St. Landry democrat., 1889-09-07
The Wealth of the South.

In order to give some estimate as to the
growth of wealth in the South, we give
below an article on the subject from the
Times Democrat:
The Southern States are now busily en-
gagged in making their new assessments.
The rolls will be completed by October,
and 1890 will open with new and increased
| valuation for the South. The returns are
already in for nine-tenths of the counties,
but there are so many blanks that to give
the total now would be to give estimates
only. Yet such returns as have been re-
ceived render it absolutely certain that the
increase in the total assessment for the
year will be greater than for any previous
Is esz in shs history Ct the s sRsre has been
steady advance during the past eight years
of 1884, 497, 8O1 year.
The improvement in the assessments is
limited to no portion of the South, and
never before has been SO general. It is
noted, for instance, that even the cotton
districts of the older States, like Georgia,
show an improvement. While these States
have steadily improved, it has hitherto
been mainly or altogether in the cities and
the mining, manufacturing or numbering
sections. Georgia is not little surprised
to find an addition of 100000 already
made to the purely agricultural counties,
and in Mississippi, where the assessment
had grown more slowly than elsewhere,
there has been an even greater advance, in
consequence of the new law on this subject.
When, some months ago, New Orleans
returned an assessment some $4,000, 900
greater than that of 1888, it was accepted
as promising sign. It has encouraged
the parishes to improve their returns also,
and come nearer the true valuation. Some,
of course, have done better than others,
but taken all in all, they have done well,
and an Improvement of some $40, 200, 900
may be hoped for.
And it is the same throughout the South.
Atlanta boasts proudly that it's county
will show an improvement of So, 000, 900,
Savannah $2,000,000, Meridian nearly as
much. The present returns already in
would indicate an improvement of some
1892, 600, 900 over last yegr, bringing the
total assessment of the South up to about
So, 40, 271, 900. This is certainly graft
tying exhibit. 1t indicates an average of
$193 per capita of assessed wealth for the
South, as against $148 perscapita for $780,
The assessment figures of this year are
those which go into the census returns as
showing the wealth and financial condition
of the South; and it is gratifying, there
fore, that they are so fattering and show
such good condition Of affairs. When
the last census was taken it was quite diff
ferent. Our assessments were at almost
their lowest limits. and the entire South,
with its IA, 639, TIA people, could show an
assessment of but $2,164, 1872, 795. We
have improved since then 81, 605, ATS, 205,
or 70 per cent.
We have not reached the truth yet, and
the indications are that the assessment
does not represent more than 55 per cent
Of the actual wealth-in some counties |
barely % per cent. On the basis of the |
government calculation in the census of |
1880 the true wealth of the South to-day |
IS $6.854, 926, 900.
We are getting nearer and nearer to the |
rue assessment every day more correct |
assessment returns are made; less objec- |
ion is raised to the assessment laws, and |
i larger percentage of taxes are paid than
it any time since 1861.
But the improvement In the financial
condition Of the Southern States would not
,e fully shown If attention was not called
o the fact that the taxes had been reduced
rom 25 to 10 per cent that the State
lebts, aside from any forced com promises
nd read ustments, had been reduced, and
hat all, or nearly all Southern securities
lad materially improved.
The South will make an Infinitely better
lnancial showing in the next census re-
ort than it did in that of 1880. The as
now well under way, prove that. :