People's Pilot, Volume 2, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 February 1893 — HOME AND FARM MORTGAGES. [ARTICLE]

HOME AND FARM MORTGAGES.

An Affbrt to Have the Census Bureau Undertake Periodically an Inquiry Concern- * Inir Them. Three years ago the Western Economic association of St Louis appealed to the voters of the United States to petition congress to have the eleventh census show the mortgage indebtedness and tenure of farms and homes, the argument being that such an inquiry would tend to give the ratio of the distribution of wealth. The investigation is nearly finished, and it will have the percentage of owned and rented homes and farms In every city and county in the United States. Enough data have already been published to predict a most startling showing. Briefly stated, three-fourths of the city populations live In rented houses, and in some cities and states It runs as high os ninety per cent Of the remaining fourth, one-half own their homes, but under mortgage 'to their full credit value, that is, they are virtually tenants. This means that under the Industrial feudalism now developing seven-eighths of our city population are liable to be turned out of work at the end of the week, and with their families into the streets at the end of the month. The condition of the agriculturists is hut little better. One-third of the farmers 6f the entire country are tenants; one-third own their farms,

but under mortgage to their full credit vsloet thus rendering them virtually tenants, and only one-third own their acres tree from debt By comparison with the oenaua of 1350, there has been an alarming increase in tenant farmers. In Illinois, for example, the growth was from 24 per cent in 158) to S 6 per cent in 18S0-. and la Montana it was ten-fold. In every state in the onion the per centage has increased in the last decade and. more startling still, the absolute as well as the relative number of farms has decreased. though the acreage has increased, showing the concentration of farms into fewer hands, and the remorseless reduction of the real tillers to the condition of serfs. The investigation demonstrates the truth of the assertion that “the rich are growing richer and the poor poorer," and that the American workingman is becoming the American slave, and the American farmer the American peasant Passing by the onuses of this revolutionary tendency, it is of the utmost importance that this inquiry should be repeated every ten years, so that by comparison we may discover in which direction we are moving. The interrupted duration of the oensus bureau has hitherto made permanent legislation on this subject Impossible, as the bureau has existed tor o*»ly about six years of each decade, every oensus requiring new legislation and a reorganisation with new men But there is now before congress a proposition to make the bureau permanent by continuing alx or seven heads of deportments and the necessary staff of olerks ia place during the four Intervening years and employing them on collateral statistic work, forming an experienced nucleus around which to reorganise the bureau at the beginning of each decade. It is not the creaton of a new bureau, but the permanent continuance of an old and oonstitutional one ThereJs no doubt that it will result Id better statistical work at lew oost than hr the present wasteful and unskilled method. But the general law effecting this reform contains no provision for a repetition of the "home and farm inquiry.” By incorporating such a provision now, the inquiry will be permanently established without any further legislation, and if a sufficient public demand were made, such a clause would be Inserted in the bill. With a view to evoking suoh a demand, the Western Economlo association, of SL Louis, issues this second appeal to the people of the United States The practical step la for any organised body to adopt resolutions of the following tenor: Whereas, There is now before congregy a proposition to place the oensus bureau on a permanent basis: and. Whereas, We believe It to be properly the business of such a bureau to show the distribution as well as the production of wealth: therefore be it by tfnsert here the name of the organization adopting the resolutions and the locality] Resolved, That we favor the permanent wtabllshment of the census bureau, and we request that it shall bo made a part of Its permanent duties to oollect data at eaoh decennial period to show what percentage of the people of the United States ocoupy their own homes and their own farms, and what percentage are tenants: and of those oocupylng their own homes and farms, what percentage have their property free from debt, and what is the value thereof: and of the homes and farms under mortgage, what is the value thereof, and what percentage of the value la so mortgaged. Resolved, That the secretary of this meeting be requested to transmit a copy of these resolutions to the congressman from this district and to the two senators from this state The appeal is not political, but purely economic, and is made to you personally, the reader. The next time you are In a meeting of the Knights of Labor, trades and labor union, Farmers’ Alliance, the grange, political meeting, religious body or what not, introduce resolutions of the foregoing character, and have them adopted. Also write your congressman a personal letter on the sublect As the bill will shortly come before congress, prompt action is necessary.

B. A. KEELER,

Secretary Western Economlo Association.