KANSAS. 



351 



For lands, which means farms, the Commissioner 

 has tabulated 646 transfers of property aggregating 

 over 70,000 acres at an actual selling value of $1,199,- 

 447, or $17.09 an acre, which may be taken as the 

 average value of farm lands in Kansas under culti- 

 vation. These lands, the Labor Commissioner dis- 

 covers, are assessed at $333,004, or $4.73 an acre. It 

 is further shown in this tabulation that on lands of 

 the lowest actual values the assessment is relatively 

 highest, while on lands and lots of the highest valua- 

 tions the assessment is relatively lowest. Lots are 

 ^ assessed at figures nearer their actual value. The 

 Labor Commissioner reports that on the basis of 

 these figures from 10 representative counties an 

 investment of $1,000 in farm land would pay an 

 average of $9.05 in taxes, while an investment of 

 $1,000 in lots would pay $18.78. But there are 

 great inequalities in valuations of lots also, proper- 

 ties worth less than $250 being valued sometimes 

 at three or four times their market value, while 

 those whose actual value is $5,000 and over are 

 assessed at less than half their value in many in- 

 stances. There are like differences in the valua- 

 tions of other property. Some of the anomalies of 

 the county returns are given as follows : " Rawlins 

 County is absolutely devoid of silver plate or jew- 

 elry. Stevens County returns, under the head of 

 moneys, but $20. Seward County has no bonds of 

 any sort, no stocks, no national bank shares, no 

 moneys, no credits, but has a piano for every $10,000 

 of its taxable personal property. Cattle compose 

 two thirds of its taxable property. Haskell County 

 has the smallest amount of taxable personal prop- 

 erty. It is valued for taxable purposes at $7,548. 

 There are three gold watches in the county, valued 

 at $5 each, and five silver watches, valued at $3 

 each. There is not a piano >r musical instrument 

 in the county. There are 20 pleasure carriages or 

 vehicles, 35 wagons, and 82 farm implements." 



In regard to assessment of industries the exam- 

 ples below are given : " In 15 reports from coal- 

 mine operators, both the capital invested and the 

 assessed valuation is given, the amount of capital 

 invested being $1,908,089 and the amount of as- 

 sessed valuation is $251,145, or, in other words, this 

 industry pays taxes on 13.1 per cent, of its capital 

 invested, a basis of assessment 86.9 per cent, less 

 than the requirements of the law. 



" In four reports from packing houses, the amount 

 of capital is $9,667,202, and the amount of assessed 

 valuation is $581,075, or, in other words, this in- 

 dustry pays taxes on 6 per cent, of its capital in- 

 vested a basis of 94 per cent, less than that con- 

 templated by law." 



Military. The Governor was authorized to use 

 his own judgment in organizing the State's quota 

 of troops for the war. He decided not to send the 

 militia as organized, a measure that caused much 

 dissatisfaction. The captains of companies were 

 directed to send all military equipments belonging 

 to the Federal Government to the office of the 

 Adjutant-General for the use of the volunteers, and 

 recruiting offices were opened in the larger cities 

 and towns. The number of volunteers sent was 

 about 4,750. It was stated, Aug. 30. that 17 of these 

 had died, all of disease. All the regiments but one 

 had been in service about four months. About 600 

 of the volunteers are said to have been school- 

 teachers. 



Public Lands. The Labor Commissioner finds 

 that there are 2,485,319 acres of unoccupied land 

 for sale or subject to homestead in Kansas. Of this 

 1,044,503 acres are Government land, and 1,221,558 

 acres are of Pacific Railroad land grants. There are 

 193,025 acres of school lands, and 26,235 acres of 

 grants to the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe still 

 untaken. 



WILLIAM E. STANLEY, 

 GOVERNOR OF KANSAS. 



Education. The biennial report of the Superin- 

 tendent gives the following data: There are 9,100 

 organized districts in the State. This is 49 fewer 

 than last year. Several of the western districts 

 have been consolidated by act of the Legislature. 

 The number of districts maintaining schools is 

 8,875. The total number of pupils actually en- 

 rolled in the State the past year was 370,240 ; last 

 year the number was 367,690. The average daily 

 attendance this year has been 256,934 ; last year it 

 was 254,002. The number of teachers employed 

 this year is 12,513 ; last year, 11,616. The report 

 shows a slight decrease in the salaries. This year 

 male teachers aver- 

 age $39.03 a month, 

 against $39.26 in 

 1897. The aver- 

 age monthly salary 

 of female teachers 

 the past year was 

 $32.01; last year it 

 was $34.29. In 1898 

 110 school build- 

 ings and rooms 

 were built. The 

 total expenditures 

 for school purposes 

 during the ' year 

 amounted to $4,- 

 542,445; last year 

 the amount was 

 $4,407,446. 



The State Nor- 

 mal School at Em- 

 poria graduated in 

 June the largest 

 class in its history. 

 Four completed the post-graduate course for the de- 

 gree of bachelor of pedagogy, 24 the Latin course, 8 

 the English course, 74 the elementary, and 16 the 

 academic course. The Normal School at Salina 

 graduated 17 in August. 



The Nickerson Normal College opened in August 

 with an attendance of 74, which had increased to 

 114 when the building was dedicated Oct. 1. 



The State University held its twenty-sixth annual 

 commencement June 8, with 190 graduates in all de- 

 partments. The number of students by the latest 

 catalogue was 1,062, and of instructors 57. Of the 

 students there were in the school of law 172, in the 

 school of fine arts 162, in the school of pharmacy 

 61, and in the school of engineering 95. While the 

 enrollment of students has increased 150 per cent, 

 in eight years, the annual appropriations have in- 

 creased 15 per cent. The boiler room of the uni- 

 versity engine house was struck by lightning March 

 22, and the result was the destruction of the engine 

 house and electrical engineering machine shops. 

 The loss was about $28,000, and there was no in- 

 surance. Mr. G. A. Fowler gave $18,000 for a new 

 building, and various citizens made up a loan of 

 $30,000 for its equipment. 



Baker University, at Baldwin, the first college 

 founded in Kansas, celebrated its fortieth anniver- 

 sary May 30. 



Garfield University, at Wichita, was sold for 

 $50,000 in March to J. M. Davis, of St. Louis, who 

 gave it to the Society of Friends, and it was opened 

 in September as the "Friends' University," with 

 about 12 instructors. 



At the commencement of Bethany College, at 

 Lindsborg, in May, a thanksgiving service was 

 held, commemorating the paying off of the mort- 

 gage on May 7, when the subscription committee 

 paid the Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Com- 

 pany $20,000, and thereby availed themselves of a 

 voluntary reduction of a similar amount by the 



