The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-01-01
What Cities of the
Country Are Doing
Some Of the Interesting Activities
in municipalities.

Oue-half Of the direct taxes raised
by Baltimore for city purposes will 20
next year for the payment Of interest
care Of its interest and sinking funds
it will set aside $3,791,549. Before the
year is up it will be paying interest
and providing a sinking fund for a
debt Of nearly Z $4,000. 900. It's inter-
est charges for next year will be in
creased $223,000. as compared with
last year. This will make Baltimore
one Of the most debt-ridden cities Ia
the world.
New York city has much the same
story to tell. 1t is spending about 20
per cent Of its big income from, taxa.
contributing to sinking funds. In both
cities the assessed valuation Of real
estate has been pushed up to increase
the borrowing capacity Of the city.
New York has been increasing tts pub
lie debt at the rate Of about $780,,
000, 600 a year.
Boston is a third city IN somewhat
the same boat. California cities are
setting into the same scramble for Inn
provements from bond issues. San
Francisco. which had a very low bond
ed debt up to recent years. ID under.
taking asst expansion. Los Angeles
has water and harbor projects plan
900 and 1000. 900. These will place
It in the class Of heavily bonded cities.
Mayor Bading of Milwaukee, him
self a physician and q former health
commissioner. insists that the salary
Of the health officer be cut from ST.
900 to $4,000 a year. He says that
5000 10 enough for such an officer.
The average physician. he says, gets
but $4,000 a year and has to pay
office expenses out Of that sum.
Having failed to secure a new char
ter in a recent election. Los Angeles
Is organizing a committee Of 1000
mittee. Members OF the city coun.
Gil have asked the chamber Of COM
merce to appoint a committee to draw
q charter. The socialists Of Los An.
geles are working upon a charter.
Baltimore Is planning a belt line
railway entirely about its basin har-
hor. The idea is to have the line
owned by the city. 1t is for the pur.
pose Of securing terminal facilities. BY
the use of the city belt line switching
charges would be eliminated.
Seattle is planning to use two Ave.
ton motor trucks and two seventy.
five ton scows in the collection and
disposal Of It's garbage. Fifty teams
will deliver the garbage to the trucks
and the trucks will unload it upon the
scows. Scows will dump the garbage
at sea. as has been done In New York
city.
At the recent meeting at wenatchee
Of the League Of Washington NUM-
cipalities a. fight was started by rep
resentatives Of Seattle and Spokane up
on the public utilities commission OF
the state because OF its tendency to
hamper the local governments in deal
ing with local problems. The cities
are arrayed against the public utility
commission idea. while the public
service corporations are on the other
side.
A clear. il not a dominant note
sounded In the convention. Is for larg.
er measure Of home rule for cities.
Seattle finds fault with the limit OF
ten years upon local improvement
bonds. holding hat a bond running
twenty SCdIS CdH pG OF DS
the city more advantageously than
the short term bonds or the bonds
running very long terms.
In the same connection tho cities
want their freedom Of contractors and
banks which they contend are ham
pering the city in doing Improvement
work directly by force account. Pub.
lie officers generally want tho city to
do the work directly.
Democrats. republicans and pro.
eressives in Wa shington state mum.
cipalities combined against the social
lists In the recent municipal elections.
AS q result socialists will o figure so
largely In the city governments. Two
socialist councilmen were elected in
Bellingham.
Washington. D. c.. commissioners
make a plea for motor fire apparatus
In their report recently issued. They
are equipping the outlying districts
with these machines.
Toledo, Ohio. has approved a bond
issue Of 100000 to be used in replace
ing dre ana police horse-drawn appa.