Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1899 American Edition.djvu/182

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UNITED STATES

The term " true valuation " is used to express a fair selling price for the property in question at the date mentioned, and is used in distinction from that of "assessed valuation," which is a valuation put only upon property taxed and for taxation purposes. The true valuation for 1890 is classified as follows:

Real estate, with improvements thereon Live stock on farms, farm implements, and machineiy. Mines and quarries, including product on hand Gold and silver coin and bullion ..... Machinery of mills and product on hand, raw and manufactured Railroads and equipments, including $389,357,289 for street railroads Telegraphs, telephones, shipping canals, and equipment Miscellaneous Total

$39,544,544,.333 2,703,015,040 1,201,291,579 1,158,774,948 3,058,593,441 8,685,407,323 701,755,712 7.893,708.821 $05,037,091,197

The term "real estate" includes all lands and lots with improvements thereon, but does not include mines, quarries, telegraphs, telephones, or railroads, except that in a few States where the roadbed, station houses, and repair shops of railroads are classed as real estate for purposes of taxation and their value not separately reported. The true valuation of the real and personal estate of the country has been made at the end of each decade, commencing with 1850, and published by the Census Office. The following table shows the true valuation for each decade, the assessed valuation, the per capita, and the increase per cent for each period of both valuations :

Years True Valuation Assessed Valuation of Keal AND Personal Property taxed Total Per Capita Increase (Per Cent) Total Per Capita Increase (Per Cent) 1850 1800 1870 1880 1890 $7,135,780,228 10,159,010,008 30,008.518,507 43,042,000,000 05,037,091,197 $308 514 780 870 1036 120.46 80.07 45.14 49.02 $0,024,000,909 12,084,500,005 14,178,980,732 17,139,903,495 25,473,173,418 $200 384 308 342 407 100.58 17.33 20.88 48.02

The figures given for 1890 in the foregoing statements are nearer the truth than those for any of the previous census years. They must not be accepted as exact in any respect, but only as indicative and as approximating the truth. No statement of wealth can be exact.