The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-06-26
CITY DEBT BIGGER THAN THE
Continued from page u

Eas derived from the general proper
3y tax" made up of taxes on rea and
personal property. OF the remainder,
the largest item. $685. 24 ,542, was con
1ributed by taxes on the liquor traffic.
Next to taxes, the largest source OF
revenue was found in the earnings Of
public service enterprises, which a
mounted TO considerably more than
double the amount Of payments for
expenses of public service enterprises,
S44, 636, 007, thus leaving a net revenue
from this source of $55, 161,16S.
Another important source of rev.
enue consisted of special assessments
u special charges-the bulk of
which we're for outlays-aggregating
S74, 1877.
For all the cities taken as a group
she per capita receipts from property
taxes amounted to 1914; from other
taxes, $3.50; from earnings of public
service enterprises, $500; from spe-
cial assessments and special charges
for OUTLAWS, 1929, n from all other
sources combined, 1891.
The highest per capita property
aaxes, $4S.94, are shown for Brook
syn. Mass, and the lowest, $5.2S, for
Portsmouth, Va.
The expenditures during the year
Tor governmental costs in these 213
cities, which aggregated 81, O6S, 3O1, 311,
differed but slightly in amount from
the cost of conducting the Federal
government. These expenditures, in
h order of their Importance, were:
Fol expenses of general departments
Legislative, executive and judicial es-
adjustments, schools, police and fire
departments, sanitation, etc., $685.
060.070; for OUTLAWS, $2S7 ,558, SOS; for
interest on indebtedness, $133, 046, $50;
and for expenses of public service en-
terprises water supply systems, cleo
.fric light and power systems, docks,
wharves, landings, etc.), $44,636,00
The average per capita expenditures
dor all governmental costs, including
interest and OUTLAWS, in the 213 cit
les amounte to $33.11, a sum con
siderably more thar three times as
great as the per capita cost of con-
Quoting the federal government, $1O.S6
and for all governmental costs, includ-
ing interest but excluding %out-lays,
the average per capita payments OF
the cities were $24.20.
For the entire 213 cities taken to-
gether, the payments for governmental
costs, including interest and OUTLAWS,
exceeded the by $73, 591, 070,
or $2.28 per capita; but the revenues
EA0CtQtu III CADGA0CG aiA0 III
1erest by $213, 967, 59S, an amount
equal to nearly three-fourths of the
total OUTLAWS, which aggregated $287,-
55S, SOS. In other words, The cities OF
over 10000 taken as a group, are pay
ing from their revenues, all their cur
rent expenses and interest and nearly
ghree-fourth of their OUTLAWS. This
lis a considerably better showing thar
was made by the 204 cities of over 80
900 during the preceding year, in
which revenues of these cities exceed
ed their expenditures for current eX-
penses by $1S9. 829,74 an amount
equivalent to somewhat more thar
half their OUTLAWS.
The next Indebtedness (funded AND
floating debt less assets in general
sinking funds) for the entire 213 cities
amounted to $2,473, 100, 6S1, or $685.
per. capita. The corresponding figure
for the federal government is $3.50
219,622, or $9.77 per capita. Thus the
Der capita Indebtedness of the cite:
Of over 10000 is nearly eight time:
as great as that of the national gov
eminent. The net increase during
the fiscal year for all the cities takeI
as a group. $1O6, 40 ,1OO, was consid
erably less han the corresponding in
crease during the preceding fisca
year in the 2O4 cities covered by thu
report for that year. which amounte'
10 $142, 731,S34.
These figures, as we'll as those 70
receipts and expenditures, indicate
perceptible slackening in the rate a
which American municipalities hav
been living beyond their incomes, al
though the practice of mortgaging tn
future has by no means beer brOugh
20 a halt.
The net Indebtedness of New YOrl
City alone, 1851 ,06O, 754, is more thai
three-fifth as great as the total 60
all other cities of over 5000 takel
sagether, and is more than nine time
us great as hat for Philadelphia
which stands second in this respec