The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-04-11
DECREASE SHOWN
 IN ALABAMA DEBT
Per Capita Debt in 1880 Was $9.S0 and in 1909 It
 Was $5.96

Washington. April 1O-(Special )-Prelim- mary figures from the forthcoming bulle- tin pertaining to national and state in- debtedness and funds and investments have been given out by Director w J. Harris of the bureau of the census. de- partment of commerce. The bulletin car ries information for the state of Alabama, as well as for other states and the United States. The data were compiled under the special agent in charge of the inquiry on wealth, debt and taxation.
 The bulletin, which will soon be issued, will contain statistics for each year from 1890 to 1913, inclusive, and will also con- tain details for the year most nearly cor responding to 1880, thus making 1t possi- hle to show the general movement during a period of over 90 years. The bulletin will show the total debt of the states as well as many details. such as the various classes of outstanding bonds and spe- cial debt obligations to public trust funds It will also show the floating debt and its component parts. Under Funds and Investments will be shown separately all the different funds, and in each case cash and securities will be shown. The popu- lation of the states for each year under consideration will be used, and the per capita debt dess sinking fund assets) will be given.
 An inspection of the tables for Ala baina in the bulletin soon to be issued shows that both bonds and special debt obligations to public trust funds remained nearly constant throughout the period covered. thought slight fluctuations in the floating debt are to be noted. In the case of funds and investments the securi- ties remained nearly constant through out the period, a very slight increase be- ing noted, however. The cash item nat urally fiuctuated more or less from year to year. No sinking fund assets, as such are found in Alabama, thus leaving the debt less sinking fund assets the same as the total debt.
 In view of the fact that the debt re- mained almost constant during this period of more than 30 years. while the popula- ton of the state increased greatly, the per capita debt of the state gradually de- creased.
 In 1880 the total debt of Alabama at the close of the fiscal year. September 30 was $i237l, coo; in 1909 it was SIP, 1885,. 000: and in 1912 1t was $13, 132 009. There has been practically no change since 1909 except an increase in floating debt from s31, 900 to s4ss,oo on September 30, 1912 The population of the state increased from 1,263, 900 in 1880 to 2,145,00o in 1910, thus bringing about a very great decrease in the per capita debt. In 1880 the per capita debt amounted to $9.S0; 10 years later 1t amounted to $S.22; in 1899 it had gone down to $702; and in 1909, to S5.96 Since that time it has remained nearly constant, the slight increase in floating debt being nearly equal to the increase of popua- tion, leaving the per capital debt S5.s5.
 In contrast with the state of Alabama, we find that, taking the entire debt Qess sinking fund assets) for the 4S states, the per capita on the average for the whole country. according to the very latest re- port, is $3.52- or slightly more than half the per capita debt for Alabama. On the other hand, wheeras the per capita debt for Alabama fM from ss.sO in 1880 to S.35 in 1912, the per capita debt when the total for all the states is considered fell only from $5.4s to $S.52 during the same period.
 At the present time about 2.3 per cent of the total population of the United States will be found in the state of Alabama, and 3.S per cent of the total debt Qess sinking fund assets) is attributed to that state.