Art. III.-COMMERCIAL CITIES AND TOWNS OF THE UNITED STATES. NUMBER XXXIII. THE CITY OF NEW YORK.-PART IV. THE expense CITY FINANCES. of the government of the city, annually for the last halfcentury, appears in the following statement of the amount raised each year, for city purposes, from 1801 to 1850: 1803 75,000 1821 From these calculations it is seen, that the increase of taxation has, since 1800, far outrun the increase of population; the benefits of government to each individual costing four times as much in 1850 as 1800, and twice as much as in 1830; but we suppose no one contends that the personal advantages conferred by the municipal administration upon the citizen, have multiplied in anything like a corresponding ratio. Nor has property, rapidly as it has augmented, kept a much more even pace with the cost of protec tion, the rate per hundred of 1850, being treble that of the year 1800, and more than double that of either 1830 or even of 1840. The amount raised in like manner in Boston, was, at different periods, as follows: The amount raised by tax in Cincinnati, in 1850, was $438,345 84, equal to $3 84 per head. Although the rate of taxation per head is much larger in Boston than in New York, the burden upon property is less, the wealth of the former city being much greater in proportion to its inhabitants than that of New York. It is useless to make any comparison of the per centage of tax in the different cities, as the valuation of property varies so widely that the comparative burden imposed could not be deduced from the rates. DEBT. The debt of the city, according to the message of the Mayor, of the present year, is as follows: Permanent debt, redeemable from sinking fund.. Total. .... $14,578,908 710,000 $15,288,908 On the first of January, 1845, the permanent debt was $12,881,750 42; temporary, $1,147,914 80; total, $14,029,665 22. The following is a statement of the valuation of property in the city of New York, from 1800 to 1851, distinguishing each class of estate from The property of each kind, in the several wards, in 1836, 1843, and 1852, 1..... $35,272,466 $28,759,936 $24,129,450 $26,817,180 $39,828,183 $40,071,503 Total... 233,743,303 75,758,617 164,950,515 63,046,576 252,186,753 98,520,042 The proportionate increase of population and wealth in New York, in each consecutive period of ten years, since 1800, has been as here stated :In. population. In. property. In. pop. per ct. In, wealth pr. et. Years. 1800-10...... 35,884 $1,950,000 1810-20...... 1820-30.... By this, it appears that the period 1810-20, was that of greatest real prosperity, as during this time the increase of wealth bore a larger proportion to that of population than in any other of the periods named. The ability of the community to provide for itself whatever was desirable in the way of necessaries and comforts, was increased in this period, by above 130 per cent, while in the ten years previous it actually grew poorer by the loss of about 50 per cent, the excess of the increase of population over that of property. In the same manner, it is apparent, that the period 1840-50 has been that of least prosperity, or rather of greatest real retrograde, of any one of the successive periods of ten years since 1800. In this period, there has been an increase of 52 per cent in population above the increase of wealth, so that where there would have been a dollar in the division of property in 1840, there was in 1850 less than two-thirds of a dollar. It is evident that this is the true method of viewing our progress, as we can be said to prosper or go backward only according to the enlarged or diminished ability held by the aggregate population of the city, to supply the great aggregate of its wants. The criterion, however, is far from precise, on account of the irregularities of the valuation, which, under the best system, must come very far short of uniformity and accuracy. The additions to the population, both in 1800-10 and in 1840-50, may have been of as good material as the increase of any other period, as regards their productive ability. But this is only their capacity for future creation of wealth; while they did not bring a share corresponding with that before existing to each man to the general stock, they yet claimed a full share with the others in wages and other benefits of the existing property. The effect, of course, was in each case to diminish the general comfort, and to increase very sensibly, through the competition in labor and lessening of prices, and the increase of rent, &c., the inconveniences of the poorer classes of the population. COMPARISON OF THE VALUATION OF NEW YORK AND BOSTON SINCE 1800. The valuation of several other cities was, at different periods, as follows: The amount per head of wealth, in New York and Boston, has been, at the different periods named, as follows: 1851 8,562,717 16,801,466 Salem, Mass., 1845...... 10,084,000 74,815,865 Manchester, Eng., 1851 .. 5,346,830 WEALTH PER HEAD. The valuation in Boston, undoubtedly, is nearer the full value of the propperty, than in any other of the cities named; but, still, there is no doubt, that the amount per head is larger in Boston than in any other city of the United States, unless it be equaled by some of the large manufacturing towns of New England. Boston is certainly, in this view, the richest of all the large cities in the world. But it should be remembered that it has not to sus tain such a vast proportion of penniless emigrants as are perpetually crowding into New York, and is exempt from other causes that operate very efficiently to lessen the proportion of wealth to population in New York. Emigration, of course, in a large degree, is the means of increasing the valua tion, by the rise which it occasions in rent, and consequently in property generally, and in the impulse it gives to business; but this does not com pensate for the other effect of emigration, (as it is here,) of overcrowding all employments in the city, furnishing and replenishing perpetually a large unproductive class, and in swelling the ranks of that unthrifty multitude, who, whatever their labor may contribute to the general prosperity, are careless of their own interest, beyond the gratification of their immediate wants and desires. Of the amount in 1850, of the valuation of Boston, $74,907,100 was personal property, which is as much, within five millions, as the personal property of New York in the same year. This indicates a far more comfortable state of things among the body of the population, the mechanics, laborers, &c., than exists here. The prosperity of these classes is always measurably evidenced by the proportion which personal estate bears to real, most of their savings being necessarily converted into this species of property. The division of personal estate, according to the valuation of 1850, upon the population of the same years in the two cities, would give to each individual in New York $155 06: in Boston $539 71. A similar calculation in reference to the different wards of New York, shows that there is the least degree of comfort in the 13th and 16th wards, the division of personal property in 1850, giving but $16 11 per head in the former, and $16 71 in the latter. In the 10th ward, a like division would afford $41 29 per head; in the 8th ward, $41 37 per head; in the 6th, $45 08, and in the 4th, $46 88. In the 15th ward, the division would give $643 21 to each individual; in the 14th, $144 30, and in the 18th, $128 11. The calcu lation cannot be extended at all to the first three wards, as their position, before explained, with reference to Commerce and population, puts them on a very different footing, in general matters, from the other wards. The same circumstances, of course, affect somewhat all the wards of the city, but in very uneven degrees. Taking the wards four to thirteen, sixteen, and seventeen, embracing about 385,000 inhabitants, or near four-fifths the whole population of the city, the division, on the basis of 1850, would give but about $43 of personal property per head, and but about $320 per head of both real and personal. |