Chapter 486, Acts of 1909, Sect. 46.-"Shall there be an Election for Mayor at the Next Municipal Election?" (Question submitted at State election in the second year of the Mayor's term.) Defeated November 7, 1911. Yes, 37,682; no, 32,142, the vote required for adoption being a majority of all the registered voters (i. e., 54,194) instead of a majority of the actual voters.

Chapter 469, Acts of 1911.-"An Act to Annex the Town of Hyde Park to the City of Boston." Adopted by Boston, November 7, 1911. Yes, 51,242; no, 14,281. Adopted by Hyde Park at same date. Yes, 1,434; no, 1,247.

Chapter 661, Acts of 1912.-"An Act to Provide for the Widening and Laying Out of Certain Streets or Thoroughfares in the City of Boston." Adopted November 5, 1912. Yes, 37,313; no, 19,849.

Chapter 667, Acts of 1913.—“An Act to Authorize the City of Boston to Appropriate Money to be Added to the Rental of East Boston Tunnel." Adopted January 13, 1914. Yes, 35,121; no, 26,588.

Chapter 646, Acts of 1914.-"Shall the Act providing for the election of a City Council of seventeen members, by districts, be accepted?" Defeated November 3, 1914. Yes, 26,229; no, 47,355.

Chapter 486, Acts of 1909, Sect. 46.-"Shall there be an Election for Mayor at the Next Municipal Election?" (Question submitted (second instance) at State election in the second year of the Mayor's term.) Defeated November 2, 1915. Yes, 47,396; no, 35,784, the vote required for adoption being a majority of all the registered voters (i. e., 56,990) instead of a majority of the actual voters.

Order of the City Council, November 29, 1915.- "Shall the consent of the inhabitants of Boston be given to the widening of Boylston street by the taking of a portion of Boston Common for said purpose?" The same question submitted as to Park street and as to Tremont street, making three separate referenda. Defeated at City election, December 14, 1915. Vote on Boylston street yes, 27,771; no, 47,041. On Park street yes, 27,698; no, 46,539. On Tremont street - yes, 20,599; no, 47,192.

Order of the City Council, December 8, 1919.-"Shall the consent of the inhabitants of Boston be given to the widening of Tremont street to a uniform width of forty-three feet between curbs, by the taking of a portion of Boston Common for said purpose?"

The same question submitted as to Boylston street, making two separate referenda. Adopted at City election, December 16, 1919. Vote on Tremont street yes, 23,404; no, 16,101. On Boylston street — yes,

23,300; No, 15,861.

Chapter 471, Acts of 1920.-"Shall the Act

providing for

the election of a City Council of fifteen members, by districts, be accepted?" Defeated November 2, 1920. Yes, 56,324; No, 79,353.

ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS.

ASSESSED VALUATION AND TAX RATE, 1922.

Total assessed valuation as of April 1, 1922, $1,677,861,774, or $1,501,615,100 real estate and $176,246,674 personal. Increase over 1921 in realty valuation, $80,635,500; increase in personalty, $1,479,331; total increase, $82,114,831.

Total tax rate, $24.70 per $1,000 of valuation, or the same as in 1921, divided thus: City tax, $20.37 or 0.81 more than in 1921 ($8.04 of this for schools); County tax, $1.49; State tax, $2.84 or 0.85 less than in 1921. Total tax warrant, $43,968,926.28 (i. e., $1,489,269.80 more than in 1921) or $36,475,820.45 City tax; $2,582,872.53 County tax and $4,910,233.30 State tax also Metropolitan and other State assessments. Total number of taxable polls, 232,918, exemption of service-men being no longer in effect, but an abatement of $3.00 (i. e., the war poll tax in effect to 1923 incl.) is allowed to World War service-men.

SEGREGATED BUDGET, OR APPROPRIATIONS, ETC.

FOR FINANCIAL YEAR, 1922-23.

Seventh year of new method with annual appropriations. Budget for City and County for year 1922-23 passed by City Council May 8 and approved by Mayor, May 9, 1922. Total appropriated from taxes miscellaneous income, Water Service revenue, etc., $32,636,355, of which $22,585,209 was for City purposes within tax limit; $5,743,394 for City debt requirements; $2,535,237 for County purposes (including $150,466 for County debt requirements), and $1,379,561 for Water Service, etc. Special appropriations included in budget were: Reconstructing and Repairing Streets by Contract, $750,000; Street Improvements, $250,000; Granolithic Sidewalks, $50,000; Bridges, repairs, etc., $86,000. The Legislature having again raised the tax limit, to $12.25 for 1922 on each $1,000 of the 3-year average valuation (i. e., $1,557,388,410), the amount available for appropriations inside tax limit was $19,078,008, plus estimated miscellaneous revenue of $4,338,450 and cash surplus from 1921 of $2,039,134 or a total of $25,455,592.

Maintenance appropriations of School Committee, $11,841,232 (incl. $1,100,000 for Schoolhouse Dept.); special appropriations from Tax Levy etc., for schoolhouses and sites, $2,746,749; total for schools, $14,587,981. Grand total of appropriations from Ordinary revenue (incl. later additions) $47,934,132 or $1,436,220 more than in 1921. Adding the State Tax (i. e., $3,302,400) and State assessments levied (i. e., $1,610,151), amounting to $4,912,551, made an aggregate of $52,846,683 or 46.48 per cent 5-year increase, i. e., over the corresponding total in 1917.

The notable items of increase over the appropriations for 1921-22 are School Committee, $495,241; Soldiers' Relief Dept., $388,481; Serial Debt Requirements, $238,821; Overseers of Public Welfare, $134,578; County General Expenses, $120,055; Reserve Fund, $100,000; Public Works Dept., $91,952; Election Dept., $61,427; Police Dept., $52,136; Public Buildings Dept., $51,280; Fire Dept., $50,017; Institutions Dept. (House of Correction) $21,779; Dept. of Mayor, $17,655; Health Dept., $11,234.

Items of decrease are: Sinking Fund Requirements, City Debt, $125,843; Interest, City Debt, $38,585; Institutions Dept., $15,503; Park Dept., $13,646; Boston Sanatorium, $8,503; Assessing Dept., $5,602; Library Dept., $5,127. The total of Special Appropriations from Tax Levy, Etc., was $3,890,592 or $261,740 less than in 1921.

In the five years 1917-22, the total regular appropriations increased $14,459,292 or 48.87 per cent; the special appropriations (i. e., from Tax Levy, etc.) increased $2,277,666 or 141.21 per cent, of which $1,805,775 or 124 per cent was due to the unprecedented demands of the School Committee. Until recently their demands for land and new buildings for schools were mostly met by loans.

For full schedule of appropriations 1917 to 1922, inclusive, arranged in 5-year comparative table, with per cent of each department's allowance to the whole budget, see pages 242 and 243.

ADULT RESIDENTS OF BOSTON LISTED BY POLICE, 1922.

In accordance with Chap. 114, Acts of 1921, the listing of residents, citizens and aliens alike, as of April 1, 1922, by name, age, occupation and place of residence included all women 20 years of age or over, as well as men. The number of each, by wards, follows:-Ward 1, 7,547 men and 7,565 women, 15,112 total; Wd. 2, 10,325 and 9,108 or 19,433 total; Wd. 3, 5,685 and 5,356 or 11,041 total; Wd. 4, 5,095 and 4,661 or 9,756 total; Wd. 5, 20,185 and 14,215 or 34,400 total; Wd. 6, 13,619 and 10,976 or 24,595 total; Wd. 7, 15,272 and 14,656 or 29,928 total; Wd. 8, 11,969 and 16,550 or 28,519 total; Wd. 9, 8,498 and 7,918 or 16,416 total; Wd. 10, 7,884 and 8,206 or 16,030 total; Wd. 11, 8,590 and 8,413 or 17,003 total; Wd. 12, 8,559 and 8,889 or 17,448 total; Wd. 13, 9,071 and 9,625 or 18,696 total; Wd. 14, 7,683 and 9,384 or 17,067 total; Wd. 15, 8,142 and 9,064 or 17,206 total; Wd. 16, 8,827 and 10,428 or 19,255 total; Wd. 17, 8,255 and 9,396 or 17,652 total; Wd. 18, 18,293 and 9,339 or 17,632 total; Wd. 19, 7,952 and 9,321 or 17,273 total; Wd. 20, 8,162 and 9,074 or 17,236 total; Wd. 21, 9,452 and 10,389 or 19,841 total; Wd. 22, 7,945 and 9,537 or 17,482 total; Wd. 23, 8,089 and 9,182 or 17,271 total; Wd. 24, 7,128 and 7,388 or 14,516 total; Wd. 25, 7,507 and 9,674 or 17,181 total; Wd. 26, 5,878 and 6,179 or 12,057 total.

Total men, 235,613; total women, 244,493; total listed in April, 480,106 or 677 less than on April 1, 1921.

The supplementary list is likely to add 4,000 to 5,000 to said total.

TAX LIMIT RAISED FOR YEARS 1920, 1921 AND 1922. As in 1918 and 1919, the tax limit of $6.52 on each $1,000 of valuation for general City purposes was raised to permit the necessary increase of appropriations, the said limit being $10.52 for 1920, or $1.00 more than in the two preceding years (See Chap. 252, Special Acts, 1919). This is an increase of 65 per cent over the tax limit for City purposes in 1915. The amount thus made available for 1920 appropriations was $15,678,410, i. e., for general City purposes, not including the appropriations for Debt Requirements, County and Schools.

The separate tax limit for all School purposes in 1920 was $8.15 on each $1,000 of valuation and in 1921 this was increased to $9.11, making the total available for appropriations from taxes, etc., by School Committee, $13,905,194. This is an increase of 102 per cent over the tax limit for Schools in 1916.

In a statement by the Mayor to the Committee on Municipal Finance of the Legislature, March 15, 1920, it was shown that the financial requirements for general City purposes in 1921 called for a tax limit of $11.52 (see City Record of March 20, 1920, pp. 344, 345). The Legislature in May following made the limit $11 for 1921 (see Chap. 401). The amount thus made available for the 1921 appropriations was $1,111,615 more than in 1920. In 1922 another raise was authorized, viz. to $12.25 (see Chap. 205, Acts of 1922) thus increasing the total of appropriations for City purposes by $1,946,735.

BOSTON'S FUNDED DEBT, 1922, ETC.

Gross funded debt, February 1, 1922 (as shown by Auditor's Report for 1921-22, p. 9), $124,700,951 (including $360,000 issued by State for enlargement of Court House); sinking funds, $43,456,081; other redemption means, $1,331,859; net debt, $79,913,011, of which $46,993,817 (i. e. 58.81 per cent) was City debt; $31,189,070 (i. e. 39.03 per cent) Rapid Transit debt (the latter representing a 4 per cent investment, the revenue from which covers the debt requirements), and $1,432,124 (i. e. 1.79 per cent) County debt. There was also a small remainder of serial Water debt, viz., $298,000 (i. e. 0.37 per cent) for Hyde Park Water Works, the Cochituate Water debt having been amortized in 1915.

Net debt per capita (estimated population, 827,760 on Feb. 1), $96.54; net debt exclusive of Rapid Transit debt, $48,723,942, or $58.86 per capita, which is $13.18 less per capita than in 1917. Loans authorized but not issued (within debt limit), $2,662,500; same outside of debt limit, $1,931,000; debt incurring power (within debt limit) estimated for year 1922-23, $3,642,050.

In the fiscal year 1921-22, the net City debt was increased by $444,852, the net Rapid Transit debt by $13,080, the net County debt by $91,153 and the net Water debt reduced by $16,000.

Total debt contracted, $5,469,500; total debt paid, $4,880,900; total increase of gross debt, $588,600; of net debt, $533,086.

Total debt incurred in the ten years, 1912 to 1921 incl., $51,161,350, of which $19,220,000, or 37.57 per cent was Rapid Transit debt.

Total amount of debt incurred by the City in the 100 years since its incorporation (in 1822), $272,257,638, of which more than half (i. e. 52.74 per cent) was added in the last 25 years; 18.79 per cent in the last 10 years. From 1822 to 1870 the amount borrowed was $31,916,010 or a yearly average of $664,917. From 1870 to 1920 the total borrowed was $230,253,427 or a yearly average of $4,605,068. The maximum for a 10-year period was from 1896 to 1905, when the yearly average was $7,188,493. Yearly average for last 10 years, $5,116,135; for last 5 years, $3,606,940. No other large city has been subjected to such a drastic reduction of debt incurring power.

LOANS, BY OBJECTS, IN YEAR 1921-22.

Total amount borrowed, $5,469,500 or $2,624,500 more than in 1920-21. Objects and amount for each: Stuart St. Construction, $1,200,000; Sewerage Works, $1,000,000; Making of Highways, $950,000; Rapid Transit, $570,000; East Boston Ferry, Improvements, $500,000; North Beacon St., Brighton, $125,000; High Pressure Fire Service, $120,000; Old Harbor Improvement, $90,000; Roxbury Canal, Sea Wall, etc., $80,000; Bridges, $60,000; Marine Park Head House, etc., $57,500; Gymnasium, South Boston, $50,000; Engine 31 and Police Div. 8 Building, $225,000; Suffolk County Jail Hospital, $140,000; Branch Library, West Roxbury, $65,000; City Hospital Improvements, $60,000; Engine 7, New Building, $40,000; Court House, Forest Hills, site, $30,000; other objects, $107,000.

Rates: $1,167,000 at 41%, $1,065,000 at 44%, $3,237,500 at 5%. Outside debt limit, $1,770,000 (Rapid Transit and Stuart St. construction); all others, serial loans inside debt limit.

CITY TREASURER'S TRANSACTIONS FOR YEAR, 1921-22. Balance, February 1, 1921, $12,535,068.63. Receipts,-from City Collector for City account, $58,294,398.62 and for County, $356,793.39; total, $58,651,192.01 or $431,705.64 more than in 1920-21; temporary loans, $10,000,000; debt issued, $5,279,500 for City and $190,000 for County; from Sinking Fund Commissioners for debt due, $3,136,027.63; trust funds, $646,686.31; interest on bank deposits, $197,452.18; other receipts, $117,009.06. Total receipts for year, $78,217,867.19. Payments, City pay-roll drafts, $26,172,281.44; general drafts (excluding debt redemption), $7,659,256.60; temporary loans, $10,000,000; payments to the State, $10,213,552.66; special drafts (excluding temporary loans, City debt cancelled and interest on debts), $12,565,428.15; interest on all debts, $4,909,317.28; debt redemption, $4,880,900 (excluding $1,824,750 serial debt); trust fund investments, etc., $287,533; County pay-roll drafts, $1,689,454.25; other County payments (excluding debt and interest) $759,828.96; payments to Sinking Fund Commissioners, $418,085.31; other payments, $50,520.93. Total payments for the year, $79,606,158.58. Excess of payments over receipts, $1,388,291.39. Balance January 31, 1922, $11,146,777.24.