Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-03-03
MORTGAGED FARMS.
CENSUS BULLETINS SHOW AN. IN
CREASE IN THEIR NUMBER.

selves Hoarse Over the Increase In Pro-
duction of Manufactures, They Wisely
Keep Silent About the Farms.
While Republicans and protectionists
gre shouting themselves hoarse over the
increases in production of various kinds
of manufactures and other products
shown by Porter's census, they should
not neglect to mention the startling in
shown by these same census bulletins.
The reports have been completed for but
nine states-fve western, three southern
and one eastern state. They show in
creases in all parts of this high tariff
country, and the increases have more
than kept pace with the rise of our duties.
The bulletins last issued are for Massa-
chusetts and Maryland. 1t would nat
urally be supposed that the good results
of protection would be manifest by great
prosperity among the laborers and farm
ers in these states filled with protected
manufactures, especially in Massachu-
sets with its numerous protected "home
markets" for the farmers and it's thou
sands of busy, humming mills filed with
workmen drawing, besides their regular
earnings, considerable share of the
tariff bonus received by the manufac-
turers and of course turned over to the
poor workingmen for whom it was OBJ
tanned. But these two bulletins are but
two more chapters in the sad story of the
struggle with poverty which was begun
when Porter issued the first farm, home
and mortgage bulletins.
In Maryland the percentage Of hired
farms increased from 30.95 per cent III
1880 to 1928 in 1890; 1900 owners OF
farms in 1880 were overcome with pro
lection prosperity by 1890 and We're work
ing hired farms. Besides these, S53 new
farmers appeared upon the scene to cul
tivate farms owned by other people. But
many who now own farms are on then
way to the poorhouse. Over 80 per cent
of the owned farms are encountered will
mortgages representing 49, per cent OF
their full value. The annual Interest
charge ON these farms amounts to $9i
per family. The same signs of prosper
ity exist in the homes of Maryland; 6S. 1;
per cent of the home (other than farm
families live in hired quarters, and 25.6;
per cent of those who own homes mus
pay an average interest of $50 per family
on mortgages worth 1913 per cent of the
value of these homes. In protected Bal
timore the situation is even worse
Among 100 families, on the average 73.9L
hire their homes, 1911 own free of en-
cumbrance and 6.35 own with encum
brance to the extent of 44.02 per cent O.
| the value of their homes The interes
on these encountered homes average $5$
| per family.
But these figures are tame as compared
| with those of the great commonwealth
Of Massachusetts,. Here is part of thu
introduction to the Massachusetts bulle
| tin told in Porter's own words:
During the 10 years-1880-9-25 ,22s
real estate mortgages were made in this
state, representing an incurred indebt
edness of $508, $50. The debt re
naming in force Jan. i, 1890, is 1928,
! 277, 66S, secured by 179,202 mortgages
and of this debt $40, AL PAT cucumber
! 1913 acres and $3.50, 1886, 421 cucumber
1872, 683 lots.
The mortgage movement Of the II
years, which has been an increasing on
without interruption, began with an in
CURED debt of $29, 176, 1873 in 1880 anG
ended with $75, 526,544 in 1889, an i'll
crease of 168.05 per cent, while the popu
lation increased 1857 per cent at tn,
same time. During the decade a rea
estate mortgage debt of $193, 635, 1926 wa
| incurred in Suffolk county, containing
Boston, and the existing debt in tina
county is $123, 734 1887. In 8 of the l.
| counties the existing debt is more thai
100000 each.
In the ratio between the debt and tn
estimated true value of real estate Mas
sachusetts compares with seven othe
states as follows:
Do Do,