Tl 



1889 



NEBRASKA. 



583 



The rate of taxation for State purposes in the Nebraska Industrial Home, under the super- 

 ftfl WHS fl,bont 6-5 mills, of whir-h 4-9 mills wprp vision nf tVia Wr>mon'a R^or.^ ^f A oo. i-~ ni, 



was about 6*5 mills, of which 4'9 mills were 

 for the general fund, '7 mill for the school fund, 

 and the remainder for special funds. The rate 

 for 1890 was about 6'25 mills, of which 4f 

 mills were for the general fund, f^ mill for the 

 school fund, and the remainder for special funds. 

 The State debt remains at $449,267.35. 



County Debts. The total debt of Nebraska 

 counties in 1890 was $5,302,081, an increase of 

 $95,283 in ten years. Of this total, the sum of 

 $5,033,014 is a bonded debt, and $269,077, a 

 floating debt. Hardly one fourth of the counties 

 are without debt. 



Education. The number of children of 

 school age has increased from 298,006 in 1888 to 



vision of the Women's Board of Associate Chari- 

 ties. The institution was opened May 1,1889. The 

 number admitted up to Nov. 30, 1890, was 59. 



The report of the commandant of the Soldiers' 

 and Sailors' Home, at Grand Island, shows that 

 238 persons have been admitted to the home dur- 

 ing its existence. At present there are 150 mem- 

 bers on the rolls. 



Prisons and Reformatories. On Dec. 1. 

 1888, there were 338 convicts at the State Prison ; 

 during the two years ensuing 349 were received 

 and 300 discharged, leaving 387 in the prison on 

 Nov. 30, 1890. 



The State Industrial School, at Kearney, con- 

 tained 275 pupils on Nov. 30. Since the organi- 



332,243 in 1890, and the number enrolled in the zation of the school 471 boys and 149 girls have 

 public schools has risen in the same time from been committed to it by the courts. 

 215,889 to 240,350. The average daily attend- Railroads. The report of the State Board of 

 ance in 1888 was 129,628, while in 1890 it had in- Transportation on the mileage of railroads in the 

 creased to 146,139. There are now 5,973 school- - State, Dec. 1, 1890, shows a total mileage of 

 houses, an increase of 750 in two years. 5,440*29. 



The number of teachers employed in the pub- The Drought Sufferers. The farmers in the 

 lie schools for the school year ending in 1890 

 was 10,555 2,861 males, at an average salary of 

 $43 a month, and 7,694 females, at an average 

 salary of $37.92 a month. The amount of 

 money paid for teachers' salaries was $2,051,349.- 



69, an increase of $351,565.08 over the amount 

 paid in 1888. The average length of term in 

 each school district has been increased three 

 days over any previous year, 4,408 districts hav- 

 ing had from six to ten months of school during 

 the school year. 



The enrollment of students in the State Uni- 

 versity has been steadily growing. In 1887-'88 

 there were 406 ; in 1888-'89 there were 427 ; in 



western portion of the State suffered severe losses 

 during the year through the prevailing dry 

 weather. In some counties the crops were almost 

 an entire failure, in others scarcely one fourth of 

 a crop was raised. During September and Octo- 

 ber reports of destitution among the farmers of 

 the drought-stricken counties reached the Gov- 

 ernor, but it then seemed that each county 

 would be able to care for its own people. In the 

 early part of November, however, the appeals for 

 help rapidly multiplied, and the Governor ap- 

 pointed two persons to visit the afflicted region 

 and report the true situation. They found the 

 facts even worse than had been represented. The 



-'90 there were 475. For the current year, Governor thereupon issued an appeal to the public 

 1890-'91, there are enrolled 513 students. Of for contributions, and appointed a committee to 



receive and distribute them. A generous re- 

 sponse was received, and the railroads trans- 

 ported all supplies for the sufferers free of 

 charge. From reports obtained from each county 

 in the latter part of December, the Governor 

 estimated that at least 6.011 families would re- 

 quire fuel and provisions during the winter and 

 spring, and 9,938 families would need grain and 

 seed for the spring planting. A relief appropria- 

 tion of at least $200,000 from the Legislature of 

 1891 will be needed. 



Proposed Legislative Session. So vigorous 

 an agitation was carried on in the State during 

 the early part of the year against the prevailing 

 railroad freight rates, and in favor of a larger 

 volume of circulating medium, that Gov. Thayer 

 issued his proclamation on May 24, calling a 

 special session of the Legislature to assemble at 

 Lincoln on June 5. The subjects for legislation 

 mentioned in the call were the establishment of 

 maximum railway freight rates, the abolition of 

 the State Board of Transportation, the adoption 

 of the Australian ballot system, and the passage 

 of resolutions in favor of a greater issue of 

 money and free coinage of silver. This course of 

 the Governor's met with so much opposition 

 from his own party, and there was so much 

 doubt whether the proposed session would be 

 legal unless certain vacancies in the membership 

 of each House should first be filled (for which no 

 time then remained), that the Governor, on May 



this number 208 are women and 305 men. 



Charities. At the Nebraska Hospital for the 

 Insane, at Lincoln, there were 392 patients on 

 Dec. 1, 1888 ; 398 patients were received during 

 the two years ensuing, and 448 were discharged, 

 leaving 342 in the hospital on Nov. 30, 1890. 

 This institution, in spite of the fact that 2 new 

 State hospitals have recently been completed and 

 filled, has still on its rolls 42 more patients than 

 should be accommodated, and but very few of 

 the insane who were two years ago cared for in 

 county jails or almshouses have been removed 

 to the State institutions. 



The Norfolk Hospital for the Insane was 

 opened in 1887. Since the meeting of the last 

 Legislature 2 wings to the main building have 

 been erected. The number of patients on Dec. 

 1, 1888, was 129; there were 219 received during 

 the two years ensuing, and about 150 discharged. 



The Asylum for Incurable Insane, at Hastings, 

 was opened on Aug. 1, 1889, since which time 

 174 patients have been received, of whom 160 

 remained on Nov. 30, 1890. There are on file 

 100 applications for admission of patients ; but 

 none can be received for want of room. 



During the biennial period ending Nov. 30, 

 1890, there were 165 pupils in attendance at the 

 Institution for the Deaf and Dumb, and 72 at the 

 Institution for the Blind. The Institution for 

 Peeble-Minded Youth contained 134 inmates at 

 the end of the period. Provision was made by 



the Legislature of 1887 for the establishment of 31, revoked his proclamation. 



