The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1915-07-08

Washington. ID. C.--The decennfa
report on Wealth. Debt. and Taxation
soon to be issued by Director Sam. l.
Rogers OF the Bureau OF the Census
Department of Commerce. and com
piled under the direction OF Mr.. Starke
M. GroEsn. chief statistician In charge
OF tho inquiry. will show an increase
In the national wealth OF 75 per cent
In eight years; In net Federal indebt-
ednens. OF . per cent In IL years; In
net state indebtedness, OF AS per
| cent In IL years; in net county indebt-
| edness. OF SO per cent in II years; In
net municipal Indebtedness, OF ia per
cent In II years, and In the general
property tar levy. Of SO per cent In 10
years.
In this report are brought together
In two bound volumes all tho statistics
pertaining 10 the general subject OF
wealth. debt. and taxation which have
been issued from time TO time during
the past year In a series OF bulletins.
Tho bureau estimates the total val
ne OF all classes OF property In the
United States. exclusive OF Alaska and
the insular possessions, In 1912 at
ylS7, 7S9. 000.0 900, or $1.965 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 pub
lished eight years ago. The increase
between 1904 and 1912 was rs per cent
for the total amount and 40 per cent
for the per capita. Real estate and
Including public prop
erty, alone constituted y110.677 900 900
or SO per cent OF the total. In 1912. The
next greatest item, S16.14S. 000. 900,
was contributed by the railroads.; and
the third. $l4.694 100000. represented
the value OF manufactured products.
other than clothing and personal
Adornments. furniture. vehicles. and
kindred property.
The net public indebtedness In 1913
amounted to 1850. 46l 900. This
amount was made up ~ follows: Ma
tional debt. si.02s. 664. 900. or s10.5s
per capita state debt. $34b ,942. 900. OF
1857 per capita: county debt. $371.
$4,000. or $4.33 per capita; and mani
cipAl debt. 1850 .ss3 900. or S54.27 pei
capita. Thus the average urban citi
xen's share OF tho net federal. state
county and municipal debt combined
was $72.76; and the average rural citi
xen's share OF the net federal, state
and county debt combined was $3.50
The total federal debt Ia 1910 wal
32.9l6. 100000. OF which amount 1867.
$4,000 was represented by bonds
S3T5.6S2,0O by non-interest-bea
debt principally United States notes
or "greenbacksD. and $l,b73.167 900
by certificates and notes issued OF
deposits OF coin and bullion. Agains
this indebtedness there was in ths
treasury 1851. ISL 900 In cash avail
able for payment OF debt. leaving thu
net national indebtedness at s1,02S.
$4,000. or $i0.b9 per capita. The In
crease In tho net indebtedness be
tween 1902 and 1918 amounted to
per cent but for the per capita figure
there was . decrease OF IS per cent
The burden due to the national deb
Is thus very light Ia comparison will
that imposed by the Indebtedness o
other great nations.
The state debt. however. rests still
more easily on the shoulders OF tn,
average citizen. being only one-thirs
as great AS that OF the nation. Tn,
total state Indebtedness In 1918 wal
S{22. 1877 900. and the net debt-that Il
the total debt less sinking fund asset
was >S45.942. 900. OF 1857 per capita
The net debt increased by 44b pc
cent between 1902 and 1913. and thu
per capita net debt by IS per cent.
The only two states 10 which tn,
per capita state debt In 1918 exceede.
the per capita national debt wer'
Massachusetts, with a net debt OF SIS
$4,000. or $22.7s per capita. and ArI
IONA, with s3.065,000 or $1s.2S pc
capita. In these states. however. tn
large per capita debt is due princl
pslly not to the state debt proper bu
to the considerable amount Of contir
gent debt assumed by the state In tn
name OF the metropolitan districts 4
Massachusetts and the counties an
municipalities in Arizona.
The total county debt in 191
amounted to $685.. 207. 900. Of whic
amount 1871 SIS. 900, or $4.3S per cap
Ia, was net debt The net indebted
ness increased by SO per cent betwee
1902 and 1913, and the per capita ne
Indebtedness by SIS per cent.
BY far the greatest item OF indebted
ness In this country is that OF munic
palities. This amounted In 1918 to a
aggregate OF $3,460 .000. 900, OF whic