Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1851-02-07
WHOLE No, 100.
Report of ti,c superintendent OF
~ Public Instruction, ......

Report of ti,c superintendent OF
/ rs Pubiic Instruction. a..rsa
I This document, We fear, has been pub
lished too late in the legislative session
to insure proper attention 10 the views
and recommendations of the able Super.
ntendent. We extract some statistical
information for the benefit of our read
Eers.
Normal Schools for The, Education
Of 1eachers.-Of the three the act of
ls49 directed to be established, but one
has gone into operation, and is located at
Andrew in the county of Jackson. ..-
Deaf, Dumb and Bind.--Since the
last report 500 of the appropriation of
$3.50 made for the instruction of these
unfortunate beings, has been expended
in the manner directed. Eleven persons
only have been the recipients of this
State bounty. Each applicant is res,ric-
ted to $50 per annum, and this privilege
only extends 10 two years. The sug.
gesiluns of the Superintendent, under
this head of his repor! ale very enlight-
ened and humane, and we trus, our Leg
islature may find time for their conside-
ration.
FIVE Per CENT Fem Amount re-
ceived for ls47, SiG,442 O5; for Is4s.
&c. los so; for ls49, 5,7os A. The
last amount has been apportioned for the
fpresent year. To Des Moines 1892 10.
The report adds: ......- ..
at is proper 10 state that the introduc.
ticn OF military bounty land warrants
has greatly decreased the annual divi-
dends of this fund. We are only al.
lowed the percent on the cash entries.
School Lands and School Fund
FOf the 100000 acre grant, 373,35 a.
cres have been selected and %, ,654 acres
sold. Amount paid for selection s3,-
400. ...u-.... ........ ..... ........ T.. .....
Here follows gratifying statement of
the fund We may hope to realize for ed
ucational purposes: aa. hra.a ~.
"The Commissioner of the General
Land Office, in his report Of November
80, lS4S, estimates the area Of the State
at 80, ,5S4,960 acres, which would give
US for the 18th section grant 9O5, 1877
acres. 1t is believed, however, tina, The
area, when ascertained by actual survey,
will exceed the estimate. think then
that we may fix our estimate of this
grant at 100000 Of acres. Add to
this the grant received under the act of
Congress of September 4, 1871, and we
have. 100000 acres donated to the
State for the support Of schools. which
at 81 20 per acre will give us $l,s75,-
600. The five per cent fund for three
years past averages a little over SIO,-
1000 per annum, which will in few
years increase the amount to $4,000
600. do not mean 10 indicate by the
above statement that our school lands
ought not to average more than 81 %
per acre. On the contrary, am convin-
ced that with proper management we
can raise the grand total of the school
funt, TO 50, 100000.
Interes! OF the school fund: .----
"The interest Of the school fand, ap-
portioned in January ls49, amounted 10
S6,375 25. and in January 1850, sl7,-
G27 SO. The total amour, of the fund
now at interest is about S279,O6O O7.-
1t would appear then that we may safely
count on the sum of $4,000 for the APP
poriionment in January ISL
We perceive then, that the total a.
mount of the apportionment this year
will be about s3O,7Os, against the las,
years apportionment of S26,l32, there
being decrease of $3,397. of the five
per cent fund, and an increase OF 81 .973,
of the Interest Fund.
The report is dated Dec. 2, 1850, and
consequently does not give the final ap-
poriionment for the year 1851. II will
be made, according TO law, during the