New-York tribune., 1918-07-24
States Governed for
Less Than Cities
Municipal Per Capita Cost
1881, Against $5.08
for Commonwealth

WASHINGTON, July 23-Twenty of
the forty-eight states Of the Union
spent more than they took in during
the fiscal year Of 1917. The excess Of
their expenditures over their revenues
amounted to s2O,910,984, or al cents
per capita, according to report on
state finances just made public by the
Bureau of the Census. In the remain
ing twenty eight states the revenues
exceeded the outlay by S26,332 ,497, or
81 cents per capita. The orty-eight
states, considered as unity, had an
! excess of revenues over expenditures
of S5,421,513, or cents per capita.
The various state governments re-
ported their aggregate revenues to be
S522,924,738 and their aggregate ex-
penditures for current governmental
costs, including debt service, to be
$449,592,373. Moreover, the total out
lay in the forty-eight states for per-
manent improvements reached $67,-
910,847.
Three-fourths of all the revenues
was derived from taxation of various
kinds-s409, 1854 ,S98 Of this amount, 45
per cent came from the general prop
erty tax on real estate and personal
property. Of the other 55 per cent, the
largest item, $94,8O7,8SO was con-
trlbuted by special property, $13,3S7 ,239
came from other special taxes, $50, ,927,-
4l6 was raised from business taxes
(not including the liquor traffic.,
S22 2,439,941 came from the liquor
traffic, $25,830,320 originated from IL
cense taxes other than business, and
$2,l1,897 was received from poll taxes.
The business earnings of the several
departments of the states constituted
the next largest source of income.
These we're made up largely of fees,
| charges and minor sales of the many
departmental Offices in the state gov
ernments. During the fiscal year 1917
$62, ,o3l,7 ,7o1 from this direction became
available. interest on current deposits
and on the various state funds reached
S25,394,714, and other avenues of in
come-speclal assessments and special
charges for outlays. fines, forfeits and
ee;scheats, subventions and grants from
the Federal government, donations,
pension assessments, highway privi-
| leges, rents and earnings of public
service terprises-yielded a total
of $25, 1873, $40.
Receipts from Property Taxes
In the forty-eight states the per
capita receipts from property taxes
were $2.|o; from other taxes, $1.3O;
I from earnings of the general depart
mPnfS o,,I
sources combined, SO cents. The high
est per capita property taxes, $8O6,
are shown for Nevada, and the lowest
II cents, for Delaware.
The expenditures during the year for
governmental costs, which aggregated
S517 SOB, ,220, were, in the order of their
Importance, for expenses of general
departments, $426,329 ,432; for outlays,
$67,91O,847; for interest $21 ,153 ,O61;
for expenses of public service enter
prlses railroads, toll bridges, ferries,
canals, docks and wharves, maintained
by thirteen states only), $2,1O9,S $50.
Expenses of general departments com
prlsed payments for education (schools
and libraries), S161 ,292, ,951; for chari-
ties, hospitals and corrections, S1O3,-
4oo, 1852; for general government"
Legislative, executive and judicial
branches), $45,414,1S3; for protection
to person ard property (Polce and Fire
departments, militia and armories,
regulation of corporations, professional
occupations. labor, liquor traffic, sale of
certain commodities and weights and
measures), 30,297 ,595; for highways,
$50 '63o,777; for general and mscel-
laneous items, including pensions and
gratuitics, $20.9l2,903; for DEVELOPMENT
and conservation Of natural resources,
SlS,9S8,9I6; for conservation of health
and sanitation, $11, ,256,89S, and for edu-
cational and general recreation, parks
and reservations and monuments. ST.
O91 1897.
The average per capita expenditures
tor all governmental costs, including
interest and outlays. in the forty eight
states were S5.08. The highest figure
shown Tor any one state, S11.24, is that
for Arizona, and the lowest. s2.O5. for
North Carolina. The average age per pei
capita expenditures for all govern
mental costs. including interest but ex-
cludlng outlays, were S442 The high
est figure appearing under this head
for any state is that for Nevada, $40 60,
and the lowest is shown for South Car
olina, $1.S6.
Light Demand on Inhabitants
Compared with the relatively ex-
travagant municipal governments. the
state governments made light financial
demands on their inhabitants. For the
2l9 cities of more than 10000 popula
tlon' the average per capita expendi-
lures for all government costs, includ-
| ing interest and outlays, during the
hscal year 1917, amounted to S33
against the corresp spending figure for
the states of S5.0S
In all except five of the states the
revenue receipts exceeded the paw
merits tor current governmental cx-
penses and interest," and in twenty
elSht the revenues exceeded the total
expenditures for governmental costs.
including interest and outlays These
tWenty.elght states were New Hamp-
shire, MASSACHUSETTS, Connecticut. New
Jersey, Penns ylvania. Indiana, Wis
consln. minnesota, North Dakota, South
dakota, Nebraska, Kansas, Delaware,
Virginia, West Virginia. North Caro-,
Ina, Georgia. Louisiana. Oklahoma
Texas, Montana, Wyoming, Colorado
Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Washington
and Oregon. The greatest excess. So
99o,l4o, was shown in Texas. Other
states IN which the excess was more
than s1.OO0,o00 were Connecticut, with
S3,fOO,579; Minnesota, 1892, ,073, Okla
homa, $2,110,977; Montana, S2.1O6,953 !;
New Jersey, s2,033 524; Pennsylvania,
+ Sl,894,676, and Indiana. S1535. .344. The
greatest per capita excess of expendi-