DELAWARE. 



251 



Finances. In January, 1884, the State debt 

 amounted to the sum of $864,750, as follows: 



Outstanding bonds bearing 4 per cent, interest .. $625,000 00 

 School-fund bonds bearing 6 per cent, interest .. 153.750 00 

 Indebtedness to Delaware College, 6 per cent . . 83,000 00 



Amount of State debt Dec. 26, 18S4 ... . . $864,750 00 

 Call for bonds Jan. 1, 1835 25,000 00 



Amount of State debt after Jan. 1, 18S5 $839,720 00 



As an offset against its present indebtedness, 

 the State has semi-annual interest-bearing in- 

 vestments, for the general fund, to the amount 

 of $673,050. The State also has investments 

 for the benefit of the free schools to the 

 amount of $1,168,799. The total debt after 

 Jan. 1, 1885, was $839,750 ; assets in excess 

 of indebtedness, $329,049. 



The receipts since Jan. 17, 1884, under the 

 various acts to raise revenue, and from all 

 other sources belonging to the general fund, 

 have amounted to the sum of $123,828.98. 



There has been disbursed from the general 

 fund since Jan. 17, 1884, to pay the interest on 

 the public debt, to redeem bonds, and to pay 

 the necessary expenses of State government, 

 the sum of $127,518.43, as follows: 



Executive $2,000 00 



Judiciary 11,624 89 



Salaries of other State officers 7,439 50 



Eeplenishing Library 630 50 



Legislative committee and allowances 8,344 20 



Interest on State bonds and bonds redeemed . . . 50,000 00 



Interest on school-fund bonds 9,405 00 



Interest on debt to Delaware College 2,490 00 



Chancellor's reports 200 00 



Printing and binding for 1884 4,059 92 



Board of Health 50 00 



Fish Commissioner 139 86 



Adjutant-General appropriation 1,200 00 



Adjutant-General s salary 200 00 



Appropriation to free schools 25,000 00 



Appropriation to colored schools 5,000 00 



School-books 4,052 71 



Immigration Commissioners 650 00 



Expressbill 80 85 



Total amount of disbursement $127,518 48 



The amount received for the benefit of free 

 schools up to August, 1884, or at the time of 

 the distribution, was $69,149.35, and was dis- 

 tributed as follows: 



To New Castle county $26,047 95 



To Kent county 20,040 34 



To Sussex county 23,061 06 



Total $69,149 85 



The amount received since the distribution 

 in August, for the benefit of free schools, is 

 $17,489.25, and a portion of the same has been 

 disbursed as follows: To the Pennsylvania In- 

 stitute for the Deaf and Dumb, for board and 

 tuition, etc., $849.11, leaving a net balance 

 in the treasury, for the benefit of free schools, 

 of $16,640.14. 



On July 1, 1886, of the outstanding bonds of 

 the State, one hundred and thirty-five $1,000 

 bonds will fall due. 



Educational. The annual report of the State 

 Superintendent of Free Schools says there is a 

 growing interest in the cause of public educa- 

 tion in the State, and the schools are steadily 

 and surely advancing. During the past two 

 years something over $129,000 has been spent 



in the erection of better and more commodious 

 school-buildings ; but a majority of the school- 

 buildings are still unfit for school purposes. In 

 regard to teachers' institutes the report says : 



It is impossible for me to set forth the good that 

 comes of the county institute. In our State, especial- 

 ly, is its value incalculable. We have no normal 

 school for the training of those who desire to become 

 teachers, therefore when the young enter the profes- 

 sion they are almost wholly unprepared, so far as 

 methods of teaching are concerned. The county in- 

 stitute acts as the substitute for the normal schools, 

 and much good has resulted, not only to the young 

 teachers, but also to those who have had many years* 

 experience. 



The meetings of the State Teachers' Asso- 

 ciation are also referred to as having been the 

 means of much good by bringing about a closer 

 union between the teachers and friends of the 

 schools. During the 'past year twenty-seven 

 public educational meetings were held in dif- 

 ferent parts of the State, principally in Kent 

 and Sussex counties, and did much toward 

 creating the sentiment in favor of better edu- 

 cational facilities. 



During the last school term the total num- 

 ber of colored schools in the State, outside of 

 Wilmington, was 65. The average length of 

 the school term was 4| months. The highest 

 monthly enrollment was 3,409, and the total 

 amount paid to these schools from all sources 

 was $8,176.28, of which the State paid $4,- 

 987.34; the colored-school tax realized $2,878.- 

 69, and the Delaware Association contributed 

 $315.25. The schools are doing an excellent 

 work, with many promising indications. 



The following is a summary of statistics : 



Number of school districts in the State, 421 ; num- 

 ber of schools, 544, an increase of 29 over 1882 ; aver- 

 age number of months taught, 7 - 37 ; number of white 

 children between six and twenty-one years of age, 

 35,069 (exclusive of Wilmington) ; average daily at- 

 tendance, 17,592 ; average number enrolled in each 

 district, 49 ; average daily attendance per district, 33 ; 

 average cost per pupil on number enrolled, $6.78. 

 Whole number of teachers in the State (including Wil- 

 mington), 546 ; average monthly salary, $32.31 ; aver- 

 age age of teachers, males, 25-6 ; females, 22-6 years: 

 number of examinations held, 24 ; certificates issued. 

 life-grade, 3 ; first grade, none ; second, 56 ; third, 

 330; total, 389; permits issued, 63. Amount con- 

 tributed by the districts, $161,048.33; State appro- 

 priation, $52,055.82; total, $213,104.15; amount paid 

 for salaries, $152,591.32; value of school-buildings, 

 $469,956; grounds, $90,952: furniture, $47,148; to- 

 tal, $608,056 ; number of schools using patent furni- 

 ture, 276. 



Constitutional Amendments. On this subject, 

 the Governor, in his message to the Legisla- 

 ture of 1885, says: 



The General Assembly, at the last session, with 

 great unanimity, agreed upon what were deemed, after 

 mature and deliberate consideration, proper amend- 

 ments, three in number, to the Constitution of the 

 State. These amendments having been approved.by 

 me, and published as the Constitution requires, are 

 now before you for ratification, if you should adjudge 

 it wise that they become a part of the organic law. 

 The first proposed amendment is a provision for a 

 General Incorporation Act, with exception of railroads 

 and canals. As the propriety of this amendment 

 seems to be conceded by all parties, as far as public dis- 



