Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-08-27
State Governments OWE
DEBT OF s1,071,50b,981
Total Includes Only Bonded
Indebtedness and Not
Temporary Loans.
PER CAPITA DEBT NOW IS slo.Is
Soufh Dakota IInE Highest Per Capita
Drh OF Any state in the Union,
HeinE S75.02 Per Inhabitnnt-Sew
Works. Debt La s2GT .7St, 900.

Tho state governments of the
United States have n total debt OF
Si.07i.5os.s8i.2s. or $loIs for every
man. woman and child In tho coun-
try. according TO a nation w.dc sur
rey OF State finance Just completed
by the Bank Of America. New York
This huge total includes only bonded
indeb, cdncss and not temporary In
d"btcdnesH for which no bonds. notes
or certificates arc issued. and does
not takc account OF sinkin. funds FOR
paying off these debts.
New York Leads tho List
New York States population. pros
pcrity and great permanent improve
rncnts arc reflected in it's bonded
debt. which aggregates s267.Ts4. 900.
he cost OF It's canals. highways sys-
TENS and state parks gives IL the
largest total debt OF any State. al
though It's per capita debt H. com
parauvcly low. Massachusetts is sec
ohd, win 'i3s.oi9.l3i Of which a
large proportion represents tho value
90 IT'S metropolitan district Improve
menis and highways. Following
these arc California. with :, debt Of
S'3,6s3,ooO. Pennsylvania. with $50
Z g.
10000. and Michigan with $3.50. 600.
Kansas. Kentucky. Nebraska and
wisconsin have no bonded indebted
ness. Kentucky owing t5.3'2.s3S.77 on
outstanding warrants. and Wisconsin
being indebted only to it's trust funds
- the "Efon' OF 12.275.3sl.77
Highest Per Capita Debt.
Tho highest per capita debt Of any
STATE IN tho Union. according to the
bank % Amcrica's statistics, tx that
OF South Dakota. the share OF each
inhihitan; being s75.02. seven and 1t
half times the average for the ma
ton. oregon is second with $3.50
per capita. Mnssachusetts third. with
S3j.s3; New York fourth, with S2S73:
Louisiana f:th, with <23.G7. and Utah
sixth sim per capita debt Of
I22.3a
New England has the highest pcr
capita debt OF any section. the Bank
Of America finds in grouping It's
hSures according to the geographical
areas "f tho country. Its debt per
lnhabitant is i2i.3S. nearly two and
q haif times tho average for the
United states. At the oprosi.e end Of
the country. the Pacific States. Wash
in.ton. oregon and California are
second. having per capita debt Of
'23 10. The Middle Atlantic group
"f states. New York. New Jersey and
P.nnEy lvania have n per capita d.bt
~ $500. AMI the Mountain States
Montana. !faho. Wyoming. Colorado,
Ncw Mexico. Arizona, Utah and Ne.
Nada. o; El2.O7.
HcioN tho average FOR the country
"' "h"lc arc all divisions in tn.
nH." West. the East North Gem
'H Division having a per capita deb,
"a t".nH. Tho West North Central
'''1'' nc South Atlantic, $500: the
'-'i south Central. .i.0f. and the
vest South Central. s5.2s.
II Is interesting to note. the Bank
~ Nncrica points out. that the total
Tor the stat. debts AZ present is very
n""ilS tho same as tho Federal debt
hc'or" III" war. In 1919 tho public
deh' ~ IN" United States government
was EI.02S.5fi 900. or about $40 60 nor
'hplia II is now about s23.e22.OoO.-
600. o. about 1925 por capita.