UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. (!OWA.) 



panics had actual valuation of $5,200,99'. J and 

 the taxable valuation was $1,300,248. 



The war claim of $456,417.89 of Iowa against 

 the General Government was allowed, and an 

 appropriation was made by Congress this year 

 for its payment. 



Education. By the census report Iowa stood 

 second among the States and Territories in 1900 

 in respect of the percentage of persons from ten 

 to fourteen years of age able to read and write, 

 with 99.63 per cent., Nebraska standing higher 

 with 99.66. In 1890 Iowa stood first, with 99.23 

 per cent. The number of illiterates of ten years 

 and over in 1900 was 40,172. 



The school report for 1902 shows a decrease 

 in the number of children of school age, 728,810 

 in 1902 and 735,159 in 1901. The enrolment in 

 1902 was 560,173; in 1901 it was 562,662. The 

 attendance was a little larger in the later year. 

 The total amount expended in 1902 was $9,556,- 

 890; in 1901 it was $9,321,652. The attendance 

 in private schools rose from 43,715 to 49,169; the 

 enrolment in high schools was 21,692 in October, 

 with 3,083 in the graduating classes. 



Fire destroyed a wing of the main building of 

 the Agricultural College at Ames, Aug. 14, with 

 a loss of $10,000. The Legislature authorized a 

 tax of one-fifth mill for building, and a central 

 and an agricultural building are to be erected 

 the coming year. A " corn-judging school " is to 

 be held at the college Jan. 5-17, 1903. Every 

 farmer in the State is invited to be present, bring- 

 ing samples of corn and other seeds. 



On June 11 took place the forty-second annual 

 commencement of the College of Liberal Arts of 

 the State University, the thirty- seventh of the 

 Law College, and the twentieth of the College 

 of Dentistry, at which time ground was broken 

 for the new medical buildings. 



A new university, the Memorial, established 

 by the Sons of Veterans, was opened at Mason 

 City in September with an enrolment of 50. At 

 present the course is that of a military academy, 

 occupying three years and preparing for the col- 

 lege course hereafter to be established. 



Coe College, at Cedar Rapids, graduated 24 in 

 June, and Des Moines College 15. Upper Iowa 

 University, at Fayette, has received a new library 

 from Andrew Carnegie. 



Charities and Corrections. Following is the 

 report for one month, May, of the number of in- 

 mates at each of the State institutions and the 

 expenses of each: Anamosa, convicts, 417, 

 $7,014; Fort Madison, convicts, 451, $7,151; Cla- 

 rinda, insane, 1,001, $17,806; Independence, in- 

 sane, 1,088, $23,999; Mount Pleasant, insane, 

 1,067, $19,744; Council Bluffs, deaf, 196, $4,407; 

 Vinton, blind, 142, $2,526; Davenport, orphans, 

 500, $6,126; Marshalltown, veterans, 563, $7,729; 

 Glenwood, feeble-minded, 916, $11,725; Eldora, 

 reformatory, 518; $5,397; Mitchellville, reforma- 

 tory, 202, $2,726; Cherokee building, $25,232; 

 totals, 7,061, $141,588. 



The main building and the chapel of the School 

 for the Deaf, at Council Bluffs, were burned May 9. 

 The loss was estimated at $225,000. The State 

 does not insure its buildings. There was also 

 a loss of $20,000 by fire at the Anamosa Peniten- 

 tiary. 



The Board of Control has prepared figures 

 showing a large increase in the number of insane 

 in the State, county, and private institutions in 

 the past year. There has been a net increase of 

 136, not including paroles and dismissals. 



The Board of Control has established depart- 

 ments for dipsomaniacs, inebriates, and persons 

 addicted to tne excessive use of narcotics in two 



of the State hospitals, as provided for in the law 

 on that subject passed by the last General As- 

 sembly. In November 139 inebriates were con- 

 fined in two of the hospitals. 



A home for ex-convicts has been built on the 

 outskirts of Fort Dodge by Hon. L. S. Coffin on 

 his own farm. Its purpose is to receive the most 

 deserving prisoners as they are discharged from 

 the penitentiaries of the State, to place them in 

 quiet, homelike surroundings, where they can 

 regain their self-respect and efface the prison 

 taint, and finally to find for them situations where 

 they may begin life anew. 



Banks. Deposits in the 310 savings and 235 

 State banks increased almost $1,000,000 between 

 June 15 and Sept. 15. On June 18 they had de- 

 posits amounting to $133,692,464. On Sept. 15 

 they had $134,513,583 of deposits. In a period of 

 two years the deposits increased $43,400,000. 



Insurance. The number of life companies 

 transacting business in the State Jan. 1 was 128; 

 the policies in force, 382,664; the amount of in- 

 surance in force, $534,394,495. The joint-stock 

 and mutual fire-insurance companies wrote $311,- 

 695,076 in risks and paid $2,652,707 in losses. The 

 State and county mutual insurance assessment 

 associations wrote $91,253,782 in risks and paid 

 $458,362 in losses. All kinds of companies paid 

 $4,111,069 in losses. 



Railroads. The railroad mileage in 1901 was 

 9,353.90; in 1902 it was 9,614.06. Other items in 

 the two years were: Earnings, 1901, $54,764,635.- 

 95; in 1902, $59,106,191.41; expenses, 1901, $37,- 

 449,871.10; in 1902, $39,839,794.83; net earnings 

 per mile, 1901, $1,851.06; 'in 1902, $2,003.98. 

 There were 193 fatal accidents in 1902, of which 

 9 were to passengers. 



The report shows a decrease in the compensa- 

 tion to employees, considering the daily average. 

 In 1901 the average daily compensation was $1.88. 

 In 1902 this dropped to $1.82. At the same time 

 there was an increase in the aggregate of wages 

 paid and in the number of employees. 



Industries and Products. The amount of 

 coal produced in the State in 1901 was 5,578,522 

 short tons, valued at $8,016,274. 



The number of farms in the census year was 

 228,622, valued at $1,497,554,790. Of these farm 

 lands, 86 per cent, was improved, the highest 

 percentage among the States. The value of the 

 live stock was $271,844,000. In 1900 the number 

 of farms operated by owners was 148,886. 



The Dairy Commissioner's report of butter 

 shipments shows that there were 4,425.930 more 

 pounds shipped out in 1901 than in 1900, a total 

 of 89,806,645 going out. 



The rains of 1902 were more damaging to crops 

 than the drought of 1901. The value of the corn, 

 w r heat, oats, barley, rye, flax, potatoes, and hay 

 w r as estimated in December as worth $215,722,339. 

 In 1901 the estimate was $274,000,000. 



The number of creameries fell from 994 in 1900. 

 with 91,417 patrons, to 920 in 1902, with 81,532 

 patrons. 



The number of manufacturing establishments 

 in the census year was 14,819, with capital 

 amounting to $102,733,102; the value of the prod- 

 ucts was $165,000,000. 



The wooded area of the State, according to 

 the estimate of the topographer of the national 

 Geological Survey, is 7,000 square miles. 



The Prohibitory Law. The Legislature of 

 1900 enacted a law which provided that section 

 2382 should be amended by adding to the pro- 

 hibition that no one should sell the following: 



" Or solicit, take, or accept any order for the 

 purchase, sale, shipment, or delivery of any such 



