Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-05-13
THE WORLD 'SDEBT
That of the United States the
Smallest of Amy Country.
Remarkable Decrease In the
Past Ten Years.

From 1880 to 1890 the Burden Per Capita
of Uncle Sans Family Was Reduced
From &46.50 To SeO.4G-A Comparison
! With the Debt Per Capita of Foreign
Countries-State and County Debts
WASHINGTON, May 13.-The census
bureau has in course of preparation a
bulletin upon the subject of foreign, Ma
tional, state and county Indebtedness,
The information concerning the indebt-
edness of foreign countries was furnish
ed by the proper administrative officers
of the several nations, at the request of
the census officer, for publication in the
reports of the eleventh census, as pre-
liminary to the statistics of the indebt-
edness of this country.
Only the totals of foreign Indebtedness
are herein stated, but great amount of
interesting details concerning the dates
Of issue and maturity of the several
loans, the purposes and rates for which
they were issued, their present CONNER
cial value and the kind and value Z
money in which they were negotiated,
has been compiled and will be published
in the final reports of the eleventh CEN
sus.
The indebtedness Of the world for 1890
and 1890, as far as it has been possible to
collect the data for the present bulletin,
with the amount of increase or decrease,
is as follows: Foreign nations debt less
sinking fund, 1890, $25 ,636 015, $40; 1880,
$23, ,dSl ,512, lS5. The United States, 1890,
$9l5, 062, 70; 1880. 81 ,022 5l7 1854. States
and territories, 1890, 1928, 101 ,SS3; 1880,
$500, ,326,6i3 Counties, 1890, $14l $780,
S45; 1880, 1924, l05, ,021.
National.
Relatively the burden of debt falls far
heavier upon the inhabitants of the
principal foreign countries, except those
of Germany, than upon those of this
country. France in 1899 had debt per
capita of $ll63j. and it is understood
that this does not include certain am
nnities of an unstated but large amount;
Great Britain, though slowly decreasing
its debt had burden at that time of
SSi.i9 per capita; Russia, $50. 10; Austria
Hungary, $10.S4; Italy, %1606; Belgium
S63.l 10; the Netherlands 800. So, while
that of the United States was but $l4.63
and of its Indebtedness nearly one-half
was made up of non-intereStsp bearing
notes.
While individual fluctuations in the
amounts of Indebtedness of the seventy
nine foreign nations reported have been
considerable during the decade, the az
gTegate indebtedness shows but little
change, especially if compared with the
increase Of population.
The public debt of the United States
shows gratifying decrease within the
last ten years, the burden per capita
having been reduced from $3S. 33 in 1880
to $l4.63 in 1890.
The Indebtedness Of the states and ter
ritories has also decreased $67 ,9tS, 700
during the past decade, reducing the per
capita from g. 70 in 1880 to 49, 90 in 1890.
1t should be remembered, however, that
of the total decrease of state debt as re-
ported there has been scaled by refund
ing in some of the southern states about
$2S, 800, 600.
County
The indebtedness of the counties.
though increasing somewhat in the de-
cade, has not kept pace with the in
crease of population, and the per capita
has been reduced from $2.47 in 1880 to
1921 in 1890.
Aggregating the National, state and
county Indebtedness, the per capita
shows decrease from 1869 in 1880 to
$50. 46 i'll 1890, or more than one-half,
and this decrease has been brought about
mainly by volunteer taxation. The ag-
gregate surplus receipts of another de-
cade like the one Just past, would re-
leve the country from nearly all Nation
al, state and county Indebtedness could
they be distributed for the purpose.
Following is recapitulation of the
total and per capita indebtedness Of the
United States, the several states, terrific
ries and counties:
1880. 1890
United States $l 923, ,5l7,36i S9l5,962,119
The several states
and territories 200, CAB 223, 107 1888
Counties ......, 12t,l05,027 14l ,050,Sl5