The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1907-04-27
RICHEST ON EARTH
UNITED STATES THE MOST
WEALTHY NATION.
Each Decade Shows Marvellous Ad~
vancement Of the Fortunate Sons
Of Uncle Sam Figures
That Seem Enormous.


The total estimate OF the value of
the national wealth in 1904 was $107,-
104, 192,410, according to special re-
port issued by the census bureau on
wealth, debt and taxation. This rep
resents an increase in the four-yeaF
period from 1900 to 1904 of 1885,
1856, 635. 49,
This advance in national wealth
has no parallel in the history of the
United States except the decade from!
1850 to 1860. In 1850, when the first
estimates OF the national wealth were
made. the figures were only $685.
7S0,22S. The most potent cause for
the increase in the nations wealth
from 1900 to 1904, it was stated, was
the reaction from the low prices of
the period of depression from 1893 to
1895. The annual increase of wealth
per family from 1890 to 1904 was
The various forms into which the
nations wealth is divided, with their
valuations, are as follows:
Real property and improvements
taxed, $55,510,22S,057; real property
and improvements exempt, $685.
244,570; live stock, $4,073, 791, 1856;
farm implements and machinery
$s44,9S9,863; manufacturing machine
cry, tools and implements, $3,297,754,-
1870; gold and silver coin and bullion,
e09 900. 4113,
equipment, $11,244,752,o street
railways, $2,219,966,000; telegraph
systems, 1921, 100000; telephone sys-
TENS, $685., $4,000; Pullman and prii
vate cars, $123,000,o0O; shipping and
canals, $S46,489,804; privately owned
water works, $275,000,000; privately
owned central electric light and pow
er stations, $562,S51 .1o5; agricultural
products, $1,s99,375,652; manufactured
products, $7,40e,291 sos; imported
merchandise, $495,543,6s5; mining
products, $40S,o66,7S7; clothing and
personal adornments, $2,500, OOO, 900;
furniture. carriages and kindred
property, $5,750.QQ0,0 900. !
The total public Indebtedness of
continental United States in 1902 was
s2,789, 990,120 and the total per capita
Indebtedness was $3.50. The total
Indebtedness of the national govern
ment for the same year was 1926, OIL
z6a7 and the per capita indebtedness
was 311.27. The Indebtedness of the
United States government is It's
gross Indebtedness less cash in the
treasury. The total Indebtedness of
continental United States in 1890 was
$1,989,112,842, that of the national
government was $s51,912,752 and the
per capitas were $31.76 and $3.50, re-
spectively. In 1902 the annual inter-
est charge on the public debt of con-
tinental United States is shown to
have been approximately $115, 206,558
or an annual payment of 31.46 for
each individual.
In Great Britain the per capita in
debtedness of all classes, national and
local, was 1913 times that of the
United States; in France, 4.S6, and
in Italy, 2.25.
The assessed valuation of property
subject to ad valorem taxation has
increased from 1850 to the present
time, but it has not kept pace with
the increase in the actual national
wealth. The total assessed valuation
of property in 1902 was $35, 1895, 316,-
1873, while in 1890 it was only $25,473,-
173,418. The estimated true value Of
all property in 1902 was $97,S1O, 49,
$50, against $65,037 ,091, 1877 in 1890.
The total levies of ad valorem taxes
was in 1901 $724,736,539 and the tax
rate per $500 of estimated true value
"a cents.
The net Indebtedness of the coun-
try was slightly less at the close than
at the beginning Of the year. In the
case Of the national government,
states and territories and counties
the receipts exceeded the payments
and at the close of the year these
governments had smaller net indebt-
ednsss than at the beginning. In the
case of minor civil divisions, and es-
pecially the large cities, the situation
was reversed and. the payments for
expenditures exceeded the revenue
receipts, causing an increase in net
Indebtedness. sS3 US I s.