Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-10-22
A CENSUS PROBLEM.
Statistics Of the Recorded Indebtedness
of the People.

CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS AT THE CENSUS
OFFICE ON THE BEST METHOD OF OBTAINING THE
INFORMATION REQUIRED BY coSGREss-ADDI-
TIoNAL APPROPRIATION PROBABLY NEEDED.
An interesting conference is now in progress
at the census Office. Some time ago Superin-
tendent Porter devised the plan of making an
experimental test for the purpose Of determin-
ing the best method of collecting the statistics
of recorded Indebtedness, Congress had di-
rected him TO gather statistics on this subject,
but he found that it was entirely new field
The statistics Of wealth, debt and taxation that
usually forms a feature Of every census, and
was 80 deliberately treated in the last census re-
port, were confined entirely to public indebted
ness. But Congress had required that the re-
corded indebtedness of corporations and indi-
viduals should be ascertained. There were two
principal
DIFFICULTIES IN THE WAY
Of making such an Investigation. The first was
practicable plan of attaining the best and
fullest results, and the second whether the cost
Of the work would not exceed what had been
appropriated. As may be readily understood
the investigation presents more than ordinary
dihculties. Under the system in vogue in this
country 1t is impossible to tell from the public
records whether payments have been made on
mortgage or not, and in some cases no record
is made that mortgage is paid until some
ume after the payment Is made. Merely to
gather together the amount of the mortgages
as found in the records would be, Mr.. Porter
readily saw, misleading. He wanted to find
out exactly how this difficulty could be over
come SO that the census would mean some
thing. There was
ANOTHER INTERESTING PHASE
OF this matter. 1t has been asserted that in
de5tedness of this character represents in a
measure the distress and poverty of the people
In order to ascertain whether this is true it
would be necessary to learn for what reasons
persons borrowed money. Whether for ex-
ample, the indebtedness represented a part
payments on the property or money borrowed
for business purposes.
EXPERIMENTAL WORK.
Looking at the matter from the practical
standpoint which he has assumed in the direc-
ton and management Of the census Mr. Porter
decided to send men in the field with authority
to collect statistics on this subject in certain
localities. They were to pursue different plans
and when the results were compared Mr..
Porter thought he would be able to determine
what plan would be the most practicable. In
pursuance of this idea Mr.. John 8. Lord has
been collecting statistics in a county in Illinois
and an adjoining county in Iowa. Mr. Geo. K
in Massachusetts, and Mr.. F. w. Kruse in
county in New York state. These gentlemen
have now completed their work and are to-
gether at the census Office engaged in
COMPILING THE RESULT
to be reported to Superintendent Porter.
There is no doubt that a plan can be devised
which will be fairly satisfactory, but it is a
question whether the cost will not far exceed
the amount appropriated. In the latter event
Mr. Porter will probably report the fact to
Congress SO that sufficient appropriation can
be made before the work is begun. One Of the
special agents in collecting the statistics en-
ployed both the direct and the indirect method.
In the first place he obtained what information
he could from the records, and in the second
he sent out circulars to all who had recorded
mortgages, asking among other questions tor
what purpose the money was needed This
proved to be very satisfactory, and if the same
method is extended to the entire country con-
siderable information will be obained as to the
causes Of recorded Indebtedness.