The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1883-08-02
HENRY GEORGE.
The Census Bureau Report Proven to b
Incorrect---The Land Rapidly Passing
Into the Hands Of the Few---Henry
Georges Answer to Superin-
tendent Walker.

following letter from Gen. Francis A.
Walker, Superintendent Of the ninth
and tenth censuses:
DosToN May 10. 1SS,
To the Editor Of Frank Leslie's Illustrated
SIR: In Mr.. Henry Georges fifth paper on
the Problems of the Time he de fares that
the statement of the Census Bureau to the
effect that the average size Of farms is de-
creasing in the United safes is incons steno
not on with sfacss obvious oil over the
United States" but with @thc re urns fur
nish, by the Census Bureau iiself.' and Mt
q later point, after citing the census statis-
tics OF the number Of farms Of certain
classes, as to size. in 1870, and again in 1S>N,
he says: sHow, in the face Of these figures,
the Census Bureau can report decline in
the average size of farms in tie United
States from l53 acres in 1870 to LA acres in
1880, cannot unde, stand
Perhaps can offer an explanation which
may assist Mr.. George toward an under
standing OF what seems to him incompre-
hensible
The average size of farms In 1870 having
been l53 acres, any increase during the in
tervening decade in the number OF farms
below this limit would tend to lower the
az erage size of farms In 1850; any increase in
the number Of farms above that limit would
tend to lase the average for lS o.
Now, in fact there has been greater in
crease, on the whole, in the number of iarms
below liS acies than in the number above
153 acres and, conse luently, the average
size has been reduced.
II have not made the reason Of the case
plain, shall he happy to resort to mere
elementary statement, Aiu .trated with dlla-
grams, ii desired
Respectfully yours,
FRANCIS A. WALKER
To my comprehension, Gen. Walker
has mot made the reason of the case
plain" nor has he explained the dis
crepencies pointed out. / shall be
happy to have his more elementary
statement, and, If he will be SO kind,
to have it illustrated with diagrams.
But, in the meantime, as his reassertion
of the statement of the census report
carries the weight of Official authority
and professional reputation, 1 propose
in this paper to show in more detail my
reasons for disputing its accuracy.
It is especially asserted in the re-
ports Of the tenth census that the
average size of farms in the United
States decreased during the decade
ending in 1880 from 153 acres to LA
acres, and this assertion has been
quoted all over the country as con-
elusive reason why the people of the
United States should not trouble them.
selves about the reckless manner in
which what is now left Of their once
great public domain is being dispo ed
Of and the rapid rate at which it is
| passing in enormous tracts into the
| private estates of nonresident spec
ulators, English Lords and foreign
! syndicates. All over the country the
press has pointed to this declaration oi
| the Census Bureau as conclusive proof
which no one could question land
which, up to the publication of the fifth
paper of this series, no one seems tc
have thought of questioning), that these
things need excite no uneasiness, since
the steady tendency is to the subdiyis
ion of large land-holdings. This in
ference would not be valid even il the
alleged facts were true. But that
will not now discuss. l dispute the
fact.
Gen. Walker states that, during the
last decade, "there has been create,
increase, on the whole, in the number
OF farms below 153 acres than in the
number above 153 acres" This shal
show from Gen. Walkers own otiic.a
report is not true-is, in fact, the yer,
reverse of the truth. But such i
misstatement of fact, astonishing as il
is, is not SO astonishing as the nlisstate
ment OF principle which precedes ant
follows it-yiz., to quote the remainder
of the sentence, .and consequently thu
average size has been reduced"
have occasionally met thoughtles.
people who talked of discounts of Isl
and 200 per cent. once knew mar
who insisted that another man wa.
twice as old as he was. because on /.
certain birthday, years before, he hat
been twice rs old; but never yet me-
anybody, except very little children, t,
whom all coins We're pennies, VIII.
would say that when q shopkeeper re
ceived one piece of money and handed
out two, he had consequently reduced
the amount of money in his drawer
Yet this is just such statement as tha
made by Gen. Walker. In assertin,
that the greater increase in the numbe
Of farms under o certain size thar
In the number above that size mus
reduce the average size, Gen. Walk
or ignores area, just as anyone VIII,
would say that an amount of money Ia.
been reduced by adding one coin an.
taking away two would ignore value
Take for instance, farm of 100 acres
Add to it two farms Of fifty acres eacl
and one farm of 400 acres. Here Their
has been greater increase in the mum
ber of farms below 100 acres than il
the number above 100 acres, but so fa
from the average having consequent,
been reduced it has been increased from
100 to $50 acres.
| Let me refer those who may wish +
verify the accuracy of the figures al
about to quote to table LXIII., pp
65O-657, compendium Of the tenth cen
sus, part l. This table gives the tota
numbeg OF farms for 1850, 1870, 1856
and 1850, the number of farms in eigh
specified classes for 1880, 1870 aud 1860
the farm acreage and the average siz
of farms for four censuses. We ar
told in note that 1T will be noticed
that the number Of ferns given in tn
specified classes for 1860 fail to agre
with the total number given, and tina
@these discrepancies appear without ea
planation in the census Of 1860" Thi
is well calculated to impress one VIII
casually turns over the pages of til
compendium with the vigilant care tina
has been exercised, but it become
rather amusing when read in the ligl
of the far more striking discrepancie
which appear thoutexplanation in til
census for 1880.
What first struck me in glanein
over this table, and what is SO obviou
that cannot understand how, fror
Census Superintendent to lowest clerk
any one could have transcribed, O
even glanced over not to say exam
ined-these figures without bein
struck by it, is that. in the face OF tn
fact that we are told that between 1877
and 1880 the average size of farms ha
been reduced, the same table show
IN ITO wary Il rot lfuac That tho GREAT In