564 



NEBRASKA. 



insane, so that the counties shall bear their 

 proportion of expense of maintenance ; the 

 erection of an asylum by the State, where 

 idiots and imbeciles may be kept at the ex- 

 pense of the counties from which they are re- 

 ceived, or of the parents and guardians of the 

 patients ; and, with a view to the proper pro- 

 tection of capital, a revision of the collection 

 laws, and the repeal of the law against usury. 



On the 9th of January, Governor Furnas 

 was inaugurated, and delivered his address. 

 He renewed the recommendations of Governor 

 James, respecting the collection laws and im- 

 migration, and recommended encouragement 

 to railroads and other internal improvements, 

 the utilization of the saline and bituminous de- 

 posits of the State, and the passage of measures 

 that will insure the proper representation of 

 Nebraska at the Vienna Exhibition, and at the 

 Centennial Celebration at Philadelphia. In 

 urging a revision of the revenue laws, Gov- 

 ernor Furnas says : " Uniform valuation and 

 assessment of all property at its actual present 

 cash-value, with prompt payment, is the only 

 true system of taxation, is alone just and equi- 

 table, can alone lighten the burdens and ren- 

 der satisfaction. Taxes as now assessed and 

 collected in this State are unjust and actually 

 oppressive. "With proper distribution they 

 would not be felt. The simple fact that near- 

 ly $300,000 delinquent State taxes are uncol- 

 lected, and in some counties more than that 

 amount of a local character, is evidence that 

 our existing revenue laws are either inadequate 

 or improperly administered." He also rec- 

 ommends the repeal of the laws exempting 

 lands from taxation by reason of tree-plant- 

 ing, and the encouragement of that branch 

 of agriculture by the payment of premiums. 



The following is an exhibit of the indebted- 

 ness and resources of the State June 21, 1871 : 



STATE INDEBTEDNESS. 



Outstanding warrants (general fund) $130,000 



Outstanding warrants (building fund).. . 40,000 



Territorial militia bonds, etc. (held by 

 school-fund) 



Interest on bonds and floating indebted- 

 ness 25,000 



Loan of " University fund " (act approved 

 February 6, 1871) 16,000 



Annual expenses on general fund 200,000 



Total indebtedness 7T$447,000 



EESOUECES. 



Tax levy of 1870 ("general fund ") $122,500 



Tax levy of delinquent general fund taxes 60,500 



Tax levy of sinking fund, 1870 26,800 



Tax levy of delinquent State railroad 

 loan taxes..... 18,000 



Total resources 227,800 



Amount of liabilities over resources $219,200 



An encouraging condition of the State for 

 the past two years is exhibited by the report 

 of the Treasurer. 



There remained in the State Treasury, at 

 the date of the last official report, January 18, 



1871, $37,547.08; receipts to December 31, 



1872, $1,183,074.27; total, $1,220,621.35. 

 Disbursements, $1,022,233.70; balance in the 



Treasury to the credit of the several funds 

 $198,287.65. 



The accounts of the State, on account of 

 the sales of the public land, have been ad- 

 justed up to the 31st of December, 1871, and 

 the sum found to be due the State at that 

 time, amounting to $78,377.12, has been re- 

 ceived and deposited in the Treasury. 



The Insane Asylum has been completed, and 

 the work on the new penitentiary building is 

 progressing rapidly. 



According to the census of 1870, of the to- 

 tal population (88,265) ten years old and over, 

 there were engaged in all classes of occupa- 

 tions 43,837 persons, of whom 41,943 were 

 males and 1,894 females. There were en- 

 gaged in agriculture, 23,115, including 23,088 

 males and 32 females; in professional and 

 personal services, 10,331, including 8, 667 males 

 and 1,664 females; in trade and transporta- 

 tion, 4,628, including 4,623 males and 5 fe- 

 males; in manufactures and mechanical and 

 mining industries, 5,763, including 5,570 males 

 and 193 females. 



The State contained 647,031 acres of im- 

 proved land, 213,374 of woodland, and 1,213,- 

 376 of other unimproved land. The cash value 

 of farms was $30,242,186 ; of farming-imple- 

 ments and machinery, $1,549,716 ; total amount 

 of wages paid during the year, including value 

 of board, $882,478 ; total (estimated) value of 

 all farm-productions, including betterments 

 and additions to stock, $8,604,742; orchard- 

 products, $9,932; produce of market-gardens, 

 $30,649; forest-products, $36,307; value of 

 home manufactures, $36,951 ; value of animals 

 slaughtered or sold for slaughter, $854,850; 

 of all live-stock, $6,551,185. There were 30,- 

 511 horses, 2,632 mules and asses, 28,940 

 milch-cows, 5,931 working-oxen, 45,057 other 

 cattle, 22,725 sheep, and 59,449 swine. The 

 chief productions were: 2,109,321 bushels of 

 spring, and 15,765 of winter, wheat, 13,532 of 

 rye, 4,736,710 of Indian-corn, 1,477,562 of 

 oats, 216,481 of barley, 3,471 of buckwheat, 

 5,988 pounds of tobacco, 74,655 of wool, 3,332 

 bushels of peas and beans, 739,984 of Irish, 

 and 762 of sweet, potatoes, 470 gallons of wine, 

 1,539,535 pounds of butter, 46,142 of cheese, 

 95,059 gallons of milk sold, 169,354 tons of 

 hay, 77,598 gallons of sorghum molasses, 707 

 pounds of wax, and 28,114 of honey. 



The total number of manufacturing estab- 

 lishments was 670, using 63 steam-engines of 

 1,865 horse-power, and 67 water-wheels of ! 

 1,446 horse - power, and employing 2,665 

 hands, of whom 2,558 were males above six- 

 teen, 81 females above fifteen, and 26 youth, i 



The total amount of capital invested was 

 $2,169,963; wages paid during the year,! 

 $1,429,913; value of materials consumed,! 

 $2,902,074; of products, $5,738,512. 



The whole number of newepapers and peri- ' 

 odicals was 42, having an aggregate circula- 

 tion of 31,600, and issuing annually 3,388,500 j 

 copies. There were 7 daily, with a circulation | 



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