Evening journal., 1921-03-14
MONDAY, MARCH IA, 1921
FINANCES or CITIES.

nNE OF The most wOrris0me things in connection with
~ the administration OF the affairs of Wilmington is
that which has to do with finance
No one to put up the and the rate
TO points necessary 10 yield sufficient to me
cty's activities as they ought to be
In consequence, few, II any. Of departments have
at command under the city budget the money needed
70 do the Things they ought to do, and in most instances
would like to do
Added to those things the handcaps which city
suffers through being compelled its affairs under
Old patched-up and unscentinc charter.
In connection with this matter Of city finance in its
local aspect we feel that Wimingtonans will find
much that OF interest TO them in a report entitled
"Financia Statistics OF Cities Having Population Of
over 10000 in 1919" II to be issued by Director
sam. l.. Rogers, OF the Bureau Of the Census Depart
ment OF Commerce. This report, which compiled
under the direction OF Mr. Starke Grogan chief stats-
ucian for state and city statistics gives detailed data in
ments the tax rates and eves the indebtedness and the
assets OF the 227 cities in this class.
For The 227 cities taken together The payments for
governmental costs including interest and outays
coeded the by s. 92i or 20 cents per capita
but the exceeded the payments for current
penses and interest by S269O3633 an amount equal
than nne-enths OF their outays The payments fol
outays or permanent improvements aggregated s255t
5 In other words the cities Of 10000 taken
group paid from their all their current depart
mental expenses and interest and une-ients OF ihei
outlays.
all but four cities the receipts exceeded IN
payments FOR current governmental expenses and in
erest H. 80 per Of the total number
cred by the report Including some OF The larger cities
the revenues exceeded the entire expenditures for gov
emmental costs, including interest and oulays. Durinl
The preceding fiscal year The exceeded the ioa
expenditures In so cities or 30 per cent OF the entire
number covered by The report for mat year
The aggregate for all The cities during the yea
were si22iil27ii or 1852 per capita The per capt
receipts from property taxes amounted TO S23i3 from
other taxes s2iO; from earnings OF public
prises, $685. from special assessments and specia
charges for ouilays si99; and from all other source
combined sL3. There Sl23s696 derived from take
the liquor tranc and this amount is smaller b.
s32576s7 than The corresponding sum reported for IN
fiscal year 1915
The expenditures during the year for governments
in these SgI cities which aggregated si23iiS5
s355S per capita in the order OF their importance
For expenses OF general OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES execu
tive and Judicial establishments schools police and nr
departments sanitation, etc-s2i75 per capita for out
lays s3s per capta for interest Indebtedness s52
capiia and for expenses OF public enterprises
waier-supply systems electric ght and power systems
docks whaVes landings, ec-Si92 per ca. ita. The pc
capita s53S expended for outlays permanent improve
mcnls smaller than the corresponding payment 10
the preceding year, SSH.
Next to taxes t1e Of The largest item Of rev,
Is found In the earnings Of public service enter
prscs, which amounted to 1927 39925s This sum is IA
in excess Of The amount Of payments for expenses
public service enterprises S667OOO66 thus leaving a n,
revenue from this source Of s6O699 1872 or si76 pc
capita The bulk OF the earnings OF public service enter
prises from water-suppy systems from which N
receipts aggregated Se5s3OiO6i.
The net Indebtedness funded and floating debt less "A
general sinking funds for the entire 2g7 elite
amounted to s269l oisii. or s17s2 per capita The NJ
Increase during the fiscal year for all the cities was vei
much less than the corresponding increase during q
preceding fiscal year
The net indebtedness Of New York city alone sOO93C
o52 is almost ihree-nfhs as great the total for
other cities Of 10000 taken together and is mo
than times great that for Philadelphia Viii,
stands second in This respect with a net Indebtedness
siii,76i9i5