NEBRASKA. 



503 



by Othniel C. Marsh: "The Equations of the 

 Forces acting in the Flotation of Disks and Kings 

 of Metal, with Experiments showing the Floating 

 of Loaded Disks and Kings of Metal on Water 

 and other Liquids" by Alfred M. Mayer: "On 

 Certain Positive-Negative Laws in their Relation 

 to Organic Chemistry," liy Arthur Michael: "On 

 the Physical Causes of the Periodic Variations of 

 Latitude" and "On the Solar Motion as a Gauge 

 of Stellar Distances,'' by Simon Xewcomb ; " A 

 Graphical Method of Logic" and "Mathematical 

 Infinity." by Charles S. Peirce : "The Hydrolysis 

 of Acid Amides" and "The Isomeric Chlorides of 

 Paranitroorthosulphobenxoic Acid." by Ira Ivemsen ; 

 " On Flicker Photometers," by Ogden N. Rood ; 

 "The Evolution and Phylogeny of Gastropod Mol- 

 lusca," by Addison E. Verrill : and "Memoir of 

 Fielding Bradford Meek,'' by Charles A. White. 



Owing to the illness of President Gibbs, Yice- 

 President Walker presided at the meeting, and sub- 

 sequent to the reading of the papers a stated session 

 was held for the purpose of considering the annual 

 report of the president. 



NEBRASKA, a Western State, admitted into the 

 Union March 1, 1867: area, 77.510 square miles. 

 The population, according to each decennial census 

 since admission, was 1:2:2.993 in 1870; 452,402 in 

 1880: and 1.058.910 in 1890. Capital. Lincoln. 



Government. The following were the State offi- 

 cers during the year : Governor. Silas A. Holcomb : 

 Lieutenant Governor. Robert E. Moore ; Secretary 

 of State. Joel A. Piper ; Treasurer. Joseph S. Bart- 

 ley: Auditor, Eugene Moore; Attorney-General, 

 Arthur S. Churchill : Superintendent of Public In- 

 struction, Henry R. Corbett : Commissioner of Pub- 

 lic Lands and Buildings, Henry C. Russell; Adju- 

 tant General. P. H. Barry all Republicans except 

 the Governor and the Adjutant General, who are 

 Populists ; State Engineer, R. B. Howell ; Oil In- 

 spector, J. H. Edmiston; Bank Examiner, E. L. 

 Dodder, Jr. ; Commissioner of Labor, John Powers: 

 Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. A. M. Post ; 

 Associate Justices, T. 0. C. Harrison, T. L. Xorval 

 all Republicans. 



Finances. In his biennial report, the Auditor 

 dwells on the fact that the financial condition of 

 the State is steadily growing more unsatisfactory. 

 The assessed valuation has been gradually reduced. 

 For 1896 it was si67.<>7S.270.37. against a valuation 

 of $194.733.124.73 in 1893. while the rate of tax levy 

 has increased from 6'49 mills in 1893 to 7'11 mills 

 in 1896. yet the revenues are behind those of 1893. 



The report says : " There are now outstanding 

 general fund warrants to the amount of $1,936,- 

 273.47. and in the State treasury, belonging to the 

 general fund. $589.370.39. which, less the amount 

 now held by suspended banks on State depository 

 bonds, will be applied to the payment of the float- 

 ing debt. The appropriations of the last session of 

 the Legislature were $2.784.684. while the entire 

 possible revenue of the State for the same period is 

 but $2,383.695.78." 



The Treasurer's report gives the following sum- 

 mary: Balance at last report, $1.121.387.34: re- 

 ceived Xov. 30. 1894, to Dec. 1. 1896. $8,667.594.95; 

 total. s4.7ss.'.is2.29: disbursed Xov. 30. 1894. to 

 Dec. 1. 1896. $3.059.354.99 : balance Nov. 30. 1896, 

 $1,729.627.30. From this amount deduct the amount 

 in suspended banks that were State depositories, 

 $271.522.08, and the balance is $1.458.105.22. 



Education. The report of public schools for 

 the year ending July 8. 1895. shows that there were 

 6.693 districts having a total of 6.687 schoolhouses. 

 The children between five and twenty-one years 

 numbered 351.846. and the total enrollment was 

 274,282. with an average daily attendance of 171.- 

 859. There were 212 private schools reported. The 



>f education on average daily attendance was 

 $21.91. In graded schools the cost on average at- 

 tendance was $23.72. The number of teachers em- 

 ployed was 2.548 males, fi.943 females; total. 9.491. 

 The average monthly wages were : Males, $-i 

 females. $38.66. 



The Board of Educational Lands and Funds has 

 invested for the benefit of the permanent school 

 fund $3.327.511.35. making the total amoui;: 

 longing to the permanent school fund $3.864,082.06. 

 Besides this there is $5,000,000 of interest-bearing 

 notes from the sale of school land, making a total 

 of interest -bearing securities of $8,327,511.35. 



In the semiannual apportionment of school funds 

 in May the rate for each pupil was nearly 74 cents. 



The State Xormal School, at Peru, graduated a 

 class of 35 in June. For the years 1895 and 1896 

 the school had 848.296. 



The " free-attendance " law enacted by the last 

 Legislature has proved popular in most of the 

 counties, and has resulted in bringing into the high 

 schools more than 2.000 students from the country 

 districts. It provides for the free attendance of 

 students whose education can not be profitably car- 

 ried further in their own districts at some neigh- 

 boring public high school, tuition at the rate of 50 

 cents a week being paid to such high school by the 

 county in which the student resides. 



The State University has about 1.500 students. 

 A short school term in agriculture has been estab- 

 lished at the university. A new structure, the 

 " dairy building." was opened at the beginning of 

 the term, and a series of 25 farmers' institutes has 

 been held under the care of the university. 



State Institutions. In his biennial report, the 

 Auditor gives the average monthly pay rolls for 

 officers and employees of twelve State institutions, 

 and says : " During the same period I find that 

 these institutions had an average of 2.504i inmates, 

 while an average of 47A officers and 390| employees 

 were in charge of them at an average expense of 

 $14,709.86 per month, or $176.518.32 annually for 

 salaries and wages alone ; and when we understand 

 that all these officers and employees are fed and 

 housed by the State we can realize that th^y actu- 

 ally cost a greatly increased sum over the figures 

 given. These statistics disclose that it requires the 

 services of one employee for each 6^ inmates and one 

 officer for each 52$ inmates." 



The number of patients at the Xorfolk Asylum 

 for the Insane. Xov. 30, was 193, of whom 142 were 

 men. There were 15 deaths during the biennial 

 period. The average cost for each patient was 

 $348.83. A new building is called for; the super- 

 intendent says : " If the policy is continued of 

 crowding every epileptic and aged poor person into 

 asylums to save expense of counties in caring for 

 them, then the capacity of the hospitals must be 

 increased. The estimate for 1897-'98 is $131.911. 



At the Lincoln Asylum there were 351 patients. 

 Xov. 30. During the past two years 823 have been 

 treated, and 49 died. The expense per capita yearly 

 is estimated at $171.45. The estimate for 1897-'98 

 is $162,520. 



At the Hastings Asylum for the Incurable Insane 

 there were 527 patients at the same date, while the 

 normal capacity is 450. The total amount asked 

 for current expenses for the next biennium is $213,- 

 566.67. besides about s 72.000 for special purp<- 



The Institute for Feeble-minded Youth, at Bea- 

 trice, had an average number of 208 during 1895-'96. 

 The estimate of expenses for the coming biennium 

 is $96. 125. 



The School for the Deaf and Dumb, at Omaha, 

 had an attendance of 1S4. Improvements costing 

 $16.577 have put the buildings in good condition. 

 About $83,000 is asked for 1897-'98. 



