484 



MICHIGAN. 



$35.09. The amount received from the State Treas- 

 urer for institutes was $1,810.36 ; amount received 

 from county treasurers for institutes, $10,762.10; 

 total amount of primary-school money apportioned, 

 $1,000,312.06; rate per capita for the year, $1.44. 



The enrollment at the Agricultural College in the 

 spring term was 208. The long vacation has been 

 changed from winter to summer, and a course for 

 women was introduced at the fall term. 



Health Statistics. The State Board of Health 

 estimates that, through compliance with the recom- 

 mendations of the board during the five years 1890- 

 '94, there were probably saved to the people of 

 Michigan about 112,843 cases of sickness and about 

 5,261 deaths from diphtheria, scarlet fever, typhoid 

 fever, and measles. At a very low estimate, the 

 money value thereby saved the State during these 

 five years is $5,097,800. The basis on which this 

 estimate was made is as follows : For medical at- 

 tendance in each case of sickness, $20 ; for each fu- 

 neral prevented, $40; value of each life saved, $50i>. 



Banks. There are more than 170 State banks 

 and 3 trust companies in the State, with liabilities 

 to depositors amounting to $95,000,000. From the 

 time the State Banking Department went into ac- 

 tive operation, Jan. 1, 1889, to Nov. 1, 1896, 110 

 State banks were organized ; while during the 

 same time there was a decrease of 25 in the num- 

 ber of national banks. During these years 6 State 

 banks and 6 national banks have failed. By the 

 report showing the condition of the State banks, 

 Oct. 6. it appears that the savings deposits were 

 $41,915,262, a falling off of about $1,000,000 from 

 the amount in July. 



Insurance. The annual report on insurance, 

 rendered in July, shows that the whole number of 

 regular or level-premium life companies transact- 

 ing business in the State during the year was 40, 

 being one more than for the previous year. The 

 total business transacted by these companies was 

 as follows : Amount of policies issued. $24,502.848 ; 

 policies in force, Dec. 31, $127,850,365 ; premiums 

 received, $4,356,715 ; losses incurred, $1,584,765. 

 The amount of insurance issued shows a decrease 

 from the previous year of about $7,000,000, but there 

 was a slight increase both in premiums and in losses. 



The total assets of the 40 regular companies were 

 $1,173,094,778.82, an increase for the year of $93.- 

 331,952.73. The total liabilities were $1,002,884,- 

 431.63, an increase of $76,972,732.61. 



The number of stock casualty insurance com- 

 panies at the close of the year was 17. There were 

 6 fidelity guarantee companies and 32 co-operative 

 or assessment life companies. Four assessment or 

 co-operative accident companies ceased to transact 

 business in the State during the year, leaving 15 in 

 operation. Since the beginning of 1896 one com- 

 pany has been authorized to do a life business on 

 the assessment plan. 



Products. The crop report gives the estimate 

 of wheat production as 11'48 bushels to the acre, 

 and the total yield, 17,109,991 bushels. Oats are 

 estimated to yield 28'43 bushels an acre ; barley, 

 26 - 50 bushels; and corn, 70 bushels of ears. Pota- 

 toes on high ground and on the lighter soils were a 

 full average crop, but on low ground and clay soils 

 were badly damaged by the rains. 



The report of the State salt inspector shows that 

 183,130 barrels were inspected in December. 



The State lumber product in 1895 was 2,731,029,- 

 535 feet of lumber and 1,360,535.500 shingles. The 

 total output of lumber was only a little over 1,000,- 

 000 feet more than the product of the State in 1894. 



A gold mine has been in operation near Ishpem- 

 ing for about fifteen years. During this time the 

 output has been $750,000, but the mine has never 

 paid a dividend. 



Industrial Interests. The thirteenth annual 

 report of the Commissioner of Labor shows that 

 during 1895 3,137 factories were inspected, of which 

 2.S36 were running, and 2,561 of these were on full 

 time. There were found 140 children under the 

 age of fourteen years working. They were em- 

 ployed in 64 factories, and were all discharged, the 

 law being rigid in this respect. 



Statistics are given of the vehicle industry, which 

 is one of the most important in the State. On a 

 canvass of 126 establishments, it was found that 46 

 of them are incorporated firms, 39 are copartner- 

 ships, and 41 are doing an individual business. 

 The incorporated firms have an authorized capital 

 stock of $3,201,700, divided into 196,520 shares. 

 The invested capital of the 126 firms canvassed is 

 $4,626,553. They employ 289 salaried officers and 

 clerks, 178 traveling salesmen, and 5,776 persons in 

 the shops. The reports show an average of about 

 50 persons employed in each establishment. 



The value of material used in 1895 was $3.674,717, 

 while the product of the business was estimated at 

 $8.044.222. 



From a personal canvass of 4,650 employees, it 

 was found that less than 9 per cent, belong to labor 

 organizations. About one third belong to fra- 

 ternal societies, most of which have life insurance 

 attached. 



The Labor Bureau canvassed 237 unions, cover- 

 ing a membership of 19,494 persons. In 23 of these 

 unions there were 302 female members. There were 

 initiated in 165 of these unions during the year 

 2,203 members, and during the same time 1,256 

 members were suspended from 118 of the unions. 

 The annual dues for members range from $1 to $33 

 each, the average being $7.81. 



The Pingree Potato Commission in Detroit made 

 a report of its operations in 1896. . It shows that 

 the commission began in the spring with about 475 

 acres, which were apportioned among 1,700 heads 

 of families, representing 5,973 children, or 7,673 

 persons in all. From this land had been produced, 

 with an outlay of less than $2,300 for seed and 

 other expenses, upward of 45,000 bushels of pota- 

 toes, besides a quantity of beets, cabbages, corn, 

 pumpkins, beans, etc. 



In August the last of the Rockefeller mines was 

 shut down at Bessemer, only enough men being re- 

 tained to keep the mines free from water about 

 1,000 being employed where at one time were 8,000. 



About 1,500 men were forced into idleness by the 

 closing of mines at Ironwood in July. 



On the other hand, a dispatch from Houghton, 

 Nov. 14, says : " Evidences of the return .of pros- 

 perity in this part of the State are being made 

 manifest every day, and in a very substantial man- 

 ner. The mining companies are preparing for a 

 season of work that will eclipse anything for sev- 

 eral years, and thousands of men will be given em- 

 ployment at once." 



Public Lands. The annual report of the Land 

 Commissioner shows that the number of acres of 

 State land sold during the year was 14,988; the 

 number of acres of swamp land licensed, 6,207; the 

 number of acres entered as homestead land. 40.- 

 125-49; number forfeited as only part paid, 836; 

 swamp homestead land forfeited", 5.116; deeded to 

 the State under certain laws, 213,036; total held 

 June 30. 1896, 642.778-59. The lands sold amounted 

 to $53.208. 



High License. The Auditor General gave out 

 in May statistics furnishing a comparison of the 

 receipts for retail liquor licenses for the years 1894. 

 the last year under the old system, and 1895, the 

 first year under the uniform tax. For the year 

 ending May 1. 1894, there were 3,011 dealers in 

 spirituous liquors, arid the total tax paid was 



