The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1879-01-23

spective reports of the Trustees an
Superintendent are well worthy of
! careful perusrl.
In addition to the necessary apprOpri
: alton for current expenses, the sum Q
$50. OOO is asked for to erect public build
: ings. The necessity for such an apprO
: priation is very clearly and forcibly pre-
sented by the Superintendent in his re
J port. to which ! respectfully direct you
attention, and / will only add that
} personal inspection of the institution
will fully vindicate the Superintendent
in his earnest appeals for additions
room.
OF the 800 inmates under treatmen
at the Blind Asylum during the biennia
period ending June 80, 1873, at the asy
lum located near Ossawatomie, SO hav'
been discharged, restored; 20 improved
II unimprOved, 8 escaped, was not in
sane, 80 have died-leaving 230 inmates
in the institution at the close of the fis
cal year ending June 80, 1878.
| Invite your attention to the report
of the trustees and officers Of this in
stitution. From this report it will bt
seen that the most pressing demand OF
/
The fact that at the close Of the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1873, 164 person.
were. for want Of room, excluded from
the State Asylum, coupled with the die
tates of humanity, the safety Of society
and the welfare OF this unfortunate and
helpless class Of our citizens, makes il
an imperative duty to provide the nee
essary means to increase and utilize the
capacity of the asylum to meet this de-
mand.
There has already been appropriated
various sums, amounting in; the aggre-
gate to $10s, 1925, for the purpose of
erecting, near the city of Topeka, an
additional asylum for the insane. This
asylum, as will be seen by the report OF
the trustees, is about completed, and it
is only necessary, in order that it should
be used for the purpose for which it was
created, that the necessary funds be APP
prOpriated to enable the trustees to fur
nish this asylum and dafray the current
expenses.
The report of the Superintendent of
Public instruction is one of our most
valuable and important documents. OF
all the reports issued from this depart
ment. none has so completely covered
all our educational interests, or will be
SO valuable to the State aud its citizens.
As the one just published for the school
years ending July 81, 1917, and July 81,
1873. BY this report it will be observ-
ed that the total number Of school dis
tricts in the State is 5,l36, being an ill.,
crease, since last report, of 271. Num-
Der of school houses in the State, 1920 !:
increase, since last report, 1863. Value
of school property, s., 527 ,227 increase
since last report, S250, 1856, Whole num-
Der of persons between the ages Of five
and twenty-one years, 266 ,575; increase
since last report, 33,701. Number of
teachers employed, $3.50, of which {, 1861
are males and 3,49S are females.
The permanent school fund, at the
close Of the fiscal year, June 30, 1875,
amounted to 81, 449, 223.S7. No State in
the Union, in proportion to the age and
population of Kansas, possesses per-
manent school fund so large and it
must be remembered that to this sum
will be added, from time to time, the
receipts from the sales of the very large
body of school lands still undispOsed
of.
Our public schools arc the pride of
the State. and should, as have no doubt
they will be by you, sacredly guarded
and maintained
The biennial report of the regents of
the State Normal school accompanied by
a supplemental report is transmitted
herewith. II presents full statement
of the successes, embarrassments. re-
verses and misfortuncs that have attend
ed this institution since theirla report.
and from it will be seen that on the
night of the Goth of October. 1873. the
Normal School buildings. with all their
were destroyed by fire. The
practical question now to be determined
is, what shall be done to retrieve this
misfortune to the educational interests |
of the State?..
BY an act of the Legislature. approx
ed March 3, 1868, this institution was es-
tablished and permanently located at
Emporia, upon condition that tract of |
land, not less than twenty acres, ada |
cent to the town of Emporia, should be
donated and secured to the State in fee
simple.
To meet these conditions, the citizens |
Of Emporia promptly donated to the
State the tract of valuable land upon
which the Normal School buildings were |
erected: and in addition to |
This. from time to time contributed lib
orally of their means to add to the sue
cess of the institution. But. independ-
ent of these facts, which. it seems 10
ne, should have some weight in deter
mining this question, a thoroughly Or
ganized and well conducted Normal
school is absolutely necessary to insure
he greatest success to our common
school system of education. The sue
'ess of the common schools is measured
~ the qualifications of the teachers.
Therefore it is important that those de-
'iring TO teach should be provided by
he State with the opportunity of at
aiming the highest grade of qualtfica-
ion. Hence the necessity of well con-
lucted institution of this class.
therefore recommend that an appro-
,riation be made to rebuild and restore
o our educational system the Normal
school at Emporia.
The State University. as shown by the
eports. is in flourishing condition and
o insure its continued success. its in
erests should be carefully guarded. and
UGH aid and encouragement extended {
o il as will insure the maximum of eff ,
icncy i'm all its departments. {
The total receipts of the University (
rom January l, 1877. TO June 80, 1873.
5 exhibited in the report. amount TO {
1851 81; while the expenditures dur {
ne the same period amount to SAT. 064.- J
! leaving balance on hand. June &c. I
s1S, of S1S1.03. The estimate required q
pr the fiscal year closing June 80. 1880.
! 1850. and for the fiscal year closing {
me 30. 1881. $4,000.
Having received no repor. from the c
agricultural College, | can only say that a
derived from recent visit I
, that institution leads me to believe t
nat ii is making satisfactory progress a
its various departments, and is e
-edit TO the State. {
The State Board of Agriculture con- ;
nues to do wonderful work for o
.ansas. Its reports, so full of valuable j
nd reliable information relating to our s
tate, are not highly esteemed by our a
tizens, but are eagerly sought after by p
,ople of other States and countries de- II
ring TO obtain correct information Il
,out Kansas. This department should $
, literally sustained by the State, and
'er, necessary provision should be Il
AIDE to increase its efficiency and use $
lness. II is TO this department that o
e are indebted for the statistics show n
g that Kansas has sprung from the II
in rank among the States a
the production of wheat in 1866. 10 81
81 in rank in 1873. prod1, ing. as she y!
d. over 81 ,0u0. 900 of bushels. while IN
e production of corn, Kansas rises pl