KANSAS. 



Another act was passed relating to school- 

 books. It requires the school-district boards of 

 officers to designate a particular series of school- 

 books, and then to make no change for the en- 

 suing five years. Another act was passed to 

 n-_'ul;ite the sale of school lands. It provides 

 tint all new sales shall be made on twenty years' 

 time and seven per cent, interest. All renewals 

 of purchasers who have never been in default 

 shall be on twenty years 1 time and at seven 



Ser cent, interest. All renewals of those in 

 ftauli shall remain on ten years' time and ten 

 per cent, interest. Such renewal to be made 

 prior to October 1, 1879. 



During the year ending on July 31, 1879, the 

 whole number of school districts was 5,675 ; 

 increase for the year, 439. The whole number 

 of persons between the ages of five and twenty- 

 one years, as reported, was: males, 160,542; 

 females, 150,768 ; total, 811,310. The increase 

 in school population was by far the greatest of 

 any year in the history of the State. It repre- 

 sented an immigration to the State of not less 

 than 160,000 persons, and was as follows : males, 

 23,140; females, 21,595; total, 44,735. Thir- 

 teen counties report an increased school popu- 

 lation of more than 1,000 each. The number 

 of persons enrolled in public schools some por- 

 tions of the year was : males, 107,095 ; females, 

 101,314; total, 208,409 ; increase for the year, 

 80,603. The average daily attendance on pub- 

 lic schools was : males, 62,120 ; females, 61,876 ; 

 total, 123,996; increase for the year, 17,064. 

 The reports show an increase in the length of 

 the school-term. In 1878 the average for the 

 State was 22-6 weeks, and in 1879 it was 24-6 

 weeks, the increase for the year being two 

 weeks. The number of different teachers em- 

 ployed in the common schools of the Stato for 

 the year was : males, 3,128 ; females, 8,579 ; 

 total, 6,707. 



The sources from which the common-school 

 fund was derived were : 



Balances from preceding year $261,467 T2 



State annual school fund 802,506 BO 



Bale of bonds for building purposes 872,110 04 



District taxes 913,S85 24 



All other sources 53,648 62 



Total receipts $1,878,568 02 



The school expenses were as follows : 



For teachers' wages $1,012,699 16 



To superintendents of graded schools 10,958 44 



For rents, fuel, and Incidentals 274,260 15 



For text-books 10.772 91 



For district libraries 4,0-26 82 



For maps and apparatus 19,999 45 



For sites, buildings, and furniture 253,089 80 



Totl $1,590,794 80 



At the close of the last fiscal year, June 80, 

 1879, the permanent common-school fund of 

 the State, deposited with the State Treasurer, 

 amounted to $1,601,631.92, $1,523,226.08 of 

 which was invested as follows : United States 

 bonds, $140,000 ; Kansas State bonds, $607,- 

 925; Lawrence city bonds, $100,000; school- 

 district bonds, $675,301. Sixty-six normal in- 

 stitutes were held during the year, at an ex- 



pense of $18,857.17, $15,941.88 of which was 

 for instruction, and $2,405.84 for incidental*. 

 These institutes were in session from four to 

 six weeks each, and in them 6,050 teachers 

 received instruction. 



An act was passed defining the term of du- 

 ration and existence of certain railroads. The 

 act extended for seventy-nine years the char- 

 ters of all railroads granted by the Territorial 

 Legislature, together with some five others. 

 The charters of the former were for twenty 

 years, and expired on February llth. 



The regulation of freights and fares was re* 

 garded as one of the most important subjects 

 before the Legislature. There are about 2,500 

 miles of railroads in operation in the State. 

 Their assessed value is $15,525,033. The law 

 of the State prohibits the railroad corporations 

 from charging over six cents per mile for trans- 

 porting passengers. Other sections of the law 

 relating to the classification of and charges for 

 carrying freight are still less restrictive. A bill 

 to create a Board of Railroad Commissioners 

 was proposed, but not passed. Another to 

 regulate, control, and establish rates of fare 

 and freight on railroads, establish rules to reg- 

 ulate the same, and provide for the punishment 

 of a violation of the provisions thereof, was 

 brought forward in the House, but failed to 

 become a law. 



The taxation of the railroads is secured by 

 the laws of the State, which require that all 

 property shall be assessed at its value in money. 

 Property other than railroad property is as- 

 sessed by local assessors. Railroad property 

 is assessed by a " State Board of Railroad As- 

 sessors," consisting of the Lieutenant-Governor, 

 Secretary of State, Auditor of State, Treasurer 

 of State, and the Attorney-General. The as- 

 sessment of all classes of property in the State 

 does not exceed sixty per centum of its " value 

 in money." All the real estate of railroad com- 

 panies connected with the right of way and 

 used in the daily operation of the road is as- 

 sessed with the track, ties, iron, etc. All other 

 real estate is assessed by the local assessor of 

 the township or city in which the real estate 

 is situated. Personal property, as rolling-stock, 

 ties, iron, timbers, material, tools, moneys, etc., 

 are assessed to the railroad corporation the 

 same as to individuals. The franchises of rail- 

 road companies are not taxed. The property 

 of the railroad corporations being taxed, the 

 btock is not taxed. The receipts are not taxed, 

 except that portion of receipts over expendi- 

 tures which is found to be surplus on March 1st 

 each year. All moneys and all credits in ex- 

 cess of debts on hand March 1st are taxed. 

 The total value of all classes of rolling-stock 

 is ascertained from a sworn inventory by the 

 company, and the valuation apportioned equal- 

 ly to each mile of road. Local taxes are levied 

 by the local authorities npon the railroad prop- 

 erty in the several counties, cities, townships, 

 and school districts, as returned by the State 

 Board of Assessors. State taxes are appor- 



