760 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. (NEBRASKA.) 



schoolhouses. The whole number of teachers em- 

 ployed is 9,485, at an average monthly salary of 

 $40.08. Of the 377,009 children of school age 

 (five to twenty-one), 286,718 are enrolled, it 

 costs the State an average of $13.90 a year to 

 educate each enrolled pupil, but this amount is 

 increased to $21.82 on the basis of average at- 

 tendance. The value of district property is esti- 

 mated at $9,870,083.79. 



In apportioning the temporary school fund 

 among the counties in December, 1902, the Su- 

 perintendent had at his disposal $236,252.08, the 

 smallest amount available for several years. 

 The whole number of persons of school age in 

 tin- State being 374,304, the rate per pupil was 

 63 cents. In the May apportionment the rate 

 was $1.11, and in the previous December 84 cents. 

 The smallness of the fund is explained by Treas- 

 urer Steufer by the fact that during his term 

 $800,000 has been paid in by holders of educa- 

 tional lands, necessitating the reinvestment of 

 this money in bonds and wan-ants bearing only 

 3 per cent, interest, just half the rate on the 

 land contracts, and little or no return is to be 

 expected on many of the securities for some 

 time. 



Difficulty was experienced at the opening of the 

 school year, in September, in securing teachers, 

 the salaries not being large enough to attract 

 either men or women, who could secure more 

 profitable employment in harvesting the unusu- 

 ally bountiful crops. 



The State Superintendent urged the purchase 

 of small libraries for all lower-grade schools. 

 Hitherto none but the high schools have pos- 

 sessed them. 



The regents of the University of Nebraska de- 

 cided to adopt the Omaha Medical College as an 

 affiliated school. Students will pursue two years 

 of their medical course at Lincoln, and the re- 

 maining two at Omaha, where they will have the 

 benefit of the clinical work to be found in a city. 



But 1,500 acres of school lands remained un- 

 leased in April, 1902. 



Products and Resources. Census Bulletin 

 No. 193, published in July, 1902, gives the agri- 

 cultural statistics for the past ten years. The 

 farms of Nebraska, June 1, 1900, numbered 121,- 

 525, and were valued at $577,660,020. Of this 

 amount 15.8 per cent, represents the value of 

 buildings and 82.2 per cent, the value of land 

 and improvements other than buildings. The 

 total value of farm properties was $747,950,057. 

 The 121,525 farms reported contained 29,911,779 

 acres, or 61.6 per cent, of the area of the State, 

 of which 18,432,596 acres were improved. The 

 average size of the farms was 246.1 acres, this 

 high average being due to the large stock-farms 

 in western Nebraska. The number of farms 

 operated by owners was 76,715; by cash tenants, 

 11,599; by share tenants, 33,211. In 1900 the 

 number of dairy cows in the State w r as 512,544; 

 of other neat cattle, 2,663,699; horses, 795,318; 

 mules and asses, 55,856; sheep, 335,950; swine. 

 4,128,000. 



In 1890 3,014 manufacturing establishments 

 were enumerated, with a capital of about $37,500,- 

 000, producing $93,000,000 worth of goods at a 

 cost of $85,333,333, with a net profit of $7,715.- 

 778. In 1900 5,414 establishments, with a capital 

 of about $72,000,000, at a cost of $123,000.000. 

 produced $144.000,000, yielding a net profit of 

 about $21,000,000. 



Deputy Food Commissioner Basset issued his 

 biennial report in December. He estimated an 

 increase of 33 J per cent, in the production of 

 butter, over that of 1901. In this report the 



commissioner asked that the Legislature give 

 him control of all the foodstuffs, in order more | 

 effectually to enforce the law against food adul- 

 terations. The commission reported having is- 

 sued 436 permits since its organization, and re-.J 

 ceived $4,296 in fees. 



The University Agricultural Experiment Sta- 

 tion published a report made up from 500 replies of 

 alfalfa-raisers regarding the number of processes 

 employed, and also the care of the crop. Bottom- 

 land produced somewhat larger crops than up- 

 land, but sustained greater loss from winter kill- 

 ing. A clay subsoil was found to be no impedi- 

 ment in a large number of cases. Early sowing, 

 no use of a nurse crop, sowing broadcast with 

 subsequent harrowing, and the use of 20 pound* 

 of seed to the acre are the principal approved 

 conditions. Disking that is, going over the 

 ground with a disk harrow before growth begins, 

 or in summer immediately after cutting is bene- 

 ficial, as this process cuts the crown root and 

 stirs the soil. 



Cattle suffered severely from what is called the 

 corn-stalk disease, which was pronounced by a 

 prominent veterinarian not to be a disease, but a 

 dietetic error, in that corn-stalks when not prop- 

 erly cared for lose their nutrient qualities. 



Coal was discovered in the boring for a well, 

 in the neighborhood of Jamestown; and subse 

 quent borings led to the belief that the veil 

 underlies a large part of the country around 

 Jamestown and may be mined with profit. 



Legal Decisions. The constitutional amend- 

 ment relating to the vote to amend the Consti- 

 tution was proposed in due form by the Legis- 

 lature during the incumbency of Gov. Dietrich, 

 but was vetoed by him on the ground of the ex- 

 pense it would entail. The amendment was re- 

 vived by Secretary of State Marsh under the 

 advice of Attorney-General F. N. Prout, who de- 

 clared that since the power of initiative rested 

 with the Legislature the Governor had no power 

 over the proposed amendment, eithe^ to approve 

 or to veto. His view was supported by cita- 

 tions from the Constitution and from decisions 

 of the Supreme Court. 



On Oct. 9 the judgment of the Supreme Court. 

 written by Commissioner John H. Ames and 

 concurred in by Judge Holcomb and Judge 

 wick, restrained the School Board of District -2\ 

 of Gage County from permitting a teaeln 

 to continue the practise of reading the Bible 

 singing certain songs, and offering prayer, on 

 the ground that the exercises were sectarian and 

 forbidden by the Constitution. Attorney E. < 

 Kretsinger, representing the School Board, tile 

 a motion for a rehearing, and received permi 

 to submit his brief in support of it by Dee. -JO. 

 The decision of the court attracted attention 

 throughout the United States. 



One of the hardest fought legal battles bewail 

 June 8, when the Supreme Court was taking 

 timony on the application of the Bee Building 

 Company of Omaha for a writ of mandaitm- to 

 compel the State Board of Equali/ation to assess 

 railroad franchises separate and apart from tan- 

 gible property, and thereby increase the la\e- ot 

 the railroads above the amount fixed at the 

 spring meeting of the board. The defense ot 1 In- 

 board was that it had assessed franchises; the 

 attorneys for the railroads concurrently maintain- 

 ing that, as the courts had failed to define a 

 franchise, the action of the board in taking into 

 consideration earnings and the fact that the lint 

 were in active operation constituted the ta\ii 

 of franchises. The court denied the application 



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