Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-02-23

one.
Mr.. Burrows thought the appointment IN
excellent one. Mr.. Foster had the confidence
of the country and was known to be sound on
pointment would be received with great favor.
PRIVATE INDEBTEDNESS.
Bulletin From the Census ONCE a. to Individ-
uals and Corporations.
One Of the novel features of the work of the
present census is the inquiry which has been
made in regard to the private indebtedness of
individuals and corporations. The bulletin is
now in course Of preparation, and Superin-
tendent Porter will preface it with statement
explanatory Of the objects of this inquiry In
this Introductory statement Mr.. Porter Gays:
THE PLAN ADOPTED.
It is, I believe, the first time government
has ever attempted to invade for statistical
purposes the realm Of private indebtedness
For this reason, and because questions relating
to debt are likely to arouse popular prejudice
against the census proper, it became necessary
to adopt some plan that would secure the in
formation demanded by Congress with the
least possible friction. This has, in a large
measure, been accomplished. and, although
the just demand on the part Of the people to
take an inventory OF private indebtedness has
been used for the purpose Of making partisan
attacks on the census office, the work has been
prosecuted with a success far beyond the an
ticipation of statisticians who have studied the
question for years. The employment of a
small army Of special agents to make an alb
stract OF every mortgage placed on record in
every county in the United States for the last
ten years has attracted attention to the dangers
OF these encumbrances, to the enormous bur-
dens in the way OF interest, to the alarming ex-
tent in which usury is practiced and to the de-
fectiveness Of these records in all parts of the
country. The agents of the census Office
have. as a matter Of fact, oveYhauled the
records in every state and territory, and We
have now on fle in Washington a result of
their labor the abstracts OF abou. 5000, 900
mortgages. Some months before the inquiry
was begun Congress, and through Congress the
public, was put IN possession Of the scope Of the
plan adopted The plan, with hardly any
change has been successfully carried out. It
comprised two distinc. methods. one having
the local records for the basis Of operation, the
other the population schedule, and hence the
individual. As will be seen from the prelimi-
nary report fo- the states Of Alabama and Iowa
the nrst plan makes IL possible to determine
with reasonable accuracy the amount Of exist
ing debt January l, 1890. the rate Of interest
and the motive of the lean, whether for pur-
chase money, improvement or other purposes.
FARMs AND HOMES FREE FROM DEBT.
The second plan will show the number Of
persons by counties in the United States who
own their farms and their homes free from
debt and the number having incumbrance
thereon, the amount Of such Indebtedness, the
value Of such farms and other facts OF minor
| Importance These two inquiries combined
will throw light upon the whole question Of
mortgage indebtedness and will form a basis
for subsequent Investigations that will prob
ably yield more exact and satisfactory results
No one appreciated more keenly than l the
magnitude and difficulty Of this investigation.
Suggestions and criticisms have been sought in
every direction, and the work has been prose-
cuted from beginning to end with the sole aim
to obtain all the facts as accurately and quickly
as possible That there are imperfections in
the work readily admit, but no other method
would have yielded better results without en-
dangering the enumeration Of the people On
this point all statisticians who have examined
the work relating to individual indebtedness
agree.
The special agents who have carried ont this
work-Mr. George X. Holmes and Mr.. John s.
Iord-deserve great credit for the intelligence
and industry they hav0 displayed in the diff
cult task allotted them.
OBJECTS IN MoRraAorSa REAL ESTATE.
By personal inquiry in Alabama as to the OBJ
jects in mortgaging real estate, the most promi-
nent ones given are: Purchase money to buy
other land, business improvements, farm ex-
penses, family expenses. family supplies, farm
supplies, TO repay borrowed money and litigation
Improvements to buy other land. business farm
stock, security debts, speculation, litigation,
living expenses and undescribed debts The
counties thus selected and known in the census
office rs inquiry" counties were Jefferson and
Greene counties, Alabama, and Cass, Crawford,
Delaware and johnson counties, Iowa. In
Jefferson county, Ala, it was found by actual
inquiry by special agents of the census that the
motive for 95.64 per cent Of the indebtedness
was the purchase Of the .incumbered and other
real estate, Improvements and business; in
Greene county, Ala, for these purposes, IS. 81
per cent; in Cass county, Iowa, ". i3 per cent;
in Crawford county, Iowa, 80 80 per cent; in
Delaware county. Iowa. $3.50 per cent, and in
johnson county, Iowa, 93.47 per cent.
ACCURACY OF THE RESULTS.
In an extract from the report Of Mr.. Wright,
chairman Of the committee of statistics of the
American Economic Association, he gave it as
his opinion that the result of this inquiry will
not vary more than or 10 per cent from actual
truth" l will believe the variation will not
reach per cent and 1t certainly will not ex-
coed 10 per cent.
In computing the amount Of existing in
debtedness in two selected or inquiry" coun-
| ties in Alabama, the total &C tnal debt on jan
| uary I, 1880, was $14. $50 ,020, the total COM
puted debt els, Ss9, 230, and the percentage Of
error in excess was 2.99. In the four selected
counties OF Iowa the total actual debt at the
| same date was $8,45S, III and the total COM
puted debt 81, 473, l05, and the percentage of
error In excess Of debt was "a. This would in
dieate that the plan adopted will yield both
valuable and accurate statistical results; and
this supposition IL fortified when il il borne
in mind that able statisticians admit that
even II the error should vary from is TO 20 per
value.
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