The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-04-25
S1S A PERSON ANNUAL
COST OF CITY WORKS
Continued from Second Page

citys borrowing power Every dollar
borrowed has to lie repaid with interest ,
and since New York IL undertaking .
many big works costing large sums. the .
snoney to be repaid with interest repre- .
wants O considerable total. all Of which !
Sas TO come out OF the tax and rent ,
PAYER. Considering all thus the Cow f.
ernment's statement that tI3.3s per per /
son IL charged for permanent improve
inents In not surprising. To the average /
taxpayer IL Is even n matter OF pleasure I
that the city should spend such amounts .
for II II the big improvements which !
have been made and are being made hat
have been the basis for the big advance
in real estate values noted here during J
the last few years. II the city either /,
through inability to finance improve
ments or through lack OF interest among
officials were 10 stop the WORK being
done or contemplated stagnation would
result and property values would ran
to the levels OF other communities
But withal the great charges noted,
residents of New York city 10 no. pay
q great deal more FOR the large amount
they get In bcttered city in comparison
with what people elsewhere get for the
money they spend There H. Boston. for
instance where he per capita cost or
government IL Si5.Is Boston has for
long time been striving to supplant New
York as a commercial city. u spent
money lavishly on "A number or improve
men;s calculated to attract steamships
hut its expenditures are a nothing com
! pared with those OF New York and still
the cost of government Is almost as
great As a matter OF fact New York
is as far down the list az ninth In per
capita cost of government among the
1875 largest cities Of the country. and II
T. the only city that seems To be able 10
raise enough money 20 carry on large
municipal improvements.
Since the civic centre idea has taken
hold I'm American cities many II them
have planned such spots. but New York
Is the only one that ~ actually eolnE
ahead with the building of Its civic
centre Chicago has a most attractive
plan Of DEVELOPMENT, but IL IL urable to
raise money for the Improvement de-
spite the fact that its people pay only
sea per person for guvcrnm' mt Phila-
delphia too has a plan which probably
will still be only on paper when New
York's plan j. entirely completed Seattle.
with wonderful civic centre plan. now
paws s47.7i person for government ana
cannot spend more money for develop
ment. Philadelphia TOO has an attrac-
tive plan for DEVELOPMENT OF . park and
playground along the waterfront. but
New Works park system L. likely to he
perfected before that improvement is
made
So It is In practically all OF the big
elite. of the country. Some improve
ment IL contemplated or Is being made
which would appear large an indi-
vidual work. but compared to the sub
ways water system, barge canal and
harbor improvements being carried on
by New York they dwlndle into insig-
nificanOe Kansas city II laudirg itself
because OF its wonderful new park sys-
tenn. which viii be as nothing when New
Works. is finally undertaken philadel-
rhia has laid ,ut port development
scheme which by comparison with New
Works j. simplicity itself Chicago has
a pretty picture OF a new port. while
New York is going ahead building piers
10 Accommodate the greatest She world
has produced in ocean vessels.
The high cost OF local government is
matter OF no little concern. FOR the tax
rate is lowering about per cent. of
assessed value and property owners are
opposed to further expenditures that
will raise II higher. They have the
satisfying knowledge. however. that
they are getting q gr"a. deal for their
money. which is NOT exactly the cas-,
with such cities as Lon Angeles. Port
land. Me : Omaha Spokane. Tacoma
San Diego. Pasadena and Muskogee
Okla. In all of which cities the pei
capita cost OF government Is greater
than in New York. but practically
nothing is being done for city better.
ment.
Sporadic attempts are made to take
from New York this feature or that feat
ure that makes for its greatness. Some,
times real estate owners or other timit
persons cry out that New York 1,
neglecting opportunities which vii
mean loss OF trade and OF value
Those people either do not know or d,
not tell the whole story. for New Yorl
is doing more to-day and Is planning e
do more 20 insure It's supremacy thar
any city ever did In tine history OF III,
world.