Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-09-08
NATIONAL WEALTH
SHOWS BIG GAIN
Increase Of IS Per Cent Is
Record Made in Eight
Years:
FEDERAL DEBT ALSO GROWS
Interesting Facts Brought Out IN D.
cennlaI Report Of Wealth, Public
Indebtedness and Taxation by
the United States Census
y Bureau.

g Bureau.
Washington, D. C.-The decenntal
report on wealth, debt and taxation,
issued by Director Sam L. Rogers OF
the bureau of census, department OF
commerce, and compiled under the
| direction Of Mr.. Starke M. Grogan,
chief statistician in charge of the in.
quiry, will show an increase In the
national wealth of IS per cent in eight
years; in net federal Indebtedness, OF
s per cent in II years; in net state
Indebtedness, of 44.5 per cent in II
years; in net county indebtedness, q
SO per cent in IL years; in net munich.
pal Indebtedness. Of ia per cent in II
years; and in the general property tax
levy. Of SO per. cent in 10 years..
In this report are brought together
in two bound volumes all the stats
tics pertaining to the general subject
OF wealth, debt and taxation Which
have been issued from time TO time
during tho past year In q series OF
bulletins y %ara
The National Wealth.
The bureau estimates the total
value Of all classes of property in the
United States, exclusive Of Alaska
and the insular possessions, in 1912 at
$1S7, 739, 900, 900, or 1896 per capita
This estimate is presented merely as
the best approximation which can be
made from the data available and as
being fairly comparable with that
published eight years ago. The in.
crease between 1904 and 1912 was Is
per cent for the total amount and ~
per cent for the per capita. Real es',
tate and improvements, including, pub
lie property, alone constituted $40;
$4,000, 900, or 50 per cent Of the to.
tai, in 1912. The next greatest Item.
$16,149,0 900, 900. was contributed BY
the railroads; and the third, $14,694,,
900, 1000, represented the value, Of man.
ufactured products, other than cloth,
ing and personal adornment. furni!:
ture. vehicles and kindred property.
!, ra5s Public Indebtedness. 4 53fS
The net public Indebtedness In 1913
amounted to $4,850,461, 900. This
amount was made up as follows: Ma
tional debt, $1.02S, 564, 200. or S10,5s
per capita; state debt, $345 ,s42,,0O0.
or $3.57 pei. capita; county debt 3a7ii
$4,000, or $4.33 per capita; and munic:
ipaI debt, $2,8S4,Ss3, 900, or $54.27 per
capita. Thus the average urban cit:
izen's share Of the net federal, state,
county and municipal debt combined!
was 372.76; and the average rural
citizens share Of the net federal, state
and county debt combined was $1S:49.
The total federal debt in 1910 was
2, 916, zoe, 900, Of which amount $751;
$4,000 was represented by bonds,
$375,6S2,O 900 by Notwithstanding
debt principally United States notes
or "greenbacks'), and $1,573,157,0oo
by certificates and notes issued on de.
posits of coin and bullion. Against
this Indebtedness there was in the
treasury $1,Sc7,641,0Oo in cash avail.
able for payment of debt, leaving the
net national indebtedness8At$1, 02Sss
$4,000, or 5000 PER capitassThe n.
crease in the net Indebtedness be-
tween 1902 and 1913 amounted to
per cent, but for the per capita figure
there was a decrease Of Is percent,
The burden sdue to the national@debt
Is thus very light in comparison with
that imposed by the Indebtedness Of
other great nations.
The state debt, however,rrests still
more easily, on the shoulders of$the
average citizen, being only one.third
as great as that of the nation. The
total state Indebtedness in 1913 was
$422, 797, 900, and the net debt-that is,
the total debt less s%inking-fund assets
was $345, 942, 900, or 1857 per capita.
The net debt increased by A.5 per
cent between 1902 and 1913, and the
per capital net debt by IS per cent.
The only two, states in which the
per capita state debt in 1918 exceeded
the per capita national debt were
Massachusetts,, with a net debt OF
SO, ISL, 900, or $22.7s per capita. and
Arizona, with $S,065, 900, or 1929 per
capita. In these states, however, the
large per capita debt Is due principal.
ly not to the state debt proper but
to the considerable amount of con.
tingent debt assumed by the state in
!, the name of the metropolitan districts
In Massachusetts and the counties
and municipalities inaArizona.
The total countyldebt in 1918
amounted to $393,2O7,0 900, of which
amount $371,52s, 900, or $4.33 per cap
tia, was net debt. The net indebted.
ness increased by 80 per cent between
1902 and 1918, and the per capita net
| Indebtedness by SIS per cent.
BY farsthe greatest item of indebt.
edness in this country is that of mu-
inequalities. This amounted in 1913
to an aggregate of s3,460,00O 900, Of
which $2,SS4,S83,0 00, Of $54.27 per
capita, represented net Indebtedness.
The rate Of increase In net indebt.
edness between 1902 and 1913 was ia
per cent.
Taxation.
Tho total levies Of taxes on real
estate, personal property and other
property subject TO ad valorem taxa.