Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-10-13
G IL A NIFTY HOWLERS
They Do Not Get Much Comfort From the
Census Debt Bulletins.
Some of the Results of the Investiga-
ton Into the Mortgages on
Farms and Homes.

The series of census bulletins which are
now being issued from the census Office
lating to farms, homes and mortgages,
showing the ownership and debt in various
states. does not furnish much comfort to
the calamity howlers, who have for so many
years told how the country was ruined by
the debts upon the farms and homes in the
west, and coupling their statements with
assertions that the farmers did not own
their farms nor the people their homes or
where they did own them, the debts were
for their full value or very nearly their
value. The bulletins tell a different tale
1t is shown in almost every instance that
a large majority of the farmers own the
farms which theys cultivate and that a
large majority Of, Those who own their
farms own free of iincumbranCe. The
mortgages upon those which are incumbered
amount to about 6ne-third of their value;
very seldom averaging more than that
amount. 1t is observed that homes Sener-
ally are carrying a,greater per cent of debt
to the number than farms.
The interest charges which are often
termed so exorbitant, are shown by the
bulletins to vary but little in the farming
states from what it Is in older settled COM
muEities-that is, the rate in Kansas where
there has been so much complaint heard,
Is but little more than in Illinois. 1t ranges
from to Fer cent in the older states.
In the states which are still new. and which
have not been SO long settled, the interest
rate is higher. in some states being more
than per cent. 1t must be remembered
that the character of the security causes
this higher rate of interest, and while in
these new communities it may have been
fully good rs it was in the older states,
the money lenders did not think so, and
hence the higher rates charged. 1t is also
observed that large share of the indebted
ness on farms was incurred by the purchase
of real estate. or in buying farm machinery
and making improvements. 1t is we'll to
remember that the men who went to these
new communities in the west. with few
exceptions, went there with nothing. and
what they have since acquired is pure gain.
How Debt is Contracted.
The statistics of farms. homes and mort
cages which We're expected to array the
entire farming country against The east
and against the capitalists, have proven a
boomerang for the projectors. They have
disclosed debt. but they have shown it to
exist III such condition as 10 be any
thing but an indication of great poverty.
In Il new country being opened TO settle
nont there is a rush of people who hope
to make some money and get out. There
are others vino hope TO make fortunes. or
at least to make themselves comfortable
quite speedily. These men go out with
little or nothing for beginning. They
settle upon q quarter section-iOD acres-of
land.
In six months they are allowed TO make
what is called communication, paying for the
land and receiving a certificate OF owner
snip. Upon this they can borrow money. In
most instances they pay $500 for the land,
and there are other expenses to bring the
whole up to $3.50. If they have incurred
debts. the cost of living, for example, upon
the land for six months, the amount may
be twice that size The speculative indi-
Vidual, who never expected 10 make home
an all ha an in
addition, and in time the mortgage is fore
closed and the land passes into other hands.
The farmer who is nome seeker wants in
addition to the money for obtaining title
enough to purchase machinery and make
such improvements as win allow him to
cultivate the land. These farms are In this
way often mortgaged for from $3.50 to
$l2oo. The result is that in the new com
munities, even though wholly composed of
farming lands, there are flush times
| When "a Bad Season Comes.
IL the crops are good for the first year
or two. and prices for products are reason
ably HIGH the newcomers look forward to
| realizing large returns, and the desire to
| obtain money for imprcvemen is intensi-
| fled: high rates of interest are readily given
| with the expectation that profits will am
| ply pay the outlay That is the way q
large proportion OF the debts on farms are
| contracted. yriE
Then may follow az few years of low
| prices and artial Il ops the interest burden
becomes unusuallyfAeavy; the money lender
wants what his mcst gage calls for the rash
man who incurred a large debt, and is dis
| appointed in his Expectations becomes a
calamity howler. aid furnishes material for
| the demagogue Wild. danounces the govern
lnent and the laws. e Nine tenths of the
farm debts are incurred in this way. be-
| ginning In the rasRAes6 of the men who are
| so anxious to acCRsfrey more than common
sense would tell esenp that the soil would
produce for them. But the census if II has
| done little else; has furnished facts to dis
prove the ibels fhaf have been uttered
against the west ny her own residents
| "