year.
And if the giant skyline Of New York ~staggers the
imagination, what of the marvellous network of pipes
and wires and tunnels under the streets? The separate
wires buried under the pavements of the metropolis
would reach 20 times around the world.
Down beside the myriad electric channels hidden I'M
der the city PUSHES a daily supply Of about 4S0,0 900
gallons Of sparkling water, Of which 325,000000 gallons
come from a clear mountain lake through two ~aqueducts,
one Of them tunneled through rock and earth for %
miles. New Workers pay their city $11,000,000 a year for
drinking water.
One would think that the government of a city that
spends 5000, 100000 a year and employs 10000 persons
would be in the hands of its ablest and most trustwor-
thy business men.
1t would be natural to expect its four and a half mil
lion inhabitants to be excited over the fact that the an.
nual cost of maintaining the municipality has in 10 years
grown from 93,520,082 to $156,545 ,14S-an increase of
$43,025,0 6 a year, not to speak of something like $780,;
100000 added to the city's debt in those 10 years,
Yet the more the taxpayers are ~plundered the prouder
they are and the mere dimensions of government, meas
ured in terms Of millions of dollars, makes the New
Yorker lift his head ~haughtily when he should hang 1t
in shame.
A citizens bureau Of municipal research has for
three years been digging into the city's accounts and
publishing thrillers for the taxpayers, who smile and get
ready to vote for a government to be proposed by the
same old gangs Of saloon-keepers, grafters, professional
ofice-seekers and the omnipotent fnanciers who direct
them through stained but ~highpriced lawyers.
Who do you think are the three principal hackers OF
this bureau OF municipal research, to which the people Of
New York seem to be looking for light on public affairs
just now?
John D. Rockefeller, of the oil trust.
Andrew Carnegie, OF the steel trust.
Robert Fulton Gushing, of the sugar trust, whose fam
lily recently managed to sell a ~proitless ferry to the city
at an enormous price.
When the greater New York" was organized IL
years ago the voters delivered the city again to the