The National tribune., 1890-06-19

visions and the legislation resulting there
from undoubtedly did much to stem the
torrent of municipal indebtedness which 10
| and Is years ago threatened to engulf many
growing city and to make the burden of
taxation greater than the people could bear.
1t 1876, realizing the great want of infor-
nation on the subject, instituted an in
quiry with view to finding ont definite
facts bearing on the increase of debt. That
inquiry developed the fact that in the prin-
cipal cities of the country The debt between
1866 and 1876 had increased 200 per cent,
and taxation SO per cent, valuation only rs
per cent. and population only SO per cent.
found then cities struggling under burdens
almost impossible to bear. In one State
there were nine cities which were annually
paying an aggregate of $2,138,000 interest
on debt, while the total annual expenses for
carrying on local government of these same
cities only amounted to $2,3O7, 900 Then
"s'iiiO Sio NSnous vi lOOU- lereJOIOIe no at
tempt had ever been made to gage the
burden of this indebtedness. AS a result, it
was found that the municipal Indebtedness
of the country was Sill, 100000; and the
County Indebtedness, S1OG, 100000. It is
impossible TO show the percentage OF IN
crease between 1870 and 1880, because there
were no figures suitable for comparative
purposes. But it is safe to assume that the
increase of municipal Indebtedness during
this period was simply tremendous. Within
few weeks the Census Office will be able
to show the changes in municipal debt dur
ing the last decade. Within the last few
days the totals of the bonded debt of the
2r8O9 Counties of the country have been pub
lished and it was shown to be Sl30,734,-
$50, an increase Of about % per cent since
1850. This increase in County indebtedness
is largely in the Western States where the
growth in population and wealth has been
the greatest. For example, S7G000000 and
Sl,0OO,0O0, making total of $4,000, 600, out
of about Sl30,000,0O0, is shown to be in the
Western States and Territories. In other
parts of the country, where progress has not
been so great, County indebtedness shows
little or no increase, which, when we take
into consideration the fact that the wealth
and population of these sections have
probably grown from 20 to % per cent, in
dicates that the debt is becoming less bur-
densome. There may have been during the
last decade great increase in municipal
debt, but it is impossible to state anything
Mt present with accuracy on this point. 1t
is probable, however, when we take into
account the great decrease during the last
10 years of the National debt, the decrease
which / have already shown in State debts
which in itself more than balances the in
crease in the County debt, that the public
Indebtedness of the United States will
upon the whole show very considerable
decrease.
Even should municipal Indebtedness have
increased twenty-five or fifty million dollars,
we shall still have decrease of 81 100000
600 in the public Indebtedness of the ooun-
try. have already referred to the fact that
agitations of this kind are healthy. This
certainly held true when applied to public
debts, and i'll my opinion, it will have the
same effect upon private debts. The people,
should the reports of the Census Office show
an alarming amount of debt, will go to work
with renewed vigor to pay these obligations
AT any rate, the searching of the records,
the inquiries in the population schedule of
the census, and the stirring up of the ques-
tion generally will have a beneficial effect.
As statistician, interested only in present.
ing the exact facts rs they are found on
record and returned direct by the people of
the country, it would not be in good taste
for me to give any opinion as to the effect of
the mortgage Indebtedness upon the growing
States of the West. A large proportion of
this debt was undoubtedly contracted for
purchase money and for the purpose of
building the home and improving the prop
erty.
AS an American citizen, however, inter
ested i'll the prosperity of the country, and
with unbounded faith i'll its future, / have
right to venture the opinion that perhaps,
after all, the thrifty, vigorous and industri-
Gus farmer of the great West has merely
taken the cue from his County and munich
pal organization, and gone into debt little
faster than his immediate necessities re-
CURED If this be true, and the effect of this
agitation is as salutary upon the individual
| as | have shown that itwas upon the Nation,
the State, the County and the municipality,
may we not hope that before another decade
rolls around the increase of population and
of wealth, and the development of the great
resources of this country will show that the
farmer, so far as his mortgages are concerned,
is in n much better condition than he is at
the present time The only fair way In