Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-26
CAPITAL IS ONLY
CASH BASIS CITY
Washington Only One Among
Largest $50 Operating
Without Indebtedness.

Washington is the only city in the
country that is operating on strictly
cash, pay-as-you-go basis, with not one
cent OF the revenue leaking out in in
terest charges on municipal debts, &C.
cording to the comparative financial
statistics of $50 cities having popu-
lation of 10000 or more for the year
1929. announced yesterday by the U. S
Census Bureau. The other 249 cities
paid in 1929 grand total of $685.
69l 900 in interest on municipal in
debtedness.
This is further official Government
confirmation of the statement made by
the U. S. Bureau of Efficiency, in its
last report on fiscal relations which
said: ut is evident that most of the
other cities are living beyond their in
come and running into debt in order
to undertake extensive programs Of
hand, Washington is living strictly
within its income and has no bonded
Indebtedness"
Per Capita Cost High.
Washington, in 1929, paid for opera
ton and maintenance of general de-
partments 500, 1897 900 and for operation
and maintenance of public service en-
terpriseS 81 ,050,000 making the tota,
cost for operation and maintenance
$50 ,387 900. This was per capita
cost of $6319 as compared with $50 AS
in 1928 and Split in 1917. This pei
capita was higher than the average OF
$3.50 for all the $50 cities. and higher
than the per capita of S51.93 in Chi
cago $6091 in Philadelphia, $46.46 in
st. Louis. 1920 in Baltimore. $3.50
in San Francisco and $500 in Mil
waukee-all of which have larger
population than Washington.
The outlay for permanent improve
ments here in 1929 was $8,839.00
Washington had no net debt. while
the net debt per capita in New York
had increased from S2195l in 1928 to
S226.33. In Chicago the per capita debt
had decreased slightly from $9327 in
1923 to 5000 in 1929. In Philadelphia
the per capita debt increased from
S2l5.13 in 1928 to $22467 in 1929 In
Detroit the per capita debt decreased
from $169.58 in 1928 to S166.45 in 1929
In Los Angeles the per capita debt de-
creased from $18857 in 1923 to $184 76
In 1929. In Cleveland the per capita
debt increased more than $40 from
$144.59 in 1928 to Sl54.95 in 1929. In
st. Louis the per capita debt increased
from 34o.Io III 1879 10 S0I.ZS IN 1879
In Baltimore the per capita debt in
creased from $17440 in 1923 to Sl86.27
in 1929. In Boston it increased from
$133.95 to $135.66.
Other Cities Cited.
In other cities in the same group
with Washington, comparable in size,
the net debt per capita was: Mime
apolis, $1122: New Orleans, S14812;
Cincinnati, slS186; Newark. S21287:
Kansas City, $121.06; Seattle, S222O3;
indianapolis. 1886; Rochester, N. Y,
S144.57; Jersey City, $22257, and in
Louisville, $8l.58
In the group of 10 cities with a
larger population than Washington the
net debt in 1929 increased in each and
every city, the largest increase being
$69, 434 900 in New York and the small
est $1,522,000 in Boston. In the 10
other cities in the same population
group with Washington Minneapolis
and Louisville. KY. were the only ones
that showed any reduction in the net
debt, while Newark, N. j., led the group
with an increase Of 1882, 900 in the
net debt.
Total Indebtedness of the cities in
1929 was $6,130,189, 900. an increase
over the previous year of $304,o17 900.