The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-11-18
AMERICAN CITIES
HEAVILY IN DEBT
Large Percentage Spend
More Than Total
Revenue
REPORT OF 1918

Ill Ifi OF the III American cities OF
more than 10000 population the excess
of expenditures for governmental
costs, including interest and Outlays
for permanent improvements, over rev.
enues during the fiscal year 1915
amounted to '$70,9 900, or $3.48 per
capita. In the remaining eighty cities
the excess of revenues over expendi.
lures was SOC, 323, 900, or $1.6O per
capita. Taking the entire 227 cities as
a group, the excess of expenditures
over revenues amounted to $48,6OO,.
$50, or j$1.42 per capita. The net in
debtedness Of these cities averaged
$77.53 per capita.
The aggregate revenues Of all the
cities during the year were 81, 124,O94,-
1893, the aggregate expenditures for cur
rent expenses and interest, $S94.332,-
1892; and the aggregate outlays, $278,-
1853, 437. OF the total revenues, $780,.
577,487, or 70 per cent, represents re-
ceipts from the various kinds of taxes.
The bulk of this amount, sos, 723, 1853,
was derived from taxes on real and
personal property.
l. Liquor Taxes Decline Sharply.
OF the remaining receipts from taxes,
the largest item, $35, 576,3S3, was de.
rived from taxes on the liquor traffic.
This amount is smaller by $1,398,O00
than the corresponding sum for the
fiscal year 1917. Next to taxes, the
source of the largest item of revenue
Is found in the earnings Of public
service enterprises, which amounted to
SIG, 494645. This sum is considerably
more than double the amount of pay
ments for expenses Of public service
enterprises, $55, 174,4S0, thus leaving
net revenue of 61,320,165. The bulk
Of the earnings of public service enter.
prises came from water supply sys.
TENS, from which receipts aggregated
500, 139, 705.
Another important source of revenue
consisted of special assessments and
special charges, the bulk of which
were for OUTLAWS, aggregating $72, 673,.
7S5. This sum is appreciably smaller
than the corresponding amount for the
preceding year, $S3,195596. For all
the cities taken as a whole the per
capita receipts from property taxes
amounted to $21.03, from other taxes
81; from earnings Of public service en-.
terprises, $3.50; from special assess.
ments and special charges for OUTLAWS,
$2.12; and, from all other sources com.
bined, 1920.
The expenditures during the year for
governmental costs in these 227 cities,
which aggregated $1,172.695, 1929, were
in the order Of their Importance: For
expenses of general departments, $780,.
16O,283; for OUTLAWS, SITS, 1888, 437; for
interest on Indebtedness, $148 997, 629
and for expenses of public service en-.
terprises $55, 174,480. The amount ex.
pended for OUTLAWS was. somewhat !
smaller than the corresponding sum for
the preceding year, $2s6,529, 800.
The average per capita expenditures
for all governmental costs, including
interest and outlays, amounted to
$34.16, and for all governmental costs,
including interest but excluding out.
lays, the average per capita payments
were $26.O5. The payments for gov
ernmental costs, including interest and
OUTLAWS, exceeded the revenues by $4S,.
6O0,930 or SLAP per capita, but the
revenues exceeded the payments for
current expenses and interest by $229,.
752 ,507, an amount equal to four-ffths
Of the total OUTLAWS, which aggregated
$278, 1865, 437.
Cities About Paying Way.
In other words, the cities Of over
10000, taken as group, are paying
from their revenues all their current
departmental expenses and interest,
and four-fifths Of their OUTLAWS. In all
but four cities the revenue receipts
exceeded the payments for current gov
expenses and interest, and
In 80, or 35 per cent of the total mum.
Der, the revenues exceeded the entire
expenditures for governmental costs,
Including interest and OUTLAWS. During
The preceding fiscal year the revenues
exceeded the total expenditures in 30
cities.
The net Indebtedness for the 227
titles amounted to $2,661, 1,218, or
S7753 per capita. The net increase
Turing the fiscal year, $59, 191, 1852, was
much less than the corresponding in
.rease during the preceding fiscal year,
which amounted to $9S,848,896. The
let Indebtedness of New York City,
i 005, 055, 422, is more than three-fifths
IS great as the total for all other cities
# over 10000, and is more than seven
ines as great as that for Philadelphia,
which stands second in this respect,
With $136, 1S3,943.
fan Captures Snake With Two Heads.
A snake having two distinct and
7ell-formed. heads separated at the
eek was captured by s.. E. Fitz of