420 



MARYLAND. 



Education. The scliool population in 1897 was 

 51,178: the number of pupils registered was39,841j 

 the number of teachers was 1,197, of whom 601 were 

 male and 506 female : the number of organized 

 school districts was 1,018: the average teacher's 

 salaries in towns and cities was $533, and in rural 

 districts $484. The total receipts of the education 

 department was $825.774, and expenditures $805,- 

 417. The school assets of the province were $1,754,- 

 875, and the liabilities $1.018.568. 



Winnipeg. The city of Winnipeg, which is the 

 center of provincial life and activity, showed pro- 

 nounced evidence of progress during the year. 

 .Mure than $1.300.000 was spent in new buildings, 

 and these in detail illustrate the activity of busi- 

 ness. Me>sr>. Gordon and Ironsides did not erect 

 their expensive ulmltoir in anticipation of a cattle 

 trade to be brought into existence in the future; 

 the reality was already there. 



The abattoir was opened on Sept. 1, with great 

 ceremony. It was built at a cost of $100,000, with 

 a daily 'capacity of 400 cattle, 500 pigs, and 500 

 sheep. 



The elevators, factories, wholesale warehouses, 

 and fine retail and office blocks that have been built 

 are further proof of progress. So with the new 

 schoolhouses, for which the ratepayers are expend- 

 ing large sums. 



MARYLAND, a Middle Atlantic State, one of 

 the original thirteen, ratified the Constitution April 

 28, 1788 ; area, 12,210 square miles. The population, 

 according to each decennial census, was 317.728 in 

 1790; 341,548 in 1800; 380.546 in 1810; 407,350 in 

 1820; 447.040 in 1830; 470,019 in 1840; 583.034 in 

 1850; 687,049 in 1860; 780,894 in 1870; 934,945 in 

 1880 ; and 1,042,390 in 1890. Capital, Annapolis. 



Government. The following were the State offi- 

 cers during the year : Governor, Lloyd Lowndes : 

 Secretary of State, Richard 

 Dallam ; Comptroller, P. L. 

 ., Goldsborough ; Treas- 

 urer, T. J. Shryock; 

 Adjutant General, 

 A. L. Wilmer; At- 

 torney-General, II. 

 M. " Claybaugh ; 

 Superintendent 

 of Education, E. 

 B. Prettyman 

 all Republicans 

 except Pretty- 

 man, Democrat; 

 Chief Judge of 

 the Court of Ap- 

 peals, James Me- 

 Sherry ; Associate 

 Judges, David Fow- 

 ler, A. Hunter Boyd, 

 Henry I'age, Charles 

 B. Roberts, John P. 

 Briseoe, W. Shepard 

 Bryan, and James A. 

 Pearoe; Clerk. Allan Rutherford all Democrats 

 except Rutherford, Republican. 



Finances. Accordingto the report of the Comp- 

 troller to (lie General A>sembly in 1898 for the fis- 

 cal year ending Sept. 30, 1895, the balance in the 

 treasury was $704,568.19; for the fi><-;il year ending 

 in 1896 the total receipts were $3,156.875.64; total 

 available cash for 1896, $3,861,443.8:!; total dis- 

 bursements, $2,946,401.67; leaving balance in the 

 treasury on Sept, 30, 1896, of $916,042.76; receipts 

 into the treasury for fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 

 1897, $2,772,055.40; total available cash for the fis- 

 cal year of 1897, $3.688.098.16; total disbursements 

 tr same year, $3,980.069.08; leaving balance in 

 treasury on Sept. 30, 1897, of $707,138.58. 



I.UIYD LOWNDES, 

 OOVKKNOIl OP MARYLAND. 



The receipts for the free-school fund were $66,- 

 259.14, which, added to the balance on hand Sept. 

 30. 1896 ? of $2,000, made $68,259.14, a loss of $3,796.- 

 22 as compared with 1696. 



The total receipts for the sinking fund were $627,- 

 404.18, all of which was invested in Maryland 3.65s, 

 the par value of which was $613,475. There was 

 sold during the year from stocks and bonds belong- 

 ing to the sinking funds $74,000 of Frederick City 

 4-per-cent. bonds and $161,000 of Baltimore City 

 stocks, aggregating the par value of $235,000, 

 which, deducted from the par value of stocks pur- 

 chased, left $378,475 as the net paramount invested 

 for the year, this sum exceeding that of 1896 by 

 $70,775. The sinking fund for the defense redemp- 

 tion loan aggregated $3,494.245.05, as against $3,- 

 204.770.05 for the year previous, being in excess of 

 the loan by $494,245.05. The loan matures Jan. 1, 

 1899. 



The receipts for the oyster fund were $66.783.90. 

 which, added to the balance on hand in 1896, made 

 the total receipts for the fiscal year $67.270.7-5. an 

 amount largely in excess of the ordinary receipts 

 for the year previous, the increase being attributa- 

 ble almost solely to receipts from dredging licenses. 

 The disbursements were $66,761.97, leaving a bal- 

 ance of $568.76. 



Little change was made in the productive assets 

 of the State, which aggregated $3,430.584.14. against 

 $3,605,249.99 in 1896. The unproductive stock 

 amounted to $8,129,626.99. 



The State debt at the close of the fiscal year of 

 1897 aggregated $9,284,986.24. Deducting the pro- 

 ductive assets of the State, as well as stocks and 

 bonds to the credit of the sinking funds at their 

 par value of $6,335,908.11, left as the net debt of 

 the State on Sept. 30, 1897, $2,949,078.13, as against 

 $3.338.553.13 for the previous year, or a net reduc- 

 tion of $389,475 for the year. 



The assessed value of property for State purposes 

 under the new assessment was $607,965.272. an in- 

 crease of $67,503,525 over that of 1896. The in- 

 creased basis in 1897 produced a corresponding 

 increase in the amount of levy, the same being 

 $1,079.138.27, or an excess over the previous year of 

 $119,818.74. This increase was beneficial only for 

 the purposes designated in the State levy, namely, 

 schools, free books, and loans, and could not affect 

 the revenues for ordinary expenses. One of the 

 provisions in the new assessment law is the levy- 

 ing of a tax of ^ of 1 per cent, on the income of 

 mortgages, three fourths of such tax going to the 

 counties in which the mortgages are to be recorded, 

 and the remaining fourth going to the State. The 

 provisions of this law increasing the franchise tax 

 upon the gross receipts of all railroad companies 

 whose roads are worked by steam, as well as upon 

 other companies, have largely increased the revenue 

 from this source, the sum of $171,140.05 having been 

 received during the year. 



The receipts from the public-school tax were 

 $678,447 44 ; disbursements, $496.224.69. The re- 

 ceipts for free school books for the year aggregated 

 $115,552.14; the disbursements, $150.000, being the 

 amount appropriated by law, regardless of what 

 sum may be received from the levy of 2 cents, set 

 apart for this purpose. The failure of the Legisla- 

 ture to provide a sutlicient tax rate to meet this 

 appropriation had produced in two years the deficit 

 of $120,818.08. 



The revenue from the clerks of courts amounted 

 to $937,572.96; deducting from this amount tin- 

 sums due Baltimore city from the sale of high liquor 

 licenses, being three fourths thereof, together with 

 the sums due the oyster fund, aggregating $477.- 

 023.84, left the sum of $460,549.12 applicable for 

 the ordinary expenses of the State government. 



