JOURI. 



565 



school was not seriously interrupted. The 

 trustees expended the insurance in beginning 

 the erection of a new building, which tht/ 

 will be asked to finish. 



Militia. The strength of the State militia ag- 

 gregates 24 companies with 1,800 men of all 

 arms. 



State Banks The following is a financial 

 statement of the State banks and bankers at 

 the close of business, April 30, 1888. The 

 statement shows an increase of $1.500,000 over 

 the statement on Dec. 31, 1887, as returned to 

 the Secretary of State : 



RESOURCES. 



Loans on personal securities $!.'. 



Loans on real estate '- ' 



Overdrafts 941.109 



United States bonds 623.9-0 



Other bonds and stocks 4 " 



Due from banks 1 - 



Eeal estate - 



Furniture and fixtures 



Checks and cash items 2.1V2.t>29 



Currency 7.741.943 



Gold coin 1 



Silver coin 363. TO 1 



Exchange '-- . 



Total 



LIABILITIES. 



Capital fl: 



Surplus 7 



Undivided dividends 110.113 



Deposits, sight 47. ~ 



Deposits, time 11.1 



Bills payable 



Due banks 



Expenses 



Total $89.704,313 



Prisons. The cost of the Penitentiary for the 

 past two years to ;he State has been $167,000, 

 but if credit is given for the increased value of 

 the property by way of new buildings, it will 

 not exceed >0 a year. The 



actual cash earnings for the past two years 

 have been nearly $350,000. The average num- 

 ber of prisoners worked by contractors during 

 this time has been about 950, while the aver- 

 age number confined has been over 1.600. 



By acts of the thirty-fourth General Assem- 

 bly, in 1887, much needed and long delayed 

 legislation was begun looking toward the re- 

 straining, reforming, and educating juvenile 

 offenders. By the provisions of those acts, an 

 industrial home for girls has been established 

 at Chillicothe. and a reform school for boys at 

 Boonville. For the Chillicothe institution the 

 Legislature appropriated $5,000 for the pur- 

 chase of grounds, $30,000 for the erection of 

 suitable buildings, $5.000 for furnishing such 

 buildings and incidental expenses, and $10,000 

 for current expenses. Besides the appropria- 

 tions by the State, the citizens of Chillicothe 

 contributed $5.000 to secure the location of 

 the home at that place. The board of control 

 adopted the cottage or family plan, and have 

 erected and completed beautiful and substantial 

 building? west of and adioining the city of 

 Chillicothe at a cost of $30.025. The build- 

 ings will accommodate fifty inmates. 



For the location of the reform school, the 



city of Boonville offered the best inducements, 

 and a tract of 165 acres, adjoining the city 

 proper, was secured. The Legislature appro- 

 priated $5,000 for the purchase of grounds, 

 for erection of buildings $40,000, for furnish- 

 ing building $2,000, for maintenance and inci- 

 dental expenses $5,000. A building four stories 

 high, and an attached boiler-house, kitchen, 

 dining-room, and laundry, have been erected 

 at a total cost of $31.525. When completely 

 furnished these buildings will accommodate 

 from 180 to 200 boys. The committee has 

 furnished them for the occupancy of 75 boys, 

 within the appropriations allowed to them. 



Liquor Laws. The Governor says in his mes- 

 sage to the Legislature : '' At present we have 

 the ' Downing law, 1 fixing the maximum State 

 and county tax on license for dramshops at 

 $1.200 per annum. Tho law also requires a 

 petition signed by two thirds of the tax-payitig 

 citizens of cities, towns, and townships before 

 it is mandatory on the county court to issue 

 license. We have also the ' Wood local-option 

 law,' under which elections have been held in 

 eighty-seven counties 'submitting the question 

 of prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors.' 

 Fifty counties have adopted this law. which is 

 virtually prohibition in those counties. The 

 laws of the State are such that any county or 

 any city of 2,500 inhabitants may have pro- 

 hibition or they can tax the license of the 

 liquor-dealer as high as they please, so that it 

 does not amount to absolute prohibition, as a 

 majority of the voters may prefer. In fact, 

 the liquor-traffic is left to the control of the 

 citizens of each county and city. Some com- 

 munities are opposed to prohibition or high 

 license and only collect the minimum State, 

 county, and municipal tax on license. In such 

 places saloons are more numerous and not as 

 respectable as where high license prevails." 



In April the State Supreme Court rendered 

 an important decision on the question of Sun- 

 day liquor-selling. A State law forbade the 

 sale of liquor on Sundays and closed all saloons 

 on that day. There was opposition to the en- 

 forcement of the law in St. Louis, which 

 claimed exemption by reason of an old city 

 ordinance that allowed the sale of wine and 

 beer on Sunday. A local judge sustained the 

 ordinance when a test case was brought before 

 him ; but the Supreme Court held that the 

 city government had no authority to pass such 

 an ordinance, and that therefore St. Louis 

 must obey the law in common with all other 

 cities in the State. 



The Bald-Knobbers. The trial of the leaders 

 of this organization for the murder of William 

 Edens nnd Charles Green in March. 1887. was 

 not held in August following, at the time 

 when their followers were brought before the 

 Christian County Circuit Court aud fined or 

 imprisoned for their connection with the or- 

 ganization, but was postponed until March 

 and April of the present year. William Walk- 

 er, son of David Walker, the chief, and two 



