Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1891-07-16

W. Ntio hot Wlhihk W ioNino tho eotihoNo
until we had official information concern
ing the fact and IN all OF our political
writings during the year 1890, and In all Of
the public addresses made by the editor OF
the KANSAS FARMER during that year,
$50. .00O,O00 was taRen as being about tho
correct figures With others we united in
what came to be- very general demand
upon the authorities TO have this mortgage
question thoroughly investigated by the
Census Bureau, rnd after a long and
earnest siege, Congress appropriated a
million dollars for that purpose In sup
Elementary act Early In April Of this
year, Mr.. Porter gave us the first figures,
aud in preliminary review OF the
situation, he showed us that there
were at that time in his possession at
Washington, abstracts OF about 1900, 900
mortgages upon the farms and homes OF
the people ia this country, and under date
OF April %, he gave us Census Bulletin
No. 3, containing the official figures for
two States. Iowa and Alabama The
writer OF this called upon the officers OF
the Census Bureau before that bulletin
appeared and learned from them that as
soon as possible after Alabama and Iowa
were disposed OF, Kansas and Tennessee
would be taken up, and that the country
would have In official form the exact stu
alton concerning the indebtedness Of the
people In those two States. AT that time
the necessary data had been collected for
all OF the States, excepting as TO the rea-
sons for the Indebtedness. The collecting
Of this particular sort OF information nee
essarily requires house-to- house canvass
or a correspondence from headquarters.
The abstracts on file show the names OF
persons who are indebted. Then, by an
swering questions sent out from the Cen
sus Bureau to those persons inquirlng
concerning the cause OF Indebtedness, 9
facts are given by the persons themselves.
This is very laborious undertaking and
necessarily requires good deal Of time.
1t is probably because OF this fact that the
delay In publishing results obtained has
been great.
Now, concerning the actual amount OF
farm Indebtedness in Kansas On the l4th
day OF last April, Superintendent Porter
wrots letter to the editor OF the Topeka
-Adp0cdte concerning the farm mortgage
Indebtedness in Kansas, IN which he states
that Dr. McLsllin's estimate Of si47. 600 0o0
"is not likely to be very far from the ex-
listing debt, established by the Census
Office That is only sl3 OOOcOo less than
was given by Senator PETER In his Cooper
Union speech. We now state that We
have In our possession IN this office, figures
from official sources which we believe to
be correct and which will be given to the
people, II desired, at any time after the
census figures for Kansas are published.
Our figures cover every county In the
State, and not only for one month, or for
six months, or for one year, but for ten
years, beginning with the year 1881 and
ending with the year 1889. We have fg-
nres showing the number OF mortgages
which we're placed on record during those
ten years, covering the farms and tho city
homes OF the people OF Kansas. Where
we obtained those hgures and how does
not matter, just now. We give them out
as being at least substantially correct
They show that during the ten years the
total number OF mortgages placed upon
farms and city lots In Kansas amounted TO
over G2o,OOO; that the amount OF money
secured by those mortgages amounted 10
nearly sis3, 100000; that the amount COW
ering farms was nearly 1914, COO, 900; that
the amount covering city lots was nearly
Sl4000OOOO 1t appears further, that
nearly one half of the total amount placed
on record during the ten years was unpaid
on the first day OF January, 1890 To be
more specific, the actual amount OF In
debtedness upon the homes OF the people
OF kansas-farms and city lots-in the be-
ginning Of the census year was about
$3.50 100000 Of which amount Sl60, 600 oOOis
secured by mortgage on farms, and S70,-
O0) 600 secured by mortgage upon city lots
These figures, let IL be said, are given as
substantially correct, with the additional
information that II the census report does
not show about tho same facts which we
give concerning this matter, we will give
the source Of our information to the people
80 that they may know how It happens
that our figures differ from those OF the
Census Bureau. We cannot be very far
wrong when Mr.. Porter, the Superlntend-
ent, gives in advance, over his own sigma
ture for pnbllca the statement that
$4,000 900 will be .ound to be very nearly
correct
Taking tleO 10000 to be the farm in
debtedness OF the people OF Kansas. and
taking the assessed valuation OF our farm
property in lsss as a standard OF It's value,
namely, Sl6s oo0,oO0 the present valuation
is lower than that. we have a margin Of
s 600 COO OF farm values over aud above
the actual Indebtedness OF the farms them 4
selves. II will be said that this is not a |
fair valuation. The KANSAS FARMER Is /
not responsible for the fairness Of the val I
uauon. However. the particular art Of 4
the Cooper Union speech which is most
IS the statement that one half OF 1
the peoples homes are under mortgage for /
more than they would sell for upon thirty I
days notice. 1t is said, in answer TO this, 1
that not more than one-half OF the home, Z
Of Kansas are mortgaged. The Capital ]
admits, however, that two-thirds Of the 1
farms are mortgsged. Lest it should be
said that we do the Capital an Injustice.
we will quote one sentence IN its article
under the title OF "PeiIer's Ridiculous
Defnuse." After showing some figures,
The 'aapitat proceeds; "Fully third Of
81 the farmers in Kansas to-day areliving
Dn fsrms free from mortgages" This Is
IN admission that two-thirds OF the farms
are mortgaged, yet the claim in the Cooper
Union speech did not exceed one-halk 4
But it will be said that the assessed valu-
ition Of property In Kansas is not the true
valuation. Very well. We have not said
hat It was We have frequently said
hat e was not; but whether we are wrong
n Tssht about this does not matter. Let
Is multiply the farm valuation tsl6s.OO0,-
ooi BY three. and we have s5OioOO.O0O.
according to the Capitals estimate one
bird Of the farms are Clear: tnat would
cave Us s336Oo0,O00 ss the actual value Of
he farms which are mortgaged, II the
rue value Is three times the assessment.
The figures which We have given showing