Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1914-05-01
MONTANASTATEDEBT
FIGURES COMPILED
BY DEPARTMENT OF CON-
MERGE, WASHINGTON.
BONDED INDEBTEDNESS INCREASING
Statement Covers From the Years
1880 to 1913-Per Capita Advanced
to $378-4 Per Cent Of Popula-
ton of the U. S.

Washington, d. C.-Pl eliminary
figures from the forthcoming bulle
tin pertaining to national and state
Indebtedness and funds and invest
ments have been given out by Direct
or w. J. Harris of the bureau of the
census, department OF commerce.
This bulletin carries information for
the state of Montana. The data were
compiled under the supervision of Mr..
JOHN Lee Cutter, expert special agent
in charge of the inquiry on wealth,
debt and taxation.
An inspection of the tables for
Montana in the bulletin soon to be is
sued shows that the state had no out
standing bonds until 1895, when $45,-
900 was recorded; the amount in
creased constantly until 1912, when
the bonded Indebtedness was $780,
600. No special debt obligations to
public trust funds were reported. The
floating debt increased from $175,000
| in 1896 to $54S,000 in 1912.
In the case of funds and investments
no securities were reported until 1892,
$4,000 in that year advancing to
$4,O29,00O in 1912 The cash also
shows marked increase during the
period, advancing from $4,000 in
1890 to $1,402,000 in 1912.
| The sinking fund assets changed
from year to year, increasing from
$4,000 in 1895 to $235,00O in 1912. The
debt Qess sinking fund assets) was
approximately the same as the total
debt during the first decennial period;
a slight general increase in the sink
ing fund assets during the remainder
of the period reduced the total debt
proportionately. The debt less sink
ing fund assets) fluctuated between
$4,000 in 1890 and $1,513,000 in
1912.
Debt Increases.
The debt of the state increased so
greatly during the period of 30 years
that the increase of $4,000 in pop
ulation was not sufficient to offset it,
and the per capita debt followed the
increase in the debt Qess sinking fund
assets) throughout the period.
In 1880 the total debt of Montana
at the close OF the fiscal year, No
vember 80, was $4,000; in 1890 1t
was $175,000 in 1900 it had risen to
$1,158,000; and in 1912 it amounted
to $1.748,000, the changes occurring
in both bonds and floating debt. The
population of the state increased from
$4,000 in 1880 to 100000 in 1912. In
1880 the per capita debt was $1.79;
in 1892 it fell to 7Sc, increasing to
1913 in 1912, though the maximum of
$4.92 was reached in 1903
Per Capita.
In contrast with the state of Mon
tana, we find that taking the en-
tire debt Qess sinking fund assets)
for the 48 states, the per capita debt
according to the latest report, is
1882, or 21c less than the per capita
debt for Montana Comparing the
change occurring in the per capita
debt of Montana and the 48 states
for the 30-year period, we find that
while the per capita debt of Montana
increased 108 per cent, that of the
AZ states decreased SO per cent; the
$5.48 falling to 1852 in the average
for the 48 states, and $1.79 advanced
to $3.73 in Montana.
At the present time about pei
cent of the total population of the
United States will be found in the
States of Montana. and about the
same per cent of the total debt Cess
sinking fund .assets) is attributed tt
that state.