Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1915-08-14
NATIONAL WEALTH
SHOWS BIG GAIN
Increase Of. rs Per Cent Is
Record Made in Eight
Years.
DEBT ALSO GROWS
Interesting Facts Brought Out In D.
cenniaI Report Of Wealth, Public
Indebtedness and Taxation by
the United States Census
Bureau.

Washington, d. C.-The decennial
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
6 per cent in II years; in net state
indebtedness, of 44.5 per cent in II
years; in net county Indebtedness, OF
50 per cent in II 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 the past year in q 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, 0O0, 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 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 $l10,'
GIT, 900, 900, or SO per cent Of the to-
tai, in 1912. The next greatest item,
SIG, 149, OOO 5000, was contributed by
the railroads.; and the third, $14,694,.
900, 900, represented the value Of man.
ufactured products, other than cloth
ing and personal adornment. furni-
ture, vehicles and kindred property.
, ,'.. Public Indebtedness. ... IA
. The net public Indebtedness inc1913
amounted to i $4,S50,461, 900. This
amount was made up as follows: Ma
tional debt, $1,02S, 1854, 900, or $10.59
per capita; state debt, $345,942,0 900.
or 1857 per capita; county debt, $751;
$4,000, or s4.33 per capita; and munic-
ipal debt, $2,SS4, s83, 900, or $54.27 per
capita. Thus the average urban cit.
liens share of the net federal, state,
county and municipal debt combined
was Stats; and the average rural
citizens share of the net federal, state
and county debt combined was $18.49.
The total federal debt in 1910 was
$2,916,2O5,O0O, of which amount $967,'
366,000 was represented by bonds,
1915, 6S2, 900 by misunderstanding
debt principally United States notes
or "greenbacks'), and $1,573,157,OO0
by certificates and notes issued on de.
posts Of coin and bullion. Against
this Indebtedness there was in the
treasury $1,Sc7,641,00O in cash avail.
able for payment of debt, leaving the
net national Indebtedness at $1,02S,.
564, 900, or s10.59 per capita, The in
crease in the net Indebtedness be-
tween 1902 and 1913 amounted to 6
per cent, but for the per capita figure
there was a decrease of 13 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.
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 iny1913 was
$422, 1000, and the net debt-thet is.
the total debt less sinking-fund assets
was $345,942, 900, or 1857 per capita.
The net debt increased by 44.5 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, $751; 900, or $22.7S per capita, and
Arizona, with $3,065,000, or $13.2S pei
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 in Arizona.
The total county debt in 191;
amounted to 1898, 207, 900, of which
amount ;%S71,528,0o0. or $4.s3 per cap
tia, was net debt. The net indebted
ness increased by 80 per cent between
1902 and 1918, and the per capita mel
indebtedness by SIS per cent.
BY far the greatest item Of indeGt
edness in this country is that of mu
inequalities. This amounted in 191:
to an aggregate of $3,46O,O O0, 900, o
which $2,SS4,8S3,0 900, Of $54.27 pei
capita, represented net Indebtedness
The rate of increase in net indebt
edness between 1902 and 1918 was III
per cent.
Taxation.
The total levies of taxes on rea
estate, personal property and othel
Sroperty subject e I'd yaleren taxa