MINNESOTA. 



629 



estimate shows that the excess of receipts 



>\vr di-but-semcnls for the \, a i- l^'.i'J ' 1 M will 

 (proximate $?(Mi.(M!(), which sum will be availa- 

 le for enlarging and improving State institutions 

 id other necessary objects. The various lioards 

 nl commissions ha\e suggested I'Xpi-nilit un--, 

 diich, if made, \vinilil invnl\c an outlay of about 

 >.<KM). It will probably be impossible to 

 le so largo a sum of money, as it is forbid- 

 i-n by law to create any further bonded debt, and 

 is undesirable to increase the tax levy. 

 In .Inly, IMrJ.the payment and retirement of 

 10 4$ per cent. Minnesota railroad adjustment 

 mds becomes possible. The amount ilien oiit- 

 anding will be $3,965,000. All of this sum. e\- 

 <KH). is held by the various trn-t funds 

 i he State. Of the latter, it is proposed that 

 :n portion be absorbed by the cash availa- 

 ' in the Internal Improvement fund, leaving 

 jut $1,500,000 of bonds, which may be allowed 

 run at the rate of 4J per cent., or funded 

 to a bond bearing lower interest. It is rec- 

 mmended that a funding bill be prepared per- 

 illing the proper otliceis to take up the bonds 

 hen the option may be availed of, in case any 

 nving can be effected for the-State. Should the 

 Kiidition of the money market warrant, a bond 

 iring a rate as low as 3$ per cent, a year could 

 sold at par. A constitutional amendment 

 athorizing the trustees of the Internal Land 

 iprovement fund to exchange the land con- 

 ts in that fund, amounting to about $1,800,- 

 ', for the adjustment bonds held in other 

 sts, and to provide that when so exchanged an 

 jual number of bonds be canceled, thus extin- 

 lishing that amount of the State debt, has been 

 commended to the Legislature for action. 

 Legislative Session. The work of the Min- 

 ta Legislature includes the passage of about 

 I general laws and about 800 special laws. The 

 lief contests were over the usury bill to reduce 

 legal rate of interest from 8 to 6 per cent., 

 ich is disposed of for two years; the Keyes 

 Australian law, which passed through the efforts 

 " the Republicans and a few Alliance men and 

 emocrats, requiring the voter to mark every 

 ame on the ticket, and the Courier and Hompe 

 railroad bills, the former of which gave way to 

 the latter. Radical changes have been made in 

 the prison law, and the binding-twine plant at the 

 State Prison has been provided for. The State 

 has been reapportioned into congressional dis- 

 tricts, and some changes have been made in the 

 election law. Two constitutional amendments 

 at least will be submitted one in regard to the 

 taxation of telegraph and telephone lines, and 

 the other prohibiting special legislation. The 

 jury system and the penal code have been 

 ended, and changes have been made touching 

 le judiciary. The most important general laws 

 at have become effective are the following : 

 Joint resolution asking Coneress to appropriate 



tor a ship canal around Niagara. 

 Joint resolution to (.'murress protesting against 

 tceing the bonds of the Nicaragua <'imal. 

 emliii!,' the general laws relating to the taxation 

 railroad lands. 



Tiixhi!.' t!n> output of mining companies, 

 hitiiii; building and loan associations. 

 iixin.ir the incorporation of church societies. 

 Providing for supervision of mutual building asso- 

 ; -*,ions. 



VOL. xxxi. 34 A 



Repealing the law requiring liquor HeeiuM to to 



taken out ut u certain time in tin- v. r, mid fi.rl.i'l 



d'nitf tin- taring ui license* for fractional part* of a 



year. 



' Appropriating |400 for a monument ut the MOM 



of tlie Indian n i an* uc n- in Swit\ County. 



Providing tor the ort/uni/ntion of MDOOl di-tricU. 



Amending law of normal M-hooU. 



Regulating labor of railway employe*. 



Amending section _:;.'. ot tin p. nuf code, relating to 

 the crime ot' rape. 



Amending section 24. r > of the penal code, relating to 

 indecent assault upon women. 



Amending the ptnal code, relating to tho slander of 

 women. 



Amending penal code relating to wages of laborers. 



Education. The general condition of the 

 public schools in 1801 is shown by the following 

 statistics: Number of pupils enrolled in the pub- 

 lic schools entitled to apportionment, ^5,836; 

 for which $721,130 was allowed, or alout $3.20 

 for each pupil. 



The Governor, in his biennial message, says: 

 " It would be well to enlarge the present high- 

 school board, consisting of three members, to five, 

 the two additional to bo selected, one by the 

 Board of Regents and one by the Normal School 

 Board. The employment of a special secretary 

 who would devote his time to the inspection and 

 improvement of the high and graded schools 

 seems to me desirable. Quite a number of graded 

 schools might rank as high schools if the apprc?- 

 priation was increased $8,000 a year. The sum 

 of $400 is allowed each high school under certain 

 conditions, and at this time the appropriation 

 only provides for 60. At least 25 additional 

 schools should receive the aid of $400." 



State Institutions of Charities and Cor- 

 rections. The following shows the expense 

 of each inmate for the year ending July 31, 1891 : 

 St. Peter's Hospital, $166; Rochester Hospital, 

 $171 ; Fergus Falls Hospital, $428; total insane, 

 $182. Soldiers' Home, $266 ; School for Deaf, 

 $199 ; School for Blind, $325 ; School for Feeble- 

 minded, $183; School for Dependents, $204; 

 Reform School, $138 ; Reformatory, $349 ; State 

 Prison, $250 ; total, $201. 



During the year all the State correctional 

 and charitable institutions were visited except 

 the St. Peter's Hospital, the Soldiers' Home, and 

 the State Reformatory. 



The Fergus Falls Hospital was found in excel- 

 lent condition. The Rochester Hospital for the 

 Insane was thoroughly inspected and found in 

 excellent condition. 



The population of the Soldiers' Home contin- 

 ues to decrease. The number of inmates in the 

 home has been as follows : Sept. 80, 1888, C2 ; 

 1889, 121 ; 1890, 118 ; 1891, 110. 



May 31, 1889, the number reached 141. This 

 number was not again reached until Feb. 28, 

 1891, when it was 144. After that time it de- 

 clined until Aug. 81, 1891, when it was 109, the 

 lowest number reported since December. 1888. 

 The finances of the home are in good condition. 

 There was a surplus of $3,865 at the beginning 

 of the fiscal year, which had increased to - 

 at the close of the year. 



The new dormitory building for the School for 

 the Deaf is progressing, but will not prolwblv b<> 

 ready fc.r occupancy before January, 1892. Tho 

 number of pupils is larger than ever. Tho 



