Power and Transportation.— For this man ufacturing there is available 40,000 horse power from Saint Anthony Falls. Saint Croix Falls, 70 miles distant, supply 30,000, and Coon Creek, on the Mississippi, 20 miles north of the city, 15,000. A new government dam in the Mis sissippi near Minnehaha, constructed to make the river navigable to Minneapolis, it is esti mated will produce another 40,000; and other projects yet undeveloped promise considerable more electric power. The city is well con nected with the great coal docks at Duluth, so that its industries can easily use steam as well as electric power. Altogether the city uses in all of its industries over 90,000 horse power. By virtue of its position the city early became a railroad centre. The Chicago, Milwaukee and Saint Paul; Chicago, Saint Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha: Chicago, Burlington Chicago and Rock Island; Chicago d Great Western ; Minneapolis and Saint Louis; Min neapolis, Saint Paul and Sault Sainte Marie operate some of the finest trains in the world between Minneapolis and Chicago, and provide for the shippers of Wisconsin, Iowa and Min nesota. With the grain fields of the Dakotas and with the Pacific Coast States the Great Northern, Northern Pacific, Soo Line and Chi cago, Milwaukee and Saint Paul make excel lent communication. Duluth, the tonnage of which is not exceeded by that of any port in the world, is closely bound to Minneapolis by four of these lines. A system of trolley lines is being developed that promises to greatly in crease the trade of the city with its immediate territory. The completion of the government dam in the Mississippi, that makes Minneapolis the head of navigation on the river, has al ready persuaded the city to construct its own wharves suitable for the landing of freight from barges.
The city has four national, 33 State, four savings banks and three trust com panies. In these the total capital invested is $16, 560,000; the total deposits, $194,463,611. In 1917 the bank clearings amounted to $1,662,078,303.37. The city is the centre for the Ninth Federal Reserve District. It is connected on the one hand with the rural banks of the great agricul tural territory of the Dakotas, Montana, Min nesota and parts of Iowa and Wisconsin that are tributary to Minneapolis, and on the other with the powerful financial' institutions of the East. Thus it not only serves to finance the crop moving, but also to guide capital to the investment. nvestment. The Minneapolis banks have done a great deal to forward education among the farmers of the Northwest, especially en couraging expert training in agriculture.
The total assessed valuation of Minneapolis is $216,000,000, the total taxable wealth $864,000,000. This produces a revenue of $8,640,000, of which $2,226,1• is spent for current expenses; $2,898,500 for education; $1,002,188 for interest; $587,799 for police protection; $542,540 for parks; $500,000 for fire protection and $329,700 for library equip ment and support. The bonded indebtedness of Minneapolis is $29,000,000; and for the retirement of bonds an annual allowance, or sinking fund, of $635,000 is provided. Miscel laneous expenses make up the total budget. It should be understood that the Tax Law of Minnesota provides that assessments he made on a 40 per cent valuation of all property. On this basis the total taxable wealth of the city is $864,000,000. In addition to the rate for city purposes a State and county tax amounting to nine mills is levied, so that altogether $10,584, 000 is raised within the city.
Buildings, Parks, etc.— In the late eigh ties many handsome buildings were erected, including the Public Library, Guaranty Loan (now Metropolitan Life) Building, West Hotel and several churches, notably the First Bap tist. The city hall and courthouse, begun in 1887 and finished in 1909 at a cost of $3,000,000, post office, Security Bank, McKnight, First Na tional-Soo Line, Plymouth and Metropolitan Bank buildings and the Andrews, Dyckman, Leamington and Radisson hotels are good types of modern architecture. The Art Institute, Im maculate Conception Procathedral, Plymouth (Congregational), Hennepin AVCillIc, the cost liest Methodist church in the world,land Saint Mark's Procathedral, said to be the best ex ample of pure Gothic in the United States, are recent additions to the beauty of the city. The great variety of landscape has made pos sible the building of many houses of fine archi tectural design. The city has taken advantage of its variety of scenic features in its plannino of an extensive park system. Altogether there are 3,820 acres in the system, of which 1,211 are water. The largest park is Glenwood, con taining 586 acres. Other popular resorts are Lake Harriet, Minnehaha Falls and Riverside, the last named of which is being enlarged to include land bordering on the lake formed by the widening of the Mississippi above the new government dam. One unique feature of the system is the connection by canals of Brownie, Lake of the Isles, Cedar and Calhoun lakes making possible a canoe or launch trip of nine miles. Another is the Grand Rounds, a system of boulevards bordering the lakes on the western boundary, crossing the Mississippi near the northern city limits, parall-ling Shin gle Creek, and descending to enter Glenwood Park on the western edge of the city, com pleting thus a circuit in which every possible variety of landscape, save ocean view, is pre sented. From the centre of the city the Grand Rounds is entered through the Parade on the west, and through the grounds of the Univer sity of Minnesota on the east, of the river. In all there are 55 miles of drives. In the past decade recreational facilities have been greatly increased to accommodate all classes of people, until now the city supports golf, tennis and other pastimes in 39 playgrounds, canoeing, bathing and skating. Calhoun Beach accom modated 166,830 persons during the season of 1917 and other lakes 130,000. The board also provides for fishermen and maintains a regular launch service. It conducts 35 ice-skating and hockey rinks. Minneapolis owns its own water system, including a filtration plant valued at $1,000,000. It has 580 miles of water main, 409 miles of sewers, 135 miles of straightway and 255 miles of 27 feet paving. Of its 881 miles of streets only 94 are still ungraded. The streets lighted by electricity total 469 miles, those lighted by gas, 96. All lighting, except for the two wards adjacent to the mu nicipal garbage consumer, is done by and the street car service is simi larly conducted. On account of the absence of steep grades and natural obstructions to traffic it has been relatively easy to provide the city with through lines that materially re duce the cost of operation and keep the serv ice uniform. A five-cent fare wi.h transfer privileges prevails. Four lines connect the cen tre of the city with that of Saint Paul.