Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1893-02-08
HOME AND FARM MORTGAGES
An Abort to Have the Census Bureau Un-
dertake Periodically an Inquiry Concera-
ing Them.


Three years ago the Western Economic asso-
citation of St. Louis appealed TO the voters of
the United States to petition congress to have
the eleventh census show the mortgage indebt-
ednes5 and tenure of farms and homes, the ar
gument being that such an inquiry would tend
TO give the ratio of the distribution of wealth.
The investigation is nearly finished, and it will
have the percentage of owned and rented
homes and farms in every city and county in
the United States Enough data have already
been published to predict most startling
showing. Briefly stated three-fourths of the
city populations live in rented houses and in
some cities and states it runs as high as ninety
per cent OF the remaining fourth, one-half
own their homes, but under mortgage TO their
full credit value, that is, they are virtually
tenants This means that under the Industrial
feudal1Sm now developing Seven-eighthS of our
city population liable to be turned out of
work at the end of the week, and with their
families into the streets at the end OF the
month.
The condition of the agriculturists is but little
better. Onc-third Of the farmers of the entire
country are tenants; one-third own their farms,
but under mortgage to their full credit value
thus rendering them virtually tenants, and only
oneIhlrd own their acres tree from debt. BY
comparison with the census of 1880, there has
been an alarming increase in tenant farmers
In Illinois for example, the growth was from 24
per cent in 1881 to S6 per cent in 1890: and in
Montana il was ten-foid In every state in the
union the per centage has increased in the last
decade and more startling STILL the absolute
as well as the relative number of farms has de-
creased, though the acreage has increased,
showing the concentration of farms into fewer
hands, and the remorseless reduction of the
real ul!erS to the condition of serfs The in
vestigation demonstrates the truth of the asser-
tion that "the rich are growing richer and the
poor poorer" and that the American working.
man is becoming the American slave, and the
American farmer
Passing by the causes of this revolutionary
tendency, it is of the utmost Importance that
this inquiry should be repeated every ten
years so that by COMPARISON may discover
in which direction we are moving. The inter
rupted duration OF the census bureau has hith-
erto made permanent legislation on this sub
Iect impossible, as the bureau has existed for
only about six years of each decade every CEN
sus requiring new legislation and reorganiza-
ton with new men. But there is now before
congress proposition to make the bureau per-
manent by continuing six or seven heads of de-
partments and the necessary staff Of clerks in
place during the four intervening years and en-
ploying them on collateral statistic work,
forming an experienced nucleus around
which to reorganize the bureau
at the beginning of each decade
1t is not the creation of a new bureau, but the
permanent continuance of an old and constitu-
uonal one There is no doubt that it will re-
suit in better statistical work at less cost than
bv the present wasteful and unskilled method.
But the general law effecting this reform con-
tains no provision for a repetition of the home
and farm inquiry" BY incorporating such a
provision now, the inquiry will be permanently
established without any further legislation and
II a sufficient public demand were made, such a
clause would be inserted in the bill.
With view 10 evoking such Il demand the
western Economic association, of St Louis.
issues this second appeal to the people of the
United States The practical step is for any
organized body to adopt resolutions of the fol-
lowing tenor:
Whereas, There is now before congress
proposition to place the census bureau on per-
manent basis: and,
Whereas, We believe 1t to be properly the
business of such a bureau to show the distribu-
tiOn as well as the production of wealth: there
fore be it by insert here the name of the or
ganization adopting the resolutions and the To-
calityl
Resolved, That we favor the permanent es-
tablishment of the census bureau. and we re-
quest that 1t shall be made part of it's perma-
nent duties TO collect data at each decennial
period to show what percentage of the peo-
pie of the United States occupy their own
homes and their own farms, and what percent.
age are tenants; and of those occupying their
own homes and farms, what percentage have
their property free from debt, and what is the
value thereof. and of the homes and farms un
der mortgage, what is the value thereof and
what percentage of the value is so mortgaged
Resolved. That the secretary of this meeting
be requested to transmit copy of these reso-
lutions to the congressman from this district
and to the two senators from this state
The appeal is not political but purely eco
nomic, and is made to you personally, the rea Ter
The next time you are in a meeting OF the
knights of Labor, trades and labor union Farm.
ers' Alliance, the grange, political meeting re-
ligfous body or what not introduce resolutions
of the foregoing character, and have them
adopted Also write your congressman a per-
sonal letter on the subject
AS the bill will shortly come before congress-
prompt action is necessary
B. A. KELLER