Financial Statistics of Cities Having a Population of Over 30,000 Volume 1909 (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1913 Excerpt: ...the towage equipment in Portland, Oreg., and the public land in Charleston. The public land reported by Charleston is land which the city plans to improve and sell as building lots. Table 20. Value of public improvements.---The value shown for public improvements is the estimated cost of replacing them in as good condition as at the time of appraisal, which is generally about the same as the actual cost of construction modified by allowances for (1) changes that may have occurred in the prices of materials and labor, and (2) depreciation. In theory, such values may be ascertained within a reasonable degree of accuracy, but in practice, the administrative significance of such values not being appreciated, the estimates for many cities either have not been made or have been far from accurate or complete. It is on account of this fact that no totals are shown in the table. The valuation of improvements in the new cities of the West is a comparatively easy problem, and that fact undoubtedly accounts for the somewhat more complete figures for those cities than for the older cities in the Eastern states. Nearly all public improvements fall naturally under one or.the other of the broad titles "Sewer systems" and "Highways." A few cities, however, reported valuations, small in the aggregate, for such improvements as levees., unproductive docks and wharves, retaining walls, etc., which can not logically be classed under either of the above headings and which are, therefore, shown by themselves in a column headed "All other public improvements." Of the 158 cities, 135 reported for sewer systems an aggregate value of $351,091,519; 117 cities reported for street pavements, gutters, and curbing an aggregate value of $538,827,451; 75 cities ...