452 



MICHIGAN. 



The receipts from all sources by classes of jnsti- 

 tutions were as follows : Soldiers' Home, $81,250.35 ; 

 Home for Feeble-Minded, $82,648.43; educational 

 asylums, $162,216.71 ; insane, $800,890.40 : educa- 

 tional, $858,472.92; reformatory, $451,146.35; mis- 

 cellaneous, $422,293.21 ; total, $2,864,912.37. The 

 insane asylums, of course, received considerable 

 suras for the care of private patients. 



The following shows the total disbursements by 

 classes of institutions : Soldiers' Home, $99,765.01 ; 

 Home for Feeble-Minded, $85,828.60; educational 



Education. The 7,917 schools of the State cost 

 $6,378,706.78 during the last fiscal year, and the 

 wages of the 15,601 teachers reached the total of 

 $4,050,832.82. The number of pupils enrolled is 

 reported at 491,812. The total Primary School fund 

 on which the State paid 7 per cent, interest for the 

 last fiscal year was $3,817,170.75 ; the total fund on 

 which 5 per cent, interest is paid was $829,069.38 ; 

 the total of both funds was $4,646,240.13. The 

 total income for the year for the use of the primary 

 schools was $1,017,871.98. 



The University fund on which the State pays 

 interest is $529,6*21.59; total income for year, $38,- 

 507.81. The amount of the Agricultural College 

 fund on which the State pays interest is $569,951.82 ; 

 received from United States Government, $22,000; 

 total income, $65,880.75. 



The amount of the Normal School fund on which 

 the State pays interest is $65,945.12 ; total income, 

 $4,203.66. The amount paid male teachers was 

 $1,051,380.29; average monthly salary. $45.65 ; paid 

 female teachers, $2,992,971.58; average monthly 

 salary, $34.95. 



The bill for uniform text-books which was made 

 a law by the Legislature in 1897, on condition of 

 its acceptance by the districts, was rejected by 98 

 per cent, of them. 



A class of 29 was graduated *at the State Agri- 

 cultural College in June. By Sept. 16 the students 

 enrolled numbered 389. A new building for woman 

 students is to be erected at a cost not exceeding 

 $75,000. 



Charities and Corrections. The report of the 

 State board says that insanity has increased in an 

 alarming ratio, but in the last decade the cost per 

 patient per week has been reduced 28 cents per 

 week, without imparing the efficiency of the asy- 

 lums. There are 3,600 patients. 



The report makes a strong plea for an indetermi- 

 nate-sentence law. The parole law is satisfactory, 

 but scores of convicts are turned loose each year 

 before they are ready to take up the duties of civil 

 life again. The law of 1885 was declared unconsti- 

 tutional. The State House of Correction has ceased 

 to be a reformatory, as at first intended, all classes 

 of criminals being sentenced there now. 



On June 30 last, the population of Jackson prison 

 was 852. Of this number, 596 were employed at 

 productive labor, while 256 prisoners were employed 

 at non-productive labor or were idle or sick. Both 

 the contract and State account systems of employ- 

 ing convicts are in force. The total receipts of the 

 prison, including $6,000 received from the State 

 Treasurer, were $118,019.54, and the total expendi- 

 tures $115,475.37. The individual convicts have a 

 credit of cash on hand of $i:!..">.V.:;'.i. 



Marquette prison is reported with a population of 

 800. The remunerative industries are carried on 

 under the contract system, 110 convicts being em- 

 ployed in the manufacture of cigars, for which the 

 State receives 42 cents per day for each convict. 



At the Detroit House of Correction there were 689 

 prisoners at the date of the inspection, of whom 74 



were females. All industries here are carried on 

 under what is known as the State-account system. 

 The manufacture of brushes is now the principal 

 industry, the chair industry having proved "unre- 

 munerative. Last year the earnings of the institu- 

 tion exceeded the expenditures by $17,277.67. The 

 population of the State House of Correction and re- 

 formatory at Ionia, Oct. 1, was 460. of which num- 

 ber 327 were employed in industrial and remunera- 

 tive labor, 106 on unproductive labor, and 27 weiv 

 either idle or sick. Three systems of labor con- 

 tract, State-account, and piecework are carried on. 

 The only industry under the piece system is the 

 caning of chair seats, and this is about to be dis- 

 continued. The receipts last year were $73,042.2.~>, 

 and the disbursements $112,082.98. 



The total number of prosecutions brought in the 

 State in the year was 19,495; convictions, 14,871. 



Military. The expenditures of the State in con- 

 nection with the war were $506,630.83. Michigan 

 furnished 6,438 officers and men for the army, and 

 275 officers and men for the naval reserve. All but. 

 $49,077 of the sum used was expended in the State. 



The report of the State Grand Army of the Re- 

 public for 1897 shows that there are 379 posts in 

 good standing in the department, with 15,726 mem- 

 bers; 6 posts with a membership of 116 failed to 

 report ; 2,984 members are on the suspended list, 

 being a reduction of over 700 from the previous year : 

 8 posts have been organized ; 6 posts have been dis- 

 banded ; 640 new members have been mustered ; 71 1 

 members have been reinstated ; 109 have been hon- 

 orably discharged ; 338 have died. The sum of 

 $30,442.63 has been paid into the various post funds ; 

 $19,990.99 has been expended for relief and general 

 expenses; $11,823.96 is the cash balance. 



Railroads. From the Railroad Commissioner's 

 report it is learned that there has been a net increase 

 ot 15 per cent, over the business of the year pre- 

 vious. The year has seen marked improvement in 

 roadbeds, equipment, and accommodations for the 

 public, the increased earnings having in most cases 

 been devoted to the betterment of properties and 

 facilities. 



With the increase of wages a large number of 

 men have found employment at better pay, and 

 through freight rates nave been reduced by compe- 

 tition. 



The total mileage in the State is now 7,816.5;! 

 miles of main track and 2,198.40 miles of side-track-! 

 and spurs, a total of 10,018.95 miles, an increase dur- 

 ing the year of 200 miles. 



There has been a decrease in the number of acci- 

 dents, and the commissioner recommends that it l> - 

 made a misdemeanor for persons to trespass on th 

 tracks of companies, in order that accidents may l> 

 made less frequent. 



The railroads carried 9,802,491 passengers withi; 

 this State during the year, and of this number only 

 3 were killed and 6 injured, while 31 employees were 

 killed and 259 injured. One hundred and six other 

 persons, principally trespassers upon tracks ani 

 trains, were killed and 79 injured. 



Taxes were computed last year under the Merr:- 

 man law, which amends the general railroad law, 

 and the computations showed a net increase of $203,- 

 075.86 over the previous year, the total being $943,- 

 013.36. In order to make this showing the depar - 

 ment included in the assessment all earnings from 

 switching charges, and rentals of tracks and termi- 

 nals, this ruling increasing the State's revenue l>y 

 $14,327.53. It^also ruled that the new law repealed 

 the law of 1891 exempting railroads north of the 44th 

 parallel from taxation, thus increasing the re ven to 

 by $16,086.44. The assessment under the new law 

 of all companies having special charters further in- 

 creased the revenue by $31,160.90. By ruling that 



