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IN THIS ISSUE . .
Is There a Future
For Economic Man?
. . . Economic Man's position 25 years hence
will be determined largely by how well he
has met the challenges of the exhaustion of
resources, the deterioration of environment,
and the pressures for equality.
The Cost of Buying:
It Takes More Dollars
But Less Work
. . . Prices have risen considerably since '60,
however, one consolation is that consumers
don't have to work as long to buy items even
though they cost more than they did 15
years ago.
Philadelphia City and
School District Budgets:
A Year of Austerity
. . . The squeeze of rising costs and slowly
growing revenues, along with the current
recession, has complicated the budgetary
problems of the City and School District: In
fiscal '74 real expenditures for the City de­
clined while School expenditures posted a
slight increase in real terms.

On our cover: Eleutherian Mills, the home built by E.l. du Pont in 1803 overlooking his powder
mills on the Brandywine River, is part of the Hagley Museum at Greenville, Wilmington, Dela­
ware. The stuccoed stone residence was occupied by the du Ponts for five generations, and
its furnishings reflect their varied tastes. (Photograph courtesy of The Hagley Museum.)

BUSINESS REVIEW is produced in the Department of Research. Editorial assistance is pro­
vided by Robert Ritchie, Associate Editor. Ronald B. Williams is Art Director and Manager,
Graphic Services. The authors will be glad to receive comments on their articles.
Requests for additional copies should be addressed to Public Information, Federal Reserve

http://fraser.stlouisfed.org/
Bank of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19105. Phone: (215) 574-6115.
Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Is There a Future for
Economic Man?*
By David P. Eastburn, President
Federal Reserve Bank
of Philadelphia

Economic Man has had things pretty much his
way for most of this century. But, what are his
prospects for the rest of the century?
First, let's examine Economic Man for a mo­
ment. His claim to fame in economic discussion
is secure. Economists long ago described him
well. He is, above all, a calculating individual.
He approaches problems rationally, balancing
advantages and disadvantages of alternative
courses of action. In the time-honored tradition
of Adam Smith's “ invisible hand,” he considers
these advantages and disadvantages in terms of
his self-interest. By serving his own interests he is
also serving society's interests. In the business
world, Economic Man's self-interest drives him
to use the resources at his disposal to generate

thehighestpossibleprofitorincome. In doingso,
he is governed by the market system which har­
nesses the pursuit of self-interest into social
good. The market registers the desires of con­
sumers, passing them along to producers who,
disciplined by the marketplace, allocate re­
sources in the most efficient way to meet those
desires. The market distributes incomes in ac­
cordance with each person's contribution to the
total product. Although this may not be equality,
Economic Man believes it is not only fair but
necessary for progress. This is a broad-brush por­
trait of Economic Man as you might come upon
him in a textbook.
More recently, however, Economic Man has
come to convey another kind of image. This is
the image of a person to whom consumption is
the most important goal of life. He is typified by
the affluent American with two cars, a power
boat, two homes, three or four color TVs, all the

*An address given before a Conference on Futurism held
at Eastern College, St. Davids, Pennsylvania, February 5,
1975.




3

BUSINESS REVIEW

APRIL 1975

kitchen appliances, an electric toothbrush, and
all the other "necessities" of life. His desire for
more gadgets is insatiable. Therefore, his major
goal for the economic system is growth. Only by
a constantly and rapidly rising GNP is he able to
satisfy his craving for greater material comfort.
This growth is made possible by a frenetic pace
of discovery and invention turned out by modern
technology. If this growth uses up natural re­
sources at a dangerous rate, this is a problem
others will have to deal with in the future. If it
fouls the air and water, clogs the highways, and
spoils places of scenic beauty, this is a price of
progress. Here is an image of Economic Man that
is becoming increasingly prevalent. Although I
think it is more a caricature than a portrait, it is
one we must deal with in assessing Economic
Man's future.
Much of what I read and hear about his future
is pessimistic. Robert Heilbroner, for example,
has recently explored the human prospect and
arrives at a most dismal conclusion.
Rationalize as we w ill, stretch the figures as
favorably as honesty will permit, we cannot
reconcile the requirements for a lengthy
continuation of the present rate of indus­
trialization of the globe with the capacity of
existing resources or the fragile biosphere to
permit or to tolerate the effects of that indus­
trialization. Nor is it easy to foresee a willing
acquiescence of humankind, individually
or through its existing social organizations,
in the alterations of lifeways that foresight
would dictate. If then, by the question "Is
there hope for man?" we ask whether it is
possible to meet the challenges of the future
without the payment of a fearful price, the
answer must be: No, there is nosuch hope.1
If this kind of thinking isaccurate, itsuggests that
the next quarter century would be very different
from the past quarter century. Perhaps most
striking, it would be a sharp shift from what has
generally been a prevailing optimism of Ameri­

can attitude. In view of all the gloom, it seems to
me that somebody should look at the other side,
and examine the possibility that our society will
be better able to meet the challenges ahead than
many currently are forecasting.
In essence, my point is that Economic Man is
most adaptable. He is not the same person now
as 50 or 75 years ago. The rough edges of his
philosophy and practice have been smoothed by
social action—especially in the 1930s. He will
not be the same person in 25 years as now. But
he will still have an important role to play in our
society.
How accurate this prediction turns out to be
will depend heavily on how Economic Man
meets three major challenges: the exhaustion of
resources, the deterioration of environment, and
the clamor for equality.
RESOURCES
One point of view is that Economic Man is
doomed because we are certain to run out of
vital natural resources. It will not be possible to
continue the economic growth we have enjoyed
in the past quarter century. It will not be possible
to consume on the same lavish scale.
A fascinating aspect of this forecast is how
rapidly it has come about. In 1958 John Kenneth
Galbraith wrote The Affluent Society. This was
hailed at the time not only as an accurate evalua­
tion of the cu rrent state of affai rs, but a perceptive
appraisal of the problems ahead. Whatever they
were, they were not problems of production; we
had solved the production problem and now had
to deal with the problems of affluence. Gal­
braith's analysis had a profound effect on
thought at that time. It was only a few years later
that The Limits to Growth appeared. This book,
which purported to show by scientific
econometric techniques that the economy could
not continue growing at its recent pace, came as
a shock to many who had just come to believe
that Economic Man was firmly in the saddle.
Some disagreed with the analysis, but it was hard
to dispel the idea that, after all, we do live on a
finite planet and at sometime resources will be
gone. And we all have had first-hand confronta­

xRobert L. Heilbroner, An Inquiry into the Human Prospect
(New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 1974), pp.
135-36.




4

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF PHILADELPHIA

tion with the problems at the gas station. Still
more recently I ran across a paperback called
The End of Affluence which, among other things,
instructs Americans in how to adjust their life­
styles to new realities of slower economic
growth. So, within the space of relatively few
years the prospects of Economic Man, in the
minds of many people, have suffered a complete
about-face because of new concern about re­
sources. What are we to make of this?
Obviously, resources are finite. Economic
growth uses them up— quickly if growth is rapid,
less quickly if growth is slower. The difficult
question is whether Economic Man is capable of
dealing with the problem before it becomes
catastrophic. I believe he is, by relying on two of
his trusted tools— the market system and
technology. The market system, if it is permitted
to work, can slow down use of increasingly
scarce resources and encourage development of
new resources. This is the best approach to the
energy problem we face right now, for example.
If the price of gasoline is permitted to rise, this
will cut down demand and at the same time
encourage exploration of new sources of energy.
A higher price for fuels will encourage technol­
ogy to develop new techniques of recovery, bet­
ter methods of producing nuclear energy, and
even feasible processes for harnessing energy
from the sun.
It is true that the market system does not work
perfectly in protecting resources. Forone thing, it
sometimes takes the short view, overly em­
phasizing the present to the detriment of the
future. Economic Man does look ahead, but the
market does not always cause him to be suffi­
ciently concerned with problems he may create
for future generations. The market will need
help, therefore, from Government. If certain re­
sources are being used too fast and others not
being developed, Government can assist by re­
moving controls and other impediments to re­
source conservation as well as by legislating
taxes and subsidies that nudge Economic Man in
the desired direction. For example, a tax on im­
ported oil, or on gas at the pump, or on large cars
can help to conserve gasoline and stimulate de­
velopment of other energy sources. The trick is




for Government to work as much as possible
through the market system and to capitalize on
Economic Man's desires for profits and his tal­
ents in allocating resources.
ENVIRONMENT
Economic Man has neglected the environ­
ment, and his prospects are not good if he con­
tinues to do so. Economists as far back as Adam
Smith recognized that the production of goods
often involved costs that the producer didn't
have to bear but others did. When a paper pro­
ducer dumps waste into a stream and this pol­
lutes the water supply of neighboring com­
munities, for example, the practice entails a cost
for the people in those communities, but the cost
doesn't enter into the price of the paper. (In fact,
the effort of cleaning up the water is actually
counted as an increase in GNP rather than a
subtraction from it!) These external costs of pro­
duction, or externalities as economists have
come to call them, while long recognized in
concept, have only recently been given the at­
tention in economics which they deserve. And it
is only in the past decade or so that the environ­
ment has deteriorated so drastically that the gen­
eral populace has become restive about the
problem. What can Economic Man do?
The challenge is immense. It will takedecades
to undo past damage. But here again, the market
and technology can help. The market can't do it
alone, however. The fact that externalities are
not included in the price of products is a defect of
the price system that must be corrected. The idea
is to have as much of these external costs as
possible borne by those who produce them
rather than by others. Economists have explored
many ways of doing this, but taxation is probably
the most important. The paper producer can be
taxed so that he, not the community
downstream, bears the cost of pollution. The
result would be cleaner water.
This, of course, is easier said than done. Many
external costs are hard to measure. There is polit­
ical resistance to allocating costs to thei r sources.
But the problem has been recognized and Gov­
ernment is increasingly aware of the role it must
5

APRIL 1975

BUSINESS REVIEW

own reproduction. As we see what has hap­
pened in developed countries in recent years,
however, there is cause for hope. In many areas,
births are rapidly moving toward a rate which is
materially slowing population growth. With
education and governmental pressure— and, I
predict, eventually a changed policy of the
Catholic Church—the same can happen in de­
veloping countries.
A second factor determining the future of dis­
advantaged people will be the rate of economic
growth, and this is something Economic Man
can do a lot about. A main reason for past im­
provement in living standards all around has
been Economic Man's talent in producing more
efficiently. He has enlarged the total size of the
output pie so successfully that everyone can
have more even with the same relative slices.
Despite implications for our resources in the
longer run, I believe it is essential to continue to
press for rapid economic growth. As I explore the
arguments for moving toward a stable state
economy, I conclude (in addition to the feeling
that life might be pretty dull) that their major
defect is a lack of realism about implications for
disadvantaged people. It simply does not seem in
the cards to be able to redistribute the existing
product in a way that would significantly help
the disadvantaged. The haves would not stand
for it, the have-nots would not benefit all that
much. Growth strikes me as a much more realis­
tic solution.
I recognize that there are two sides to the
problem—the size of the pie and the size of the
slice— absolute well-being and relative well­
being. Growth, if the past is any guide, can go a
long way in solving the absolute problem, but
probably won'tdo much toward solvingthe rela­
tive problem. And, if so, the clamor for equality
will continue. I suspect this will always be the
case. It is too deeply ingrained in human nature
to be otherwise.

play. Again, the trick will be to take advantage of
the market system and to harness Economic
Man's sharpness in calculating profit oppor­
tunities. Technology can help by devising im­
proved methods of production without pollu­
tion.
EQUALITY
Economic Man's prospects will not be good
unless there is progress in dealing with the
human inequalities which now exist. Here
again, the outlook need not be one of unrelieved
gloom. I think it is undoubtedly a fact that disad­
vantaged people throughout the world will be
clamoring for a better shake. But it is also a fact
that our economic system has done a great deal
to upgrade living standards of lower-income
groups, and I believe it can do a great deal more.
As often pointed out, Marx was wrong in his
prediction. The market-oriented countries of
Europe and North America have not turned into
places with a few very rich and masses of very
poor. We have not had a revolution of the pro­
letariat. The reason is that our economic system
has generated a large and stable middle class.
But what of the future? Two questions are
vital— population growth and economic growth.
The predictions of an economist of a century
and a half ago— Thomas Malthus— are now en­
joying a new vogue. Malthus predicted that there
was a natural tendency for population to outrun
the means of subsistence. Unless population
were held in check by birth control, it would be
held in check by starvation. Certainly, as we look
around the world, there is ample reason for pes­
simism. In the less-developed world of Africa,
Asia, and Latin America, birth rates are enorm­
ous and population growth soars. At the same
time, sources of food supply are becoming
hard-pressed and unreliable. People are starv­
ing. Economic Man is limited in what he can do
about this food gap. Food supplies can be en­
larged through improvements in technology,
changes in Government policies which limit
farm output, as well as changes in social and
religious customs which restrict diets. But of crit­
ical importance also is that people limit their




ECONOMIC MAN IN 2000 A.D.
So it seems to me that the outlook for
Economic Man is not as bleak as it is being
painted these days. Nevertheless, just as his lot is

6

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF PHILADELPHIA

not the same now as 25 years ago, it will not be
the same 25 years hence. What will it be like in
2000 A.D.? As I see it, his world will be different
in at least three respects: the degree of freedom
which he can exercise, relationships with others,
and the degree of conservatism that exists.

or planting organic gardens in backyards is likely
to catch on with most people. But on a larger
scale it does seem likely that the desire to go it
alone or to form closely knit groups will have a
major impact in the world economy. Witness our
own Project Independence. Witness banding to­
gether of countries to form cartels to control
natural resources as the OPEC nations have
done. Given this tendency, plus the clamor for
equality from disadvantaged people the world
over, Economic Man seems likely to be living in
a world of considerable conflict. Since he thrives
best in a climate of trust, specialization, and in­
terdependence, he may find life difficult.

Freedom. I suspect there will be a trend to­
ward less freedom in the next quarter century
— at least freedom as Economic Man has known
it. Much of the history of this century has been a
decline of laissez-faire philosophy and practice.
A continuation of the trend seems inevitable.
Government has played an increasing role in
the economy and will continue to do so.
Although Economic Man may not realize it,
this can work to his benefit. As I have tried to
show, he needs the help of Government in pro­
tecting resources, improving the environment,
and bettering the lot of the disadvantaged; and
unless there is substantial progress toward these
goals, Economic Man does not face a happy
future. However, much will depend on how
Government goes about intervening in
economic affairs. In the past, Government efforts
in these directions have often hampered the
functioning of the market system rather than im­
proving it. Hopefully, Government will not clog
it with selfrdefeating regulations and will see the
advantage of working with Economic Man by
utilizing the market system which is so important
to them both.
All things considered, however, Economic
Man will become more and more a partner of
Government rather than a free agent. He will not
occupy the dominating role he has grown accus­
tomed to over most of this century.

Conservatism. I am not thinking here in usual
terms of liberal versus conservative, but in the
more general sense that society is likely to be­
come increasingly concerned with conserving
what it has. It will necessarily become more
conservative in the use of resources. And al­
though I believe the economy must continue to
grow to solve the problems of the disadvantaged,
the idea of the stable state will gain increasing
acceptance. This suggests that the dynamic
economy which Economic Man is used to will
become less dynamic, less growth-oriented. It is
probably also true that there wil I be some change
in life-styles. A return to the simple rural life is
impossible, but there will probably be less of a
drive to achieve satisfaction through consump­
tion, less of a drive to lose oneself in work, and
more interest in making productive use of lei­
sure, more satisfaction from family and friends. It
could be a less exciting but perhaps a more
rewarding world.
CONCLUSION

Relationships. As the economy grows increas­
ingly complex there will be a need for greater
interdependence of the units within it. Unfortu­
nately, there may be strong pressures for parts of
it to go it alone. I don't have in mind the kind of
self-sufficiency prescribed in The End of Afflu­
ence which I mentioned earlier. It seems unlikely
that the idea of storing up food for emergencies




In short, I believe the gloomy prognosis for
Economic Man has been overdone. He is too
adaptable not to be able to go a long way in
meeting the challenges before him. But by 2000
A.D. he is likely to be living and working in a
world that has values differing from those he has
traditionally held. He is likely to need all the
adaptability he can muster.
X

7

The Cost of Buying:
It Takes More Dollars
But Less Work
By John Bell

CHART

1

PRICES HAVE BEEN RISING CONTINUOUSLY SINCE 1960.
CPI (1967 = 100)
170
160
150

1960
SOURCE:




1962

1964

1966

1968

1970

1972

1974 November

U. S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

CHART 2
BUT UNTIL LAST YEAR WAGE INCREASES HAVE OUTPACED PRICE
INCREASES . . .
Annual Percent Change

12

1960

1962

1964

1966

1968

1970

1972

1974 November

* All Employees, Private, Nonfarm Economy.
SOURCE: U. S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.

CHART 3
. . . SO REAL COMPENSATION INCREASED STEADILY UNTIL 1974.
Real Average Hourly Compensation** (1967 = 100)
120

1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 September
* All Employees, Private, Nonfarm Economy.
SOURCE: U. S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics.




CHART 4
THE RESULT: WHILE MOST COMMODITIES COST MORE THAN THEY
DID IN 1960 . . .
Price (D o llars)




Price (Dollars)

Sirloin
Coal
Wheat
Milk Washers Elec100 lbs. 10 tons 10 bu. 100 gal.
tricity

10

Autos

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF PHILADELPH

CHART 5
, . . WE DON’T HAVE TO WORK AS LONG TO BUY THEM TODAY.
Days/Weeks/Months Worked to Buy a Product




I— 11960-61
1973-74

Sirloin
100 lbs.

SOURCES:

Coal
Wheat
10 tons 10 bu.
v
(imported)

Milk Washers ElecAutos
100 gal.
tricity
6000 k/w

Consumer Reports. Automotive News Almanac. Statistical
Abstract of the U. S.

11

Philadelphia
City and School
District Budgets:
A Year of Austerity
By William A. Cozzens

In the Philadelphia area, as in the nation,
rapidly rising prices and spreading unemploy­
ment have been disrupting the economy. These
disruptions can spell "hard times” not only for
individuals and firms, but also for the City and
School District of Philadelphia. Already, the
fiscal 1974 (fiscal years run from July 1 to June
30) budgets of the City and the School District
show strains from the worsening economic situa­
tion. For the City in 1974, costs rose faster than
revenues, leading to a small budget deficit and
to declines in real expenditures in several
departments— most clearly in Streets, Recrea­
tion,and Health—and stableor slightly climbing
expenditures in others. The School District fared
a little better, showing a slight surplus. When
its 1974 budget is compared to the 1973 pre­
strike budget estimates, per capita real expendi­




tures grew slowly. In per capita real terms, ele­
mentary education, for example, grew 5 percent,
while secondary education fell 3.8 percent.
Both the City and the School District were
caught in the tightening squeeze of rising costs
and limited and inflexible revenue sources. The
softening economy, already at work in the last
two quarters of fiscal 1974, heightened the
squeeze by slowing the growth in revenue from
the wage tax, the most flexible source which
depends on the level of economic activity in the
City. In short, fiscal 1974 was a year of austerity
for the City and School District.
BUDGETARY CHANGES THROUGH
FISCAL '74
From fiscal 1973 to fiscal 1974, revenues and
12

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF PHILADELPHIA

TABLE 1

CITY AND SCHOOL DISTRICT REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES
Fiscal 1973
($ Millions)
$730.0

City Summary*
Revenue
Expenditures
(Current Dollars)
Surplus (Deficit)
School District Summary**
Revenue
Expenditures
Cancellation of Prior
Year's Deficit
Surplus (Deficit)

-7 2 9 .3
$ 0.7
Actual
$377.7
-340.1
- 36.2
$ 1.5

Fiscal 1974
($ Millions)
$725.4
-7 3 3 .8
$ (8.4)

Pre-Strike
Estimate
$380.3
-3 8 0 .6

$392.5
-3 9 3 .0

-36.2

1.2
.7

($ 36.5)

$

*The City revenue and expenditure totals do not correspond to the balance sheet totals in the Financial Report
because certain budget items, primarily Model Cities and the Economic Opportunity Program, were excluded to
ensure comparability across years. Also the totals listed here include revenue and expenditures from Other
Operating Funds as well as the General Fund. These various funds are reported separately in the Financial
Report. For the General Fund the Financial Report shows 1974 revenue of $676.0 million and expenditures of
$677.4 as compared to 1973 revenue of $683.5 million and expenditures of $677.8 million. See Appendices
1 and 3 for backup data on the City budgets.
**Even without the school strike the pre-strike budget could not have been realized. The District would have
had to close early to eliminate the deficit or find additional revenue sources. See Appendices 2 and 4 for backup
on the School District budgets.

expenditures in current dollars for the City re­
mained virtually constant. Expenditures inched
upward; revenues dropped very slightly, producinga small netdeficit. On the School Districtside
of the ledger, both revenues and expenditures
grew more substantially. (Table 1 summarizes
the School District and City revenues and ex­
penditures for 1973 and 1974.) This growth in
the School District budgets can, however, be
deceptive. In 1973, the District saved money
from the long teachers strike. But the excess rev­
enues of that year were absorbed by the large
1972 deficit. Much of the growth in the budget
from 1973 to 1974 was a recovery to the level
of expenditures in previous years. Thus, when




the School District's comparative budget posi­
tion is adjusted for the strike, it becomes appar­
ent that for both the City and the School District,
the 1974 budgets represent no more than holdthe-line expenditure levels (Appendix 4 shows
School District expenditures both with the strike
and the estimated expenditures prior to the
strike). This contrasts sharply with the pattern of
large increases in expenditures for the City and
School District between fiscal 1970 and 1973.1

’ William A. Cozzens, "Philadelphia's Budgets: Past, Pres­
ent, and Future," Business Review of the Federal Reserve
Bank of Philadelphia, April 1974, pp. 3 -19.
13

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF PHILADELPHIA

Just looking at these current dollar aggregates
(dollars unadjusted for the effects of inflation on
their purchasing power) tells us very little. On the
revenue side, the important question is, what
happened to the different sources of funds during
the year? On the expenditure side, the important
questions are, what impact did rising costs have
on expenditures and how did City and School
District administrators distribute the available
funds?

other Federal aid also showed declines. Fiscal
'74, then, temporarily halted the trend which
had prevailed between 1970 and 1973 toward
larger packages on intergovernmental aid.
As with the City, School District revenues in
1974 stabilized neartheir 1973 levels. Both local
revenue and intergovernmental aid climbed
slightly, generating a net revenue increase of just
under 4 percent (see Chart 2 and Appendix 2 for
the details). Again the only major revenue
change came with the transfer of property tax
revenue from City to School District.
The transfer of some property tax assessments
from the City to the School District obscures the
behavior of this tax as a revenue source. When
the total City and School District property tax
revenue in 1973 is compared to the total in 1974,
the growth rate is only 2.9 percent. This rela­
tively slow growth for the property tax reflects its
dependence on the periodic reassessment of real
property for any increases.
In summary, on the revenue side then, gains in
intergovernmental aid, for the moment at least,
have slowed. The real property tax is at best
providing only small increments to revenue,
while the recession may have hampered the
revenue-generating capacity of the wage tax.

Revenues: No New Sources of Funds. Com­
pared to 1970 through 1973, which showed
rapid growth in the City's revenues, fiscal 1974
proved to be sluggish. Local revenues climbed 5
percent, but this growth was more than offset by
a 16-percent decline in revenue from Harrisburg
and Washington. The City showed a six-tenths of
1-percent decline in net revenues (Appendix 1
shows these revenue totals). More instructive
than these totals, however, was the behavior of
some individual revenue sources (see Chart 1
and Appendix 1).
As in previous years, the wage tax kept pace
with inflation, showing a growth of over 11 per­
cent. The current recession could, however, lead
to an erosion of revenue from this source since
wage tax revenue is responsive to changes in
the area economy (see Box 1). Local nontax rev­
enues also jumped substantially, reflecting in­
creased earnings from the Port, Civic Center, and
Airport. In addition, higher charges for certain
services (for example, billing for some public
health services) and increased collections from
fines and licenses bolstered local revenue. These
improvements in the revenue picture were par­
tially offset by a drop in real estate tax collections
because of a transfer of four mills of taxing power
from the City to the School District.
The City registered across-the-board declines
in intergovernmental aid. One item, Federal Rev­
enue Sharing, dropped $17 million. The City,
however, had anticipated this loss. In 1973,
Philadelphia received a larger-than-normal allo­
cation, including a delayed payment for several
months of the previous fiscal year. But even
without this loss the picture was pretty gloomy.
Assistance from the Commonwealth as well as




Expenditures: Some Real Cuts. The revenue
side of the budget is only half the story. What the
City and School District were able to provide in
the way of services is the other half. In current
dollars—that is, without correcting for any
inflationary impact— City expenditures climbed
about half of 1 percent. School District expendi­
tures grew more— $53 million, 15 percent above
actual expenditures in 1973; $12 million, 3
percent above the estimates of expenditures for
1973 prior to the strike.
But identifying changes in municipal and
school service levels from one year to the next
requires examining the expenditure side of the
ledger in constant dollars. As everybody knows,
personally as well as statistically, inflation has
been a big factor over the last 18 months, reduc­
ing the purchasing power of all our dollars. The
City and the School District are no exceptions.
They must purchase labor and materials to pro14

APRIL 1975

BUSINESS REVIEW

CHART 1
FOR THE CITY OVERALL REVENUE REMAINED STABLE AS GAINS
FROM SOME SOURCES BALANCED LOSSES IN OTHERS.
Millions of

Dollars

Sources of
City Revenue

Real
Property
Taxes*
Personal
Income
Taxes
Business
Activity
Taxes
Local
Nontax
Revenues
Intergovern­
mental
Revenue

0
SOURCE:

50

100

150

200

250

300

Appendix 1.

*The decline in real property taxes is directly attributable to a transfer of
4 mills assessment from the City to the School District.




15

BUSINESS REVIEW

APRIL 1975

BOX 1

THE RECESSION MAY CUT WAGE TAX GROWTH
With a recession looming large in the present picture, it is worth a moment's pause
to consider the potential effect of the recession on local tax revenues. The City's wage
and salary tax will feel the brunt of the recession. As production falls and economic
activity declines, there will be higher unemployment, fewer people working, and cuts in
overtime. Because revenue from the wage tax is tied directly to the total payments in
salary and wages, all of these declines would lead to drops in revenue.
Pay increases among other workers would tend, of course, to counteract these declines.
From 1970 through 1973 employment in the City dropped by 8 percent (see Table). Yet
wage tax revenue continued to climb. Even in the present recession that pattern could
continue. As employees in the more stable, recession-resistant sectors of the economy
receive cost-of-living pay boosts, their increased wage tax payments may more than
balance out the losses of workers who have been laid off or who have lost overtime. In
this case, the effects of the recession would show up as a slower rate of growth in wage tax
revenue rather than in an absolute decline.
EMPLOYMENT TRENDS IN PHILADELPHIA COUNTY

1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974

000s
938.0
919.3
881.7
881.0
863.0
844.9

Percent
Change
-2 .0 %
-4 .1
0
- 2 .0
-2 .1

SOURCE: U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment and Earnings, Employees
on Nonagricultural Payrolls.

ally been lower than the run-up of costs and
prices in the economy as a whole. In both the
City and School District budgets, wages and
salaries consume a lion's share of total expen­
ditures— in some departments, as much as 93
percent. Between 1973 and 1974 the City and
School District experienced wage and salary
hikes between 3.5 and 5 percent. But, in the
School District at least, a cut in teacher class­
room hours has necessitated hiring additional
staff, pushing costs up more than this 3.5-

duce the services citizens demand. If these costs
grow faster than revenue, then there are just two
choices: cut the level of services or squeeze
more services out of each dollar.
How have rising costs affected the City and
School District budgets? For the City, the best
estimate suggests that costs rose approximately
6.5 percent between fiscal 1973 and fiscal 1974.
For the School District, the increases averaged
5.9 percent. (Box 2 details how these estimates
were derived.) These cost increases have gener­




16

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF PHILADELPHIA

CHART 2
WHILE FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, PROPERTY TAXES SHOWED
THE ONLY SUBSTANTIAL GAINS.*
Millions of Dollars

SOURCE:

Appendix 2.

*Real property taxes gained substantially because of a transfer of 4 mills
assessment from the City to the School District.




17

APRIL 1975

BUSINESS REVIEW

BOX 2

THE CITY AND SCHOOL DISTRICT FACED HIGHER COSTS
FOR LABOR AND SUPPLIES
The real or constant dollar budget is less than the current dollar budget by the amount
absorbed in increasing costs. Between fiscal 1973 and fiscal 1974, these cost increases
grew more slowly for the City and School District of Philadelphia than in the economy as a
whole. The following Tables show the different major expenditure categories in the City and
School District budgets, the rate of increase in costs for each category, the source of the
estimate of the cost increase, and the weight each category occupies in the total budget. In
Appendices 3 and 4 deflators are shown for individual departments and expenditure items. For
more information on the construction of these cost estimates, consult William A. Cozzens,
“ Philadelphia's Budgets: Past, Present, Future," Business Review of the Federal Reserve Bank
of Philadelphia, April 1974, Appendix 3, p. 15.

CITY COST INCREASES
Category

Source

Percent Change
Fiscal 1973 to 1974 Weight

Wages
Policemen and Firemen
(Actual Wage Settlements
Nonuniformed Employees

5.0%
4.3

53.0%

Purchase of Services

5.6

17.6

19.7

3.2

5.1

0.6

9.7

25.0

9.7

0.6

Materials and Supplies
Equipment

i' Estimated from
Deflators for
^ Government Purchases
of Services, Nondurables,
and Durables
| Philadelphia Consumer
I Price Index

Debt Service and
Employee Benefits
Social Security Payments
TOTAL

6.5%

100.0%

3.5%

69.3%

SCHOOL DISTRICT COST INCREASES
Wages
Purchase of Services
Materials and Supplies
Debt Service and
Employee Benefits

[Actual Wage Settlements
Estimated from Deflators
for Government Purchases
of Services and Nondurables.
(Philadelphia Consumer
[Price Index

2.9

19.7

5.8

9.7

22.0

5.9%

TOTAL




5.6

18

100.0%

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF PHILADELPHIA

dollars, a 5.4-percent drop in real expenditures.
The decline for departments involved in the de­
livery of services was 2.9 percent (see Chart 3).
How was this budget cut distributed across de­
partments and City activities? Every major ex­
penditure category except the courts and
"other” administrative activities registered de-

percent figure suggests. Other costs rose more
rapidly, but proportionately these represent a
much smaller share of City and School District
expenses.
When 1974 City expenditures are reduced by
the percentage increase in costs, the 1974
budget shrinks to $689 million in terms of 1973

INFLATION LED TO A REAL BUDGETARY DECLINE FOR THE CITY.
Millions of Dollars

300

EH

Impact of
Rising Costs

700

Decline in Real
Expenditures from
Fiscal 1973 to Fiscal
1974

600

500

400

300

200

100

Fiscal
1972-73
SOURCE:




Fiscal
1973-74

Appendix 3.

19

APRIL 1975

BUSINESS REVIEW

dines in real expenditures. Among the expendi­
ture categories involved in the provision of
services (that is, excluding Debt Service and
Pensions and Employee Benefits), the declines
ranged from a low of 1.8 percent for the Fire
Department to a high of 9.9 percent for Streets
and Sanitation. The remainder fell somewhere in
between. (Table 2 and Appendix 3 show these
budget changes in greater detail.)
With these declines in real expenditures in
many departments of the City, the really impor­
tant question for the quality of life in Philadel­
phia is what happened to the output of services.
The output of any organization, whether private

or governmental, is a function of not only the
inputs purchased— the real expenditures— but
also the output per unit of input— the productiv­
ity of those real expenditures.
Measuring and achieving productivity gains
are not easy tasks, even in the private sector. But
in government agencies, without the incentives
provided by the marketplace, it can be even
harder. Moreover, except for some activities
where there is an easy measure of output (tons of
rubbish collected as a measure of output for
sanitation, for example), it is hard to identify,
define, and measure the product or output of a
government agency. In Philadelphiathereis little

TABLE 2

MOST CITY EXPENDITURE CATEGORIES
SHOWED REAL DECLINES
Percent Change
1973 to 1974
-21 .8%
- 9.9
- 8.8

City Department
Pensions and Employee Benefits
Streets Department
Recreation
Health Department, Philadelphia
General Hospital
Debt Service
Welfare
Police
Fire
Other
Courts
Total Real Expenditure Change
Total Real Expenditure Change
(excluding Pensions and Employee
Benefits and Debt Service)
SOURCE: Appendix 3.




20

-

6.5
5.0
3.7
2.4
1.8
2.7
3.5

-

5.4%

-

2.9%

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF PHILADELPHIA

information available on the relationship be­
tween inputs and outputs, so it is hard to make
precise statements about what has happened to
productivity. Of course, everybody has a subjec­
tive impression of what is happening. To some
people the streets may seem cleaner than last
year, but then to others the streets may also seem
to have more potholes. But it is hard to general­
ize from these individual impressions about
what may be happening on a city-wide basis
to the many activities that City agencies per­
form. Unfortunately, therefore, there is not much
evidence on which to base a firm estimate of the
City's possible increases in productivity.
Some rough approximations, however, can be
made. The one comprehensive study of produc­
tivity in government agencies focused on the
Federal Government. It found productivity in­
creases on the order of 1.7 to 1.8 percent annu­
ally.2 Service industries in the private sector have
managed annual increases in productivity of
about 2.5 percent.3 With average real expendi­
tures dropping 2.9 percent in the City depart­
ments involved in the delivery of services, an
average productivity increase of, say, 2 percent
would leave average service levels dropping just
under 1 percent. In some departments (Streets,
Recreation, and Health, for example) the large
declines in real expenditures, therefore, make it
difficult to see how service levels could have
been maintained. In other departments (Courts,
Fire, and Police, for example) basically stable
real expenditures may have led to slight gains
in the level of services provided. Overall,
then, the City appears to have weathered a
difficult economic period in fairly good shape,
although some citizens might disagree with the
distribution of these real budget cuts.
For the School District, with costs up 5.9 per­
cent, real expenditures in 1974 were $371 mil­
lion. If this is compared with the actual 1973

budget (with an 11-week strike depressing ex­
penditures), then real expenditures increased 9
percent. Compared to the estimates of 1973 ex­
penditures made before the strike, 1974 expen­
ditures dropped 2.5 percent (see Chart 4). Be­
cause school attendance dropped (from 279,400
to 272,900) between 1973 and 1974, real ex­
penditures per pupil provide a better indication
of service levels. With declining attendance
(concentrated in the elementary schools), aver­
age real expenditures per pupil increased
slightly. Elementary education and special edu­
cation climbed, junior high and senior high/
technical schools declined moderately, while
early childhood education remained stable in
per capita terms. (See Appendix 4, Table B.)
Thus, the School District overall was able to
maintain real expenditures per pupil during
fiscal 1974, thanks mainly to a boost in revenue
and a small drop in enrollment.

Revenues and Expenditures: A Tight Squeeze.
In summary, both the City and the School District
faced steeply rising costs and sharply limited
revenues. In combination these spelled double
trouble. For the City the average level of real
expenditures fell. In several departments these
drops probably meantsome reduction in particu­
lar services. For the School District real expendi­
ture levels barely edged back up to the levels
attained before the strike.
In one important respect 1974 seems to have
been significantly different from the preceding
years. In the early 1970s the substantial gains in
both compensation and services were largely
funded by revenue increases from state and Fed­
eral sources. Everybody benefited. The citizenry
enjoyed higher real expenditures (and presum­
ably increases in services), while teachers and
municipal employees showed real wage gains.
Philadelphians, of course, paid for these in­
creases indirectly through state and Federal tax­
es, but because footing the bill took place indi­
rectly, it was less burdensome than it otherwise
could have been.
For the moment at least, these increases in
state and Federal aid have slowed. Fiscal '74

2Thomas D. Morris, William H. Corbett, and Brian L.
Usilaner, "Productivity Measures in the Federal Govern­
ment,'' Public Administration Review, November/December 1972.
3National Commission on Productivity, Third Annual Re­
port, Washington, D. C ., March 1974, p. 6.




21




CHART 4
REAL SCHOOL DISTRICT EXPENDITURES RECOVERED TO NEAR
PRE-STRIKE LEVELS.
Millions of Dollars

Impact of
Rising Costs

With
Strike

SOURCE:

Pre-Strike
Estimate

Appendix 4, Table A.

22

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF PHILADELPHIA

down suggests that the recession's impact on
revenues is deepening. On the expenditure side,
wage costs and the prices of other purchases
continue climbing, restricting any growth in real
expenditures. (See Box 3 for information on
recent wage settlements.) Early indications are
that the City will close the current year with a
deficit close to $20 million.
Fiscal '76 promises even more difficulties. The
School District has provided an early look at its
new budget. The numbers suggest rapidly climb­
ing costs and consequently a large deficit unless
new money is found. The City is also in difficult
straits. Between the recession-generated demand
for services (Welfare, for example), the large
influxof Bicentennial visitors, and the continuing
cost squeeze, whatever revenues are available
will be desperately needed.
But new revenues will be hard to find. Pro­
jecting costs and revenues from existing sources,
the proposed operating budget for fiscal 1976
comes up with a $45 million deficit. To close this
gap, the City is suggesting expanded coverage
for the personal property tax, collection of pastdue railroad taxes, increased court filing fees, a
tax on premiums of life insurance policies from
out-of-state firms, and accelerated property
reassessments. The City is also banking on some
increases
in intergovernmental .transfers.
Realizing these revenue gains will probably be
difficult.
Moreover, with elections coming up, it could
bedifficultforCityCouncil to increase taxes. The
Commonwealth will have its own fiscal woes as
revenues from the sales tax and the income tax
slump with the recession. So it will probably not
approve any big new packages of aid. If anything
is clear as Philadelphia approaches 1976, it is
that municipal officials, the city's business, civic
and community leaders, and labor face a series
of difficult choices in the months ahead. One
clear alternative— and the most attractive one
from the perspective of both maintaining or im­
proving services and holding taxes down —
would be a clear commitment from City and
School District leaders and employees to boost
productivity in the provision of municipal and
school services.

showed a net drop in intergovernmental aid. Un­
less there is some new surge of state or Federal
support for local government, the City and
School District are faced with the prospect of
funding wage hikes and other cost increases
from local revenues. Such funding can take the
form of local tax increases or cuts in real expen­
ditures. And if real expenditures are cut, service
levels will drop unless the cuts are offset by pro­
ductivity gains. In '74, with local revenues grow­
ing slowly and no tax hikes, the City cut real ex­
penditures to meet increasing costs. Resolving
this three-sided dilemma— demand for services,
limited revenues, and rising costs — provides the
biggest challenge to policymakers in the periods
ahead. Philadelphia, however, is not the only
city with these problems. Virtually all large cities
are facing similar budget difficulties.
THE OUTLOOK
What are the budget prospects as the City and
the School District near the end of fiscal 1975?
Although the complete picture is not yet in for
the current fiscal year, the revenue/cost pinch
appears to be as tight as ever. To help School
District revenues, City Council raised the prop­
erty tax by 3 mills, and the Commonwealth came
across with $19 million to cover increased ex­
penditures during fiscal 1975. Even with these
revenue increases, the District anticipates a
deficit of between $7.5 and $10 million in the
current year, attributable to increases in program
costs and to some very small expansions in
programs.4
Preliminary indications for the City are that the
same pinch applies there also. Wage tax reve­
nues in the first six months of the fiscal year
climbed only 4.3 percent over the same period
in 1974.5 When compared to the 11-percent
growth from fiscal '73 to fiscal '74, this slow­

prelim inary budget figures released in a February 27,
1975 meeting between School District administrators and
the Board of Education.
5City of Philadelphia, Financial Report, December 31,
1974, p. 2.




23

BUSINESS REVIEW

APRIL 1975

BOX 3

WAGE SETTLEMENTS ARE BUILDING IN BIG COST INCREASES
FOR THE CITY AND SCHOOL DISTRICT
Wages and salaries constitute as much as 90 percent of some City and School District
department budgets. Knowing the pattern of wage settlements provides, therefore, a pretty
good indication of the size of overall cost increases.
In Philadelphia several different organizations represent municipal and school employees.
The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers is the main bargaining unit for School District
employees. City employees are represented by several different organizations. The Fraternal
Order of Police and the International Association of Firefighters represent uniformed
employees. District Council 33, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal
Employees, AFL-CIO, represents blue-collar and clerical employees, while District Council
47, AFSCME, AFL-CIO, represents administrative and technical employees.
Contracts between the workers these organizations represent and the City and School
District are negotiated separately, so the timing and percentage rates of wage increases will
vary. The accompanying Table shows recent settlements for the major bargaining groups.
The actual increase in the wage bill will depend on such factors as turnover and hiring
practices. For example, with low turnover and little new hiring, average salaries will climb
faster as employees are promoted and receive pay increases for experience.
Effective Date of Settlement; Percentage Increase*
Bargaining Group
(Number of Employees Represented) 1972
CITY
Uniformed Employees
(10,000)
7/1: 5.5%
Blue-collar and Clerical
7/1: 4.2
(17,000)
Administrative and Technical
(4,000)
7/1: 4.2
SCHOOL DISTRICT
Teachers
(13,500)**

ft

1973

1974

1975

7/1: 5.0%

7/1: 8.3%

7/1: 7.9%

7/1: 4.2

7/1: 4.2

+

7/1: 5.0

7/1: 5.0

t

4/1: 4

10/1: 2

4/ 1: 4;
12/1: 4

*Some wage settlements are negotiated in terms of dollars instead of percent increases. These have been converted
to average percent increases. To translate wage increases into cost increases, changes in the salary structure
must be taken into account.
**The wage settlements for the teachers also apply to counselors, paraprofessionals, assistants, and secretaries.
tA s this was written, settlements had not yet been negotiated for nonuniformed City employees.
ttFailure to arrive at a settlement in September 1972 led to the teachers strike, culminating in the April 1973
settlement.




24

APPENDIX 1
CITY REVENUES
(1)

(2)

1969-70

1972-73

1973-74

($ Millions)

($ Millions)

($ Millions)

Real Property T a x e s 2
Personal In c o m e T a x e s 3
B u sin ess A c t iv it y T a x e s 4
L oc al N o n t a x R e v e n u e s 5

$ 1 1 1.3
2 0 1 .9
4 0 .8
7 1 .0

$ 1 2 4 .7
2 5 7 .2
5 1 .0
9 9 .2

$ 1 0 8 .6
2 8 6 .2
5 2 .7

TO TAL LOCAL

$ 4 2 5 .0

C o m m o n w e a lth
Federal
R e v e n u e S h a rin g
O t h e r Feder al
O ther

$ 3 6 .7

T O T A L IN T E R G O V E R N M E N T A L

Revenue Source1

(4)

(5)

Percent
Growth in
Revenue
1969-70 to
1973-74
(3) - (1) x 100

Percent
Growth in
Revenue
1972-73 to
1973-74
(3) + (2) x 100

(3)

LO C A L REVENUES

111.0

+
+
+

2 .4 %
4 1 .8
2 9 .2
5 6 .3

+ 3 .3
+ 1 1 .9

$ 5 3 2.1

$ 5 5 8 .5

+

3 1 .4 %

+

$ 9 4 .0

$ 8 3 .9

+ 1 2 8 .6 %

5 .7
2 .0

6 7 .9
3 3 .2
2 .8

51.1
3 0 .4
1.5

$ 4 4 .4

$ 197.9

$ 4 6 9 .4

$ 7 3 0.0

- 1 2 .9 %

+ 11.1

5 .0 %

IN TER G O V ER N M EN TA L R EV EN U ES6

+ 4 3 3 .3
- 2 5 .0

- 2 4 .7
- 8 .4
- 4 6 .4

$ 1 6 6 .9

+ 1 7 5 .9 %

- 1 5 .7 %

$ 7 2 5 .4

+

-

—

5 4 .5 %

0 .6 %

11969-70 data from David W. Lyon, "The Financial Future of City and School Government in Philadelphia,” Business Review of the Federal Reserve Bank
of Philadelphia, March 1971, pp. 3 -7 1 ; 1972-73 from Table 3, City of Philadelphia, Financial Report Fiscal Year 1973, Office of Director of Finance,
October 1973, pp. 5, 105; 1973-74 from City of Philadelphia, Financial Report Fiscal Year 1974, Office of Director of Finance, October 1974, pp. 10-11,
67, 72, 78, 98-99.
includes real estate tax and personal property tax.
includes wage tax and earnings tax.
“Includes net profit tax, mercantile license tax, and other taxes.
includes (1) Licenses, fines, service charges, and other revenues; (2) Revenue from City-owned leased utilities; (3) Reimbursement for Debt Service;
(4) Port, Civic Center, Sports Stadium; and (5) Aviation Fund revenues.
6ln 1972-73 and 1973-74 intergovernmental revenue includes General Fund and Anticipated Grants Revenue Fund receipts. To maintain comparability
with 1969-70 data, the Economic Opportunity Program and the Model Cities Program have been deducted from the 1972-73 and 1973-74 Federal revenues.
Commonwealth revenues include receipts for the County Liquid Fuel Tax Fund and the Special Gasoline Tax Fund. Commonwealth revenues also include
U.S. and Commonwealth combined grants.




FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF PHILADELPHIA

G RAN D TOTAL

—

- 1 0 .7 %

BUSINESS REVIEW

APPENDIX 2
SCHOOL DISTRICT REVENUES STABILIZED IN 1974
AFTER A PERIOD OF RAPID GROWTH
(D

(2)

Revenue in Current Dollars

Average Annual
Percent Growth
in Revenue
1969-70 to
1973-74
[(3 )-(1 ) x 1 0 0 ]-1 0 0

1969-70
($ Millions)

1972-73
($ Millions)

1973-74
($ Millions)

Real Pro perty T a x e s 2
Perso n al I n c o m e ta x e s 3
B u s in es s A c t iv it y T a x e s 4
Local N ontax R evenues5
C it y G r a n t

$ 9 5 .2
7 .5
2 8 .8
2 .9
—

$ 1 0 5 .1
8 .3
2 9 .2
7 .4
1 2 .0

$ 1 2 7 .8
8 .4
2 8 .7
8.1
—

+
+
+

TOTAL LOCAL

$ 1 3 4 .4

$ 1 6 2 .0

$ 1 7 3 .0

+

C o m m o n w e a lth 6
Feder al

$ 1 4 0 .0
6 .0

$ 2 1 0 .7
5 .0

T O T A L IN T E R G O V E R N M E N T A L

$ 1 4 6 .0
$ 2 8 0 .4

Revenue Source1

(5)

(4)

(3)

Percent Growth
in Revenue
1972-73 to
1973-74
[ ( 3 ) - h ( 2 ) x 100] —100

LO C A L REVENUES

K3

O''

—

+ 2 1 .6 %
+
1.2
1.7
+
9 .5
- 1 0 0 .0

9 .6 %

+

6 .8 %

$ 2 1 4 .5
5 .0

+ 1 7 .7 %
- 5 .6 %

+

1 .8 %
0

$ 2 1 5 .7

$ 2 1 9 .5

+ 1 6 .8 %

+

1 .8 %

$ 3 7 7.7

$ 3 9 2 .5

+ 1 3 .3 %

+

3 .9 %

1 1 .4 %
4 .0
0.1
5 9 .8

IN T E R G O V E R N M E N T A L REVEN U ES

GRAN D TOTAL

11969-70 data from David W. Lyon, op. cit.; 1972-73 data from the School District of Philadelphia, Annual Financial Report, Fiscal Year ending
June 30, 1973, p. 3; 1973-74 data from “ Financial Statements for the Year Ended June 30, 1974," School District of Philadelphia.
2Real estate and delinquent real estate taxes.
3Nonbusiness tax and pari-mutuel taxes.
“General business tax, corporate net income tax, and rental occupancy tax.



APRIL 1975

5Payments in lieu of taxes, public utilities tax, interest on temporary investm ents, personal property tax, and miscellaneous revenues.
6ln 1973-74 the District listed Special Education funds separately in the revenue category “ Intermediate U nit." For comparative purposes they are
included in Commonwealth aid here.


APPENDIX 3
REAL CITY EXPENDITURES IN FISCAL 1974
DECLINED SLIGHTLY FROM FISCAL 1973 LEVELS

City Department4

$ 23
59
30
45
43
8 5 .3
2 6 .7
4 6 .8
39
72
—

—

(5)

Price Deflators

(6)

(7)

1973-74 Expenditures
in Constant Dollars
(Millions)

1972-73
= 100

Base 69-70
= 100
(3) -s- (4)

Base 72-73
- 100
(3) - 5 - (5)

From 69-70
(6) + (1)
+ 5 0 .4 %
+ 1 3 .6
- 4 .7
+ 3 5 .7

+
-

+ 3 6 .0
+ 6.1
- 2 .6
- 0 .6
+ 1 3 .8
+ 2 6 .9

- 2 1 .8
- 2 .4
- 8 .8
- 9 .9
- 3 .7
+ 2 .7

1972-732

1973-742

1969-70
= 100

$ 4 2 .3
7 9 .9
3 9 .9
7 8 .9

$ 4 5 .9
8 3 .3
4 1 .4
78.1

1 3 2 .7
1 2 4 .3
1 4 4 .6
1 2 7 .9

1 0 4 .7
1 0 9 .7
1 0 5 .6
1 0 5 .8

$ 3 4 .6
6 7 .0
2 8 .6
61.1

$ 4 3 .8
7 5 .9
3 9 .2
7 3 .8

8 4 .8
1 2 7 .0
3 6 .3
6 4 .8
5 4 .4
108.1

7 2 .7
1 3 0 .7
3 5 .0
6 1 .6
5 5 .4
1 1 7 .2

1 2 4 .3
1 4 4 .4
1 3 4 .7
1 3 2 .5
1 2 4 .9
1 2 8 .2

1 0 9 .7
1 0 5 .5
1 0 5 .6
1 0 5 .5
1 0 5 .8
1 0 5 .6

5 8 .5
9 0 .5
2 6 .0
4 6 .5
4 4 .4
9 1 .4

6 6 .3
1 2 3 .9
33.1
5 8 .4
5 2 .4
1 1 1 .0

1 2 .0
—

0
12 .5

1 2 4 .3

TOTALS

$ 4 6 9 .8

$ 7 2 8 .4

$ 7 3 3 .8

S E R V IC ES
SU BTO TALS5

$ 3 6 7 .8

$ 5 5 1 .7

$ 563.3

—

1 3 3 .6

(9)

(8)

Fiscal 1974 Percent
Real Expenditure Charge

—

1 0 9 .7

1 0 5 .5

—

From 72-73
3 .5 %
5 .0
1.8
6 .5

—

—

—

—

;

10.1

—
1 1 .4

$ 5 5 8.5

$ 6 8 9.2

+ 1 8 .9 %

-

5 .4 %

$ 4 2 3 .1

$ 5 3 5 .6

+ 1 5 .0 %

-

2 .9 %

’City of Philadelphia, Financial Reports for Fiscal Years 1970, 1973, 1974.
2Each department's expenditures for 1972-73 and 1973-74 are the sums of obligations incurred in the General Fund, the Anticipated Grants Revenue
Fund, and other minor operating funds such as the Aviation Fund, the Special Gasoline Tax Fund, and the County Liquid Fuel Tax Fund.
3See Appendices 3 and 4, W illiam A. Cozzens, "Philadelphia's Budgets: Past, Present, Future," Business Review of the Federal Reserve Bank of
Philadelphia," April 1974, pp. 15-19, for detailed information on the derivation of a municipal price deflator for the City of Philadelphia. Box 2 in text
details the price and wage changes from fiscal 1972-73 to fiscal 1973-74.
“Appendix 4, Cozzens, op. cit., contains specific notes on adjustments made in the 1969-70 and 1972-73 budget figures toensurecomparability across
years.
5The services subtotals represent expenditures in City departments directly involved in the delivery of services. The adjusted totals subtract Debt Service,
Pensions and Employee Benefits, Payment to School District, and Social Security from the totals.




FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF PHILADELPHIA

C o u rts
D e b t S e r v ic e
Fire
H e a lth , P . G . H .
P e n sio n s and
E m p l o y e e Benefits
P o li c e
R e c r e a tio n
Streets
W e lfare
O ther
P a y m e n t to S ch o o l
D istric t
S o c ia l S ecu rity

1969-70

(4)

■F

(3)

Actual Expenditures
In Current Dollars1
(Millions)

NJ

(2)

(1)

BUSINESS REVIEW

APPENDIX 4
TABLE A
DETAIL ON SCHOOL EXPENDITURE CHANGES
(2)

(1)

(4)

(3)

Current Dollar Expenditure ($ Millions)

Program Elements

1969-70

Education Elements
Early Childhood Ed.
$
Elementary Ed.
Junior High and
Middle Schools
Sr. High and Technical
Schools
Special Education
TOTAL EDUCATION
ELEMENTS
Plant Operations and
Maintenance
Administration And
Support Areas1
Debt Service
Employee Benefits
Undistributed items
GRAND TOTAL

5.5
66.6

1972-73
1972-73
Pre-Strike Post-Strike
Estimates
Actuals3
$

7.7
75.4

$

7.5
69.2

(5)

(6)

Price Deflators

(8)
(7)
1973-74
Constant Dollar
Expenditures

Base
Base
1969-70 1972-73 1969-70 1972-73
1974-74“ = 100
= 100 (4) - (6) (4) - (6)
$

7.8
78.4

130.2
127.5

104.4
104.2

$

6.0
61.5

$

(10)

(9)

Average
Annual
% Change
1960-70
to 1973-74
[(7H (1)]-4

(11)

Percent Change
1972-73 to 1973-74
Based on
Based
Pre-Strike Actual on
Estimates Expenditures
(8) - (3)
(8) - (2)

7.5
75.2

+ 2.3%
- 1.9

-

2.6%
0.3

0 %
+ 8.7

37.4

51.4

38.8

49.6

130.1

104.2

38.1

47.6

+ 0.5

-

7.4

+ 22.7

47.7
14.6

56.7
17.2

45.3
15.0

59.2
20.6

130.3
128.7

104.2
104.2

45.4
16.0

56.8
19.8

- 1.2
+ 2.4

+ 0.2
+ 15.1

+ 25.4
+ 32.0

$171.8

$208.4

$175.8

$215.8

129.2

104.3

$167.0

$206.9

-

-

+ 17.7%

28.1

40.2

39.9

45.6

142.1

107.6

32.1

42.4

+ 3.6

+ 5.6

+ 6.3

33.5
29.5
19.3

40.3
56.7
29.7
5.5

37.1
56.0
26.8
4.6

42.6
56.4
32.6

135.3
124.3
138.9

104.8
109.7
109.7

31.5
45.4
23.5

40.6
51.4
29.7

- 1.5
+ 13.5
+ 5.5

+ 0.7
- 9.3
0

+ 9.4
- 8.2
+ 10.8

$282.3

$380.6

$340.2

$393.0

131.2

105.9

$299.5

$371.0

+ 1.5%

-

+ 9.1%

0.7%

0.7%

2.5%

'Includes field operations, school services, curriculum and insturction, career education, municipal services, superintendent, administrative services,
refund of prior years' revenues, and services for other funds.
5From the "Summary of the ProposedOperating Budget for the Fiscal Year Beginning July 1, 1973," School District of Philadelphia. "Proposed Revised
1972-73 Budget."

5For the calculation of these price deflators see Box 2 in text and Appendix 3, Cozzens, op. cit., pp. 15-16.



APRIL 1975

3Annual Financial Report, Fiscal Year ending June 30, 1973, School District of Philadelphia, pp. 5-8.
““ Financial Statements for the Year Ended June 30, 1974," School District of Philadelphia, pp. 6-10.

APPENDIX 4
TABLE B
REAL EXPENDITURES PER CAPITA

Attendance1
000's

TOTAL

Percentage Change
1972-73 to 1973-74

1973-1974

Attendance1
000's

Expenditures
Per Pupil2

2 3 .3
121.1

$ 330
623

$ 322
571

2 2 .6
1 1 4 .2

$ 332
658

6 2 .9
6 1 .7
1 0.5

817
917
1638

617
734
1429

6 0 .8
6 4 .4
1 1 .0

783
882
1800

2 7 9 .4

$ 746

$ 629

2 7 2 .9

$ 758

Pre-Strike
72-73 to 73-74
+ 0 .6 %
+ 5 .6

+ 3 .1 %
+ 1 5.2

- 4 .2
- 3 .8
+ 9 .9

+ 2 6 .9
+ 2 0 .2
+ 2 6 .0

+ 1 .6 %

+ 2 0 .5 %

'Average daily attendance during the month of November. Budget Office, School District of Philadelphia.
Calculated by dividing the real expenditures in each direct educational unit (from Table A) by the attendance in that unit.




Actual
72-73 to 73

FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF PHILADELPHIA

Early C h i l d h o o d E d u c a tio n
E le m e n ta ry E d u c a tio n
Jun io r H igh a n d M id d le
S ch o o l E d u c a tio n
S en io r H ig h E d u c a tio n
S p ec ial E d u c a tio n

1972-1973
Expenditures
Per Pupil2
Pre-Strike
Estimates
Actual




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Truth in Lending became the law of the land in 1969. Since
then the law, requiring uniform and meaningful disclosure of the
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A brochure, "W hat Truth in Lending Means to You," cogently
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Persons in the Third District may direct requests for loan of
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On December 31, 1974, Americans were permitted to buy and sell gold for the first
time in some 40 years. Since then questions have been raised about the once-hallowed,
almighty metal's worth and importance. For example, has its status in the United States
and in the international monetary system changed? If so, in what manner? A pamphlet
recently produced by the Philadelphia Fed's Department of Public Information con­
siders the role of gold— past, present, future.
Copies are available free of charge. Please address all requests to Public Services,
Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19105.




8

rKDIRAL. R
K SRVI ItAM
K

F E D E R A L R E S E R V E B A N K o f PH ILA D ELPH IA
PH ILA D ELPH IA , PEIVINSYLVAINflA 19105

business review
FEDERAL RESERVE BANK
OF PHILADELPHIA
PHILADELPHIA, PA. 19105