Problems of government and administration in Boston are in a number of cases of deep concern to more than the city. Many of them are truly metropolitan problems. For this rea son the legislature of the State has deemed it wise to take out of the hands of the city gov ernment, as such, the control of the police, the water supply, the main drainage system and the park system. Each one of these depart ments is controlled by State-appointed officers, and their annual budgets are practically manda tory upon the city. The police system has at its head a single commissioner appointed by the governor forafive-year term. His police jurisdiction extends only to the bounds of the city proper. Parks, water supply and the main drainage and sewerage system are under State commissions whose jurisdictions cover more than the city, including, indeed, many cities and towns in the metropolitan district.
The city is thus hedged about on all sides by the control of the State. It has also been compelled to assume a very large portion of the metropolitan debt. On 1 July 1914, the city was carrying 77 per cent of the metropolitan water debt, 59 per cent of most of the park debt, 43 per cent of most of the sewer debt and also some minor debts of the larger district, the total metropolitan debt borne by the city being over $35,000,000. On 1 Feb. 1915, the total net debt of the city was $81,974,576, or about $110 per capita. The city of New York alone among American cities exceeded this per capita in debtedness. This rising tide of municipal in debtedness, coupled with a steady increase in the annual payments for current expenses, has recently given people both within and outside the city the idea that Boston is the most ex pensively governed city in the United States.
In 1913 the per capita payments for all gov ernmental costs amounted to $45.06. New York, with per capita expenditures of $46.78, was the only American city to exceed Boston in expenditures. The average for all cities of over 500,000 population was $37.56. When put upon a basis of expenditures per $1,000 of as sessed valuation, Boston and New York both make much better showings, Boston's being even better than New York's. The tax rate in 1914 on 100 per cent valuation was $17.50, of which $13.57 was for municipal purposes. Over $24,000,000 of the net debt of the city is for rapid transit purposes, mainly subways, and is self-paying. Nevertheless, when all possible deductions and allowances are made, the city's financial operations during the past 20 years have laid themselves open to much criticism. From 1903 to 1907, inclusive, public borrow ings increased by almost $6,500,000 annually. These criticisms bore fruit in 1907 in the cre ation of the finance commission, which was in 1909 made a permanent State commission, though the city continues to pay the bills. This commission has done a great deal to point out defects in the city's financial operations and its reports are of considerable value to the student of municipal government. It serves also to educate the more intelligent among the voters. It was the work of this commission in its first two years which brought about the important changes in the government of the city which were effected in 1909.