The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1917-07-19
Growth of New Form of Munich
pal Government Shown by
Uncle Sans Figures.
FINANCES IN DETER SHAPE
Revenues Provide For All Of Current
Expenses and Three-Fourths Of
Cost of All Permanent
improvements.

cltles Oh more than 3O,OUO population,
or nearly ~ per cent of the entire
number, are now operating under the
commission form of government.
These figures are brought out in a
report compiled by representatives of
Uncle Sans census bureau on the
financial condition Of all cities in the
country having population of more
than 10000 in 1916. Many cities Of
less than 10000 population, concern
ing which the census bureau does not
obtain statistics, have also adopted
the commission plan.
The eighty-nine large cities which
have commission governments are scat
tered throughout % states, in addition
to the District of Columbia, ranging
from Massachusetts to Washington
and from South Carolina to Califor-
mia. Six of them are in New England,
80 in other Northern states east of
the Mississippi, 10 in Northern states
between the Mississippi and the Pa
cific Coast states, 10 In the Pacific
Coast states, and 25 in the South.
The largest city ut present operat-
Ing under the commission form of gov.
eminent is Buffalo, whose population
Is estimated ut about 475,OOO.
Expenditures Exceed Incomes.
In 149 of the 213 cities covered by
the census bureau report, the excess
Of expenditures for governmental
costs, including interest and OUTLAWS
for permanent improvements, over rev.
enues, during the fiscal year 1916,
amounted to $SGO13,326, or $36S per
capita. In the remaining Ga cities the
excess of revenues over expenditures
was S12,422, $50, or $1.4O per capita.
Taking the entire 213 cities as q
group, the excess of expenditures over
revenues amounted to $73,591 ,O7O, or
1928 per capita. The net indebted
ness Of these cities averaged $7G.G4
per capita-a figure nearly eight times
rs great as the corresponding one for
the national government.
The aggregate population of these
213 cities was estimated ut 32,27OOOO,
or nearly 80 per cent of the total pop
ulation Of the country. They range
In size from New York city, with s..
4GS,OOO, to Madison, Wis.,, with 3O,1OO.
One of the most noteworthy charac-
teristics of the social and Industrial
life of the nation is the growth of ur-
ban at the expense of rural commu-
mites. The extent to which this has
occurred since the first census of the
Jynitm1 StntoS 1voS tol-on In 1cOO 10
brought out in a striking manner by
comparing the population of New York
then the only city of over 3O,00O-
In that year with the aggregate pupu-
lation Of the 213 cities which are cS,
mated to have had more than 3O,ooo
inhabitants each in the fiscal year
1916 New York, in the earlier year,
not long after the close of the Revolt
ton. reported a population of :&.1"l,
or only fOur-fiftlls of l per cent of the
total for the country; whereas in Iii"
fiscal year 1915 the 213 cities covered
by the bureaus report were estimated
to have a combined population OF NOR"
than ;S2.0O0,OOO, or nearly 32 per cent
of the total for the country. During
this period of about century and y
quarter the population in cities of
over 10000 increased nearly Il thnn-
shndfold, whereas that Of the entif~
country increased only about twenty
tvefold. The population of New York
city alone in the later year was 49,
times as great as in the earlier.
Revenues Near Billion.
The aggregate revenues of the ~
cities during the year amounted t"
S994,710.241; the aggregate eXrrnGi
lures for current governmental cp>~.
including interest, to $3.50, 7422.Gl3; a!'l
the aggregate OUTLAWS for permanent
improvements to S2S7 .55S,GGS.
The expenditures during the year
for governmental costs in These u"
cities. which aggregated S1,0Gs.3O1. l.
differed but slightly in amount from
the cost of conducting the federal gov
eminent.
The average per capita expenditures
for all governmental costs, including
Interest and outlaws in the 213 cities
amounted to $33.11, sum consider
as the per capita cost of conducting
the federal government, $1O.36; and
for all governmental costs, includn.
interest but excluding OUTLAWS, the av-
erage per capita payments of the
cities were $24.2O.
For the entire 213 cities taken to-
gether, the payments for government
tai costs, including interest and out
lays. exceeded the revenues by S71',-
591,O7O, or $2.2S per capita; but the
revenues exceeded the current eX-
penses and interest by $213.9G7. 59S, an
amount equal to nearly three-fourtli>
of the total OUTLAWS. which aggregated
$287, 55S,G6S. In other words, the cities
Of over 10000, taken as Il group. are
paying, from their revenues. all their
current expenses and interest and
nearly three-fOurths Of their OUTLAWS.
81, lc Ia -, ,(,>.,