Great Cities in America: Their Problems and Their Government

Front Cover
Macmillan, 1910 - Cities and towns - 426 pages
 

Contents

The era of Alexander R Shepherd
27
Taxation assessment revenues expenditures and debt
33
PAGE
43
Alleys tenements and shanties
44
558
56
NEW YORK 27 The worlds metropolis of wealth and municipal ex travagance
67
The citys early charters
69
Guaranties and inhibitions of the state constitution
75
What is the matter with Philadelphia?
81
The control of the city by the state legislature
82
State administrative control in New York
83
The revolt of John Weaver
84
The aftermath of the revolution 259 262
85
The charter of Greater New York
86
The water works another candidate for private operation
87
The five boroughs
88
Public health and charities
89
The borough presidents
90
Local improvements
92
The mayor
93
The shadow of a city council
94
The commission form of government under another name
96
The granting of franchises
98
Rapid transit franchises
101
The executive departments
106
The mayor and his duties
107
The powers and functions of the comptroller
109
The corporation counsel
110
The police department
112
Charter legislation prior to 1909
113
Public baths gymnasia and convenience stations
114
Rapid transit in Boston
115
The department of statistics
116
The department of water supply gas and electricity 46 The streetcleaning department
120
Control of the citys parks
122
The department of bridges
124
Docks and ferries
129
Public charities and subsidies to private charities
135
The citys penal institutions
138
Activities of the board of health
139
Tenement house supervision
144
The fire service
150
The citys schools
154
The public libraries
158
The assessment of property for taxation
164
PAGE
168
Wealth debt the sinking funds and the tax rate
169
The army of the civil service
175
Reports of official work
177
The future of New York
179
CHAPTER IV
182

Other editions - View all

Common terms and phrases

Popular passages

Page 75 - It shall be the duty of the Legislature to provide for the organization of cities and incorporated villages, and to restrict their power of taxation, assessment, borrowing money, contracting debts, and loaning their credit, so as to prevent abuses in assessments and in contracting debt by such municipal corporations...
Page 23 - ... would be both too great a public pledge to be left in the hands of a single State and would create so many obstacles to a removal of the government as still further to abridge its necessary independence.
Page 22 - The indispensable necessity of complete authority at the seat of government carries its own evidence with it. It is a power exercised by every legislature of the Union, I might say of the world, by virtue of its general supremacy.
Page 77 - ... any debt hereafter incurred by the city of New York for a public improvement owned or to be owned by the city, which yields to the city current net revenue, after making any necessary allowance for repairs and maintenance for which the city is liable, in excess of the interest on said debt and of the annual...
Page 81 - Appointments and promotions in the civil service of the State, and of all the civil divisions thereof, including cities and villages, shall be made according to merit and fitness to be ascertained, so far as practicable, by examinations, which, so far as practicable, shall be competitive...
Page 81 - But no law shall authorize the construction or operation of a street railroad except upon the condition that the consent of the owners of one-half in value of the property bounded on, and the consent also of the local authorities having the control of that portion of a street or highway upon which it is proposed to construct or operate such railroad be first obtained...
Page 141 - In the presence of great and imminent peril to the public health by reason of impending pestilence...
Page 97 - Of the total of sixteen votes, a controlling number, nine are cast by the Mayor, the Comptroller, and the President of the Board of Aldermen.
Page 99 - Every such grant shall specify the mode of determining any valuation therein provided for, and shall make adequate provision by way of forfeiture of the grant, or otherwise, to secure efficiency of public service at reasonable rates, and the maintenance of the property in good order throughout the term of the grant.
Page 140 - The board of health is hereby authorized and empowered, from time to time, to add to and to alter, amend, or annul any part of the said sanitary code, and may therein publish additional provisions for the security of life and health in the city of New York...

Bibliographic information