The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1912-01-31
BUDGET OF THE HOLY CITY
WHAT 1T COSTS TO RUN GOV
EMINENT OF JERUSALEM.

OVER NV OA OOAtAttAs 4 IA Oll AAJGANA5
Over Which Jesus Walked.
Hussein Effendi, president of tn
municipality of Jerusalem, Syria,
man Of modern thought, says tn
New York Press. He has made up
statement of the income of the HOl.
City for the fiscal year ended Marcl
13, 1911, and sent it to William A
PTendergast, controller of a tow
which differs somewhat from Jerus
alem. In return he asks for a cop!
OF the annual statement of the city
Of New York. Hussein Effendi is IA
miliar with English, and takes &
deep interest in American affairs. II
is doubtful, however, if the figures
from the controllers Office prove as
picturesque reading to him as do
those Of the Holy Land to the citi-
zens Of the western world
Among items of taxes on roads
over which the gentle Jesus walked,
and bridge tolls over the River JOr-
dan, it is startling to read of a pc
tTOleum storage tax" amounting to
10000 piasters a year. 1t brings
shudder to think of motor cars run
ming over the highway from Jericho
to Jaffa, with muller off and siren
shrieking. Yet in the statement of
Hussein Effendi may be read there is
tax of so piasters a box of two five
gallon cans of petroleum for the
first month; q plaster for each sue
ceeding month. - The biggest item
on the list is the income from tolls
collected from the fOOtbridge over
the Jordan, near Jericho-a bridge
so old that the western mind can
hardly take in it's weight of centu-
ries. These collections amount to
100000 piasters, which means in our
money $9,640. The tax for a loaded
camel is 2 u piasters; if he is emp
ty'' he goes for piasters. The
laden mule may cross for 2 piasters.
while the laden donkey goes over
for / plaster.
From those who walked and drove
their solemn camels and their little
gray donkeys over the Jaffa turnpike
S5,913 was collected in the year.
For the whole distance of 40 miles.
from Jericho to Jaffa, a loaded cam
ell and his driver may go by paying
8 plaSters. On the other hand, a
carriage with three horses going over
the same distance must pay Z p pias-
tiers If it has passengers; if empty
it need pay only ga. A two-horse
carriage goes for 8 piasters and a
gig pays 4.
For cleaning and lighting the
streets of the Holy City householders
pay a small tax, scaled according to
the quarter of the city and the num-
Der of persons in the houses. The
revenue from this source is 100000
piasters annually-$6,020. The in
come from taxes on real estate and
other property owned (houses, shops,
etc. is about 1910 It would not
appear from this modest figure that
there were many millionaires in Je-
rusalem. 1t seems almost cruel to
stagger the good Hussein Effendi
with such figures as these: Popula-
ton of New York city, 5,076,976;
taxable realty valued at $7,856,84O.-
1874; tax rate for Manhattan and the
Bronx, SLIP, etc.
For the purpose of road repair an
imals that enter the city of Jerusa-
lem are taxed to the tune of S3,O1O
year, a camel involving ] plaster,
q mule Y, a donkey q. There is a
tax upon carriages that let out for
hire of 212 piasters a day The
New York taxicab chauffeur pays a
yearly license fee Of 50; Special
hackstand license" costs $25, and a
hack drivers license costs only so
cents. 1t looks as if the Jerusalem
liveryman had rather the worst of it.
In the summer time he is taxed a
plaster extra to pay for sprinkling
the streets.
Hussein Effendi quantity says in
his letter to the New York controller
that Jerusalem's income appears
rather small considering there are
from $4,000 to 10000 souls! The
explanation is found partly in the
fact that the municipality does not
concern itself with the maintenance
of schools or police force, these be-
longing to the government of the
province of Jerusalem. Nevertheless
If the good Hussein Effendi is not
accustomed to figuring in millions
and billions and trillions of piasters
1t would seem that a brainstorm is
brewing for the Far East against the
time when Mr.. Prendergast sends
hia statement.