Union gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1899-1900, 1899-10-20
coLoRED~tAhD HOLDERS.
Coming Census Will Show q Large L,
crease Especially in the South.

Coming Census Will Show q Large In.
crease Especially in the South.
The report sent forth by the state
officials of Virginia that their records
of assessment and taxation show a
large increase in ownership of land
amongst the colored people, presents
gratifying conditions which the census
officials know to be common to all the
Southern states.
The Virginia report mentions that
the records do not show the full, and
perhaps not half of the increase in
land ownership amongst the scolored
people for the reason that great num-
bers of them, having meager capital.
are compelled to buy farms on land
contracts. These contracts call for
deeds when the payment of purchase
money, which is made in installments,
shall have been completed. While
the installments are pending, the title
is held in the vendor as part of his
security for the deferred payments.
Thus the real possession is not repre-
sented in the records, though the case
is practically like that of property
which is mortgaged.
Chief Statistician Powers, of the di-
vision of agriculture in the census,
who has made thorough study of the
question of tenure, has prepared a
schedule for the twelfth census which
is intended to cover the cases men
toned. The enumerator will be in
structed to report as owners all home
steaders who have not proved up' or
whose final proofs have not been re-
corded-in fact all actual occupants OF
public lands-and persons who have
bought land on contracts for deeds; and
those who have been foreclosed but are
holding over for redemption.
If the enumerators shall carry out
these instructions, the twelfth census
will present fuller exhibit of small
ownership and of land ownership
amongst the colored people than has
hitherto been available.
Tenure is to be taken in the Genus
in manner to show not simply the
number of persons who own farms,
work farms on shares, or lease farms
for a cash or other fixed rental, but to
show all the conditions of ownership
and tenure according to race and color.
In the case of land bought on con.
tract, the element of duplication will
have to be guarded against, as some
vendors, still retaining title to land
which they have sold but which is not
wholly paid for, may report it as still
their own.
The intention of the census Office is,
however, to give such instructions to
enumerators previous to beginning field
work, that the elements of omission OF
duplication shall be brought to mini.
mum.
Statistics of ownership and tenure,
derived as they frequently have been
heretofore, from the county land rec.
ords, do not convey accurate impress
sions. Thousands of deeds of sale and
transfer, land contracts, partition
deeds, equestrian papers, final home.
stead proofs, etc., are held in the homes
of the people unrecorded. The census
officials expect, in the schedules now
adopted, to avoid practically all of the
deficiencies which these conditions pre-.
sent in the land records, and to be able,
at the opening of the twentieth century,
to make comparatively perfect ex.
hibit of land tenure by counties and
color in all the states.