Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1915-07-23
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 De.
cennlai Report Of Wealth, Public
Indebtedness and Taxation by
the United States Census
Bureau.


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
per cent In II years; In net state
indebtedness, OF 44.5 per cent in IL
years; in net county Indebtedness, OF
SO per cent in II years; in net munich
pal indebtedness, of ia per cent In IL
years; and in the general property tax
levy, OF sc per cent in 10 years.
In this report are brought together
in two bound volumes all the stalls
tics pertaining to the general subject
OF wealth, debt and taxation which
have been issued from time to time
during the past year IN series OF
bulletins.
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 $1,s65 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 70
per cent for the total amount and 40
per cent for the per capita Real es'
tate and improvements. including pub
lie property, alone constituted $780,
677,000, 900, or So per cent OF the TO-
tai, in 1912. The next greatest item,
;16,l49, 100000, was contributed by
the railroads: and the third, $14.694,.
000. 900. represented the value OF man
ufactured products, other than cloth
ing and personal adornment. furni'
ture. vehicles and kindred property.
49, Public indebtedness.
The net public Indebtedness in 1913
amounted to $4,S50.461.0 900. This
amount was made up as follows: Ma
tional debt. $1,O2S.564, 900, or $10.59
per capita: state debt. $345,s42,0OO,
or 1857 per capita; county debt. $751;
$4,000. or $4.33 per capita; and munic-
ipal debt, $2,SS4.Ss3,000, or $54.27 per
capita. Thus the average urban cit
liens share of the net federal, state.
county and municipal debt combined
was $72.76; 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,s16,2O5. 900, of which amount $685.
$4,000 was Represented by bonds.
3375. 6S2.000 by Ynoninterest.bearing
debt principally United States notes
or "greenbacks"), and $1,573,157, 900
BY certificates and notes issued on de-.
posts of coin and bullion. Against
this indebtedness there was In the
treasury $1,sS7,641,000 in cash avail.
able for payment Of debt, leaving the
net national indebtedness at $685.
564 900. or. $10.59 per capita. The in
crease in the net Indebtedness be.
tween 1902 and 1918 amounted to 6
per cent, but for the per capita figure
there was a decrease Of 10 per cent.
The burden due to the national debt
is thus very light in comparison with
that imposed by the indebtedness Of
other great nations. '"# @% rss.},r a-u
The state debt, however. rests 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
$4327e7, 900. and the net debt---that Is,
the total debt less sinking.fund assets
was $345,942. 900. or $3.57 pei, capita.
The net debt Increased by AS per