32 THE FISCAL PROBLEM IN MISSOURI
Expenditures for Other Functions
Only scattered information is available concerning the
local expenditures other than for schools and roads.! Figures
for debt retirements are compiled annually by the Commer-
cial and Financial Chronicle and are issued in a publication
entitled State and Municipal Compendium. According to
this publication, the local governments in Missouri paid off
bonded debt obligations during 1928 in the amount of
$7,832,810.2 This figure comprises one of the two component
parts forming a total commonly designated as debt service.
The other part, interest, is difficult to estimate, as the debt
obligations of certain local governments bear rates of interest
that vary considerably. It is believed that total interest
payments of all local governments in Missouri amounted to
approximately $7.9 million in the fiscal year ended in 1928.
This estimate was obtained? by using the interest payments
of the four large cities for that year and adding an estimated
amount for other local governments. Adding this estimate
to the previous total for debt redemption, the total for debt
service becomes $15.7 million.
The gross total of local expenditures for the fiscal year
ended in 1928 has been estimated as $163.6 million. The
total for the functions that have been considered amounted
to approximately $96.9 million in that year. This amount,
however, involves certain duplications, only $2.0 million
of which can be eliminated. The total as given, when re-
duced by that amount, becomes $94.9 million. Deducting
the last amount from the gross total of $163.6 million leaves
a remainder of $68.7 million to be attributed to other govern-
mental functions.® Of the latter amount, $48.9 million are
attributable to the four cities over 30,000, and it would
therefore appear that only $19.8 million were expended by
other local governments for the remaining functions. The
figure of $19.8 million, however, should be regarded as a
1 This statement does not apply to the data for cities over 30,000.
? State and Municipal Compendium, June 28, 1929, p. 15.
3 For complete details of basis of estimating, see Appendix B.
4 See Appendix B for explanation of duplications.
$ General government, protection, social welfare, public utilities, and miscel-
laneous.
