The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1924-08-28
BIG GROWTH IN
EXPENDITURES
Cost Per Capita for Municipal
Government Shows Consid-
cradle Increase.
ANOTHER BRIDGE PROPOSED
state Highway Commission Spreads
Money Over State for Most I'M
portant Hiehways-Bumper
Potato Crop.

Trenton.-In municipalities of this
state of over 1000 population the per
capita cost of government for every
inhabitant in 1928 was $500 COM
pared with $3.50 in 1917, according
to the New Jersey State League Of
Municipalities.
For the entire group OF cities over
| 1000 population the expenditures in
1917 were $32,O9O,4275O. Six years
later in 1928 the expenditures were
$56,201, 206.10. The budget estimates
for 1924 are more than $7.000,000 less.
Secretary Sedley H. Phlnney of the
league said that per capita costs had
been figured for all cities instead of
using tax rates because they are to
be a more reliable criterion by which
10 compare, since tax rates are af-
fected by the percentage of true to
assessed valuations and these are
very irregular throughout the state.
| Per capita costs give a good basis for
comparison except in the case of
shore resort cities. in which the pres
ence of large floating populations not
counted in the census figures increase
per capita costs. For example, in
1924 the average per capita cost for
the shore cities is $77.50 and in the
r1on-resort cities the average is
$3O.50 The average for the whole
group in 1924 is 5000.
In the non-resort group of cities
Plainfeld has the highest per capita
cost OF government in 1924, being
J Cd h,1J
and the 1920 population. The follow
ing are also high Bayonne, $42S0;
Hoboken, $3.50; Jersey City, $3.50;
| Newark, $34.70; East Orange, $34.30.
Among cities showing the lowest
costs are Bordentown, $3.50 and Bev-
erly, $1,000. Among the first Is larg-
est cities Orange is the lowest per
capita, with figure of $21. Others
are Trenton, $214O; Camden, $22.24,
and Paterson, $24.
The league has figured out the dis
tribution of these costs between va
rious functions of government, name
ly, police, fire, cleaning and main
tenance of streets, collection and dis
Eosal of refuse, street lighting, pub
&c health and parks and recreation.
FOR the entire municipal group, in
GLIDING cities, towns and boroughs,
police expenditures are 1916 per cent
of the total in 1924. Fire department
costs are 1872 per cent of the total.
Figures recently presented by the
United States Census Bureau indi-
cate that per capita costs of govern
ment In cities all over the country
have about doubled in the last ten
years. New Jersey cities, according
to the league. are quite comparable
with the others.
The public expects and demands an
even better scale of municipal serv-
ices, which include services that were
not common place a few years ago.
These include municipal Fairgrounds,
| gylunasiums, swimming pools and
| golf links, better police regulation of
traffic, municipal clinics for tubercu-
losis, dentistry and other services,
public water supplies, with larger
quantity, better quality and higher
pressure and many other services too
numerous to mention.
"The great increase in the number
OF automobiles and the building of
skyscrapers are factors that have
added materially to costs of munich
pal government"
Total and per capita costs of some
local governments, exclusive of
schools, are as follows:
Elizabeth, 95,6S2 population, 1917
expenditures, $1,OS1, 173.75; 1928 ex-
penditures, $2,O26, 2O6.OS; 1924 budget,
$2,199, 05505; per capita, $22.70
Perth Amboy, 41,7O7 population,
1917 expenditures, $5O4, 146.07; 1928
expenditures, S1,O32, 42103; 1924 bud
get, SILLY, 114.1S; per capita, $26. 80.
New Brunswick, 32,779 population,
1917 expenditures, $4S7,034.82; 1928
expenditures, $7S4,16O.32; 1924 bud
get, $3.50, 441.12; per CAPITA ,S27.1O.
Plainfield, 27,700 population, 1917
expenditures. $475, 1870: 1928 expen-
ditures, $76S, 4O9.43; 1924 budget, ST.
S5S,920; per capita, $48.60.
Long Branch, 1881 population,
1917 expenditures, $279,S26.2S 1928
expenditures, $472,6SS.12; 1924 bud
get, s616,655.82; per capita, s45.5O.
Asbury Park, 12,400 population,
1917 expenditures, $455, 1901; 1923
expenditures, $4S7, 2O2.17; 1924 bud
get, $470, 1883; per capita, $38.
Railway, 11,O42 population, 1917 ex-
penditures, $21S, 3OO.42; 1923 expendi-
lures, s2S4,416.44; 1924 budget, $685.
19s.09; per capita, $3.50.
South Amboy, 1896 population, 1917
expenditures, STA. 69161; 1923 ex-
penditures, $219, 14559; 1924 budget,
$148.290.55; per capita, $3.50.
Bumper Potato Crop
Central New Jersey potato growers
are beginning to harvest 1000, 900
bushel crop. Preliminary reports in
dictate it will be the finest quality crop
ever commercially produced in this
state. At least 1000 carloads will be
shipped out of the central potato belt,
1t is estimated.
The Monmouth County Farmers
| 49, l. Il