Iron County register., 1889-10-31
A Demand to Have the Next Unite d
States Census Show the Mortgage
Indebt etineSS on the Farms and
Homes of the Country.
Now suppose
yO II DO.

There is growing feeling that the
farmers and other wealth-producers do
not receive an equitable ret urn for their
made that "the rich are growing rich
er, and the poor poorer" that ninety
five per cent. of the wealth Of the coun-
try is owned by less than five per cent.
of the population; that three-fifths of
all the wealth is in the hands Of less
than thirty thousand persons; and that
the sturdy self-respecting farmer is be-
coming the American peasant. Lack
of facts upon which to base conclusions
has rendered even tbeorising value
less, and ignorance of the truth makes
the prevalent discomfort only more
dangerous. The first requisite to an
intelligent discussi N of the subject is
a knowledge of the actual facts in the
case. Up to this time none of any inn
pOrtance have been collected. Much
statistical Information has been gather
ed and published to show the produce
ton of wealth in this country. but none
TO show its distribution. An important
step in this direction, in fact the prim
AIRY step, would be the collection of
data to show to what extent the farms
and the homes-the basis of our civil
ization-are owned by their occupants
and free from debt. Correspondence
has been had with the Chiefs of the
Bureaus of Statistics of the various
States, asking them whether they had
collected any such information. With
singular unanimity they reply that the
facts are of great Importance and ought
to be collected, but that the labor and
expense of such an investigation are
too great to be undertaken by State
Bureau. and that the work naturally
devolves on the national census. Mr..
Robert p. Porter. Superintendent of
the Eleventh Census, in reply to cor
respOndence on this SUBJECT, says that
the act authorizing the census did not
contemplate The collection of these
data; that before he can undertake the
work there must be special legislation
by Congress instructing him to do SO,
and that he will lay the matter before
the Secretary Of the Interior with a
view to securing such legislation.
There is no doubt that if a general
public demand existed, the legislation
could te secured. The country cannot
afford to wait till another census for
the facts, as ar least fifteen years weuld
be required to make them public, and
in these days of the rapid coDcentra-
ton of wealth into a few hands that
time is too long for a first diagnosis of
the case. By that date the patient may
be fatally i'll.
With view to creating such de-
mand, the Western Economic Associ-
alton of st. Louis, has issued this ad-
dress to the farmers and other wealth
produ ucers of the country. The prac-
tical method of procedure is for any
body of such individuals, either or
ganized or unorganized, to adopt reso-
lutions of the following character and
to send them to Was h:ngton:
WHEREAS, There is a growing be-
lief that the farmers and other produc-
ers of the country do not obtain an
equitable share OF the wealth which
they create, and that the farms and the
homes of the country are very largely
under mortgage; and.
WHEREAS, Exact knowledge on this
subject is of great Importance in the
study of the social and economic ques-
tions of the day; therefore, be it by
(insert here the name of the body
adopting the resolutions, and the To-
cality);
Resolued, That it is our judgment
that the next Urited States Census
should show what percentage of the
people in this country occupy their
own farms and homes, and what pro-
portion are tenants; and of those who
occupy their own farms and homes;
| what proportion have their property
free from debt; aud of the farms and
homes which are under mortgage;
what percentage of the value Is SO
mortgaged; and be it further
Resolved, That the secretary OF this
meeting be requested to transmit a
copy OF these resolutions to Hou. John
w. Noble, Secretary of the Interior,
Washington, D. c.. and copy to the