The Worthington advance., 1879-01-16

uuoi report OF 6t0te Qsh commissioners showing
both III increased number OF fish distributed and ip-
cr ased facilities for Matching and handling the larger
stock for 1879 The report sets forth the labors and
prospects Of the enterprise to which your attention
il requested.
These several institutions and State interests In .d
dlton to their current maintenance request sppro-
priatlons for various purposes specified to which
your cordial consideration is respectfully solicited.
The Soldiers Orphans Home at Winona was closed
on the 10th of Nay last tho number Of inmates hay
ing been SO reduced by discharges a. to render its
further continuance unnecessary. The board of
trustees still retains ten OF the orphans in charge to
become self-supporting, and live of whom are pur
suing their studies in the State university. The un
expended balance Of the last appropriation will it il
thought, be amply sufficient for ali needs OF these
wards Of the State. A total number Of about l5U
orphans we're provided for at the Home during tia
continuance, and now that the work is virtually
work accomplished.
DEPARTMENT REPORTS.
1direct your attention with pleasure to the practi.
cal suggestions aud the detailed and ample infcrms,
ton pertaining to their respective departments which
will be found in the reports Of the secretary CT state
attorney general, insurance commissioner, state
librarian, adutant general aud secretary of the State
Historical society," AL these reports embrace inter-
estins statements relative to public interests and
bear witness to the faithful performance Of the du
Ties assigned the officers named.
STATISTICS.
From the report Of the commissioners OF statistics
It will be that the total number of farms In the
State is reported at 816 covering total titled area
of 1854 acres. Nine years progress in agricul
tural development may be seen by comparing these
~n similar returns ta f9r 1852 when the number Of
The area in wheat the past year reported at 254
344 acres, upon which the growing grain gave such
extraordinary promise until near maturity as justi-
fed an estimate Of 47,oooOOo bushels as tho wheat
yield for 1915. Unfortunately at the critical ripen-
ing period alienation Sutry and
blazing heat shrivelled the kernel to such extent
| IS to destroy half the crop III both quantity and
the State. In twothirds of the wheat area lying in
the southern portion of the State tho yield is est.
mated at ten bushels and in the remainder thirteen
bushels per acre, making total product of about
25 50@o, 900 bushels.
The crop OF oats exceeded ell average yield, being
estimated at Ii, ,8ooUU bushels, while the product Of
corn was the largest and best kso iii the State,
approximating To 13,'SA.JDU bushels. The report
SHOWS gratifying lucra: In the clllture Of what is
known as the "A1innesoia Early Amuer sugar cane
giving promise Of valuable results. The syrup pro-
u.ced LII 1877 was reported at $50 gallons which,
with al enlarged gro~t. Of the cane, will be found
to be greatly exceeded by the product of the past
year Striking evidence Of the expanding theatre OF
agriculture in this State is found In the transactions
OF the several United States land Offices and the
| OF State and railroad lands during the past year,
which reach grand aggregate Of 2,3l4,246 acres,
being more than double the total quantity disposed
Of in 1871 which In it's turn, far passed any prior
year III magnitude of land transactions. This absorp
actual Settlers indicates large, permanent and de-
sirable addition to the population OF the State, which
s now estimated At about 765, ,O0o The returns Of
vital statistics give total OF 2799 births and 6599
deaths, showing both increase of the former and
decrease Of the latter and exhibiting the extraocd
nary ratio Of 3.3 births to one death.
RAILROADS.
The report Of the railrocd commissioner shows q
gratifying increase both in the extension and con.
struction of roads and increase of traffic. The
nf dad To-
IN the year 1873 was 375. making a total Of 2,60e
miles. Tho gross earnings Of roads in Minnesota
for the year ending june 80, 1878, s7,4s1, 1893
over two million dollars. The net earnings
were $2,s58,e7 against $1,s42,sse, gain OF
carried in the wos 81
| the total number of miles travelled by all being
81 gain in number of passengers of ISL 226,
l2,oouooo. The tons of grain carried were 65n 1874,
against s04 an increase Of 68 per cent The total
tons freight 2496559, against 1,77o23 the year be-
fore; gain Of A. per cent. The sales of railroad
lands in eleven months of 1878 to December 1st,
we're 300 acres, against 22s,639 in
sponding period in 1877. The revenue which the
in 1873, against sl35 1893 in 1871 increase OF
iy $50 600.
noteworthy fact touching our railroad develop
| ment is tho greatly reduced cost cf construction.
Exclusive Of rolling stock tho average cost of
standard guage Is now less than 5000 per mile,
which is about onehaf TIE prevailing cost six years
| ago.
FORESTRY.
From official reports It appears that 288l0 acres
have thus far been planted to forest trees IN our
State, Of which 1850 acres were planted the past
| year.
Although the comprehensive effor.o to clothe the
VARYING success ia s6ee achieved 10 prove It's
entire praccablity. In this result what five yen
| ago mooted question of serious import is far
determined, that the larger portion of our State is
| being transformed from treeless, uninhahitablc
areas into productive and populous plains augment
ing the prosperity Of the State and country.
| IMMIGRATION.
Pursuant to an act Of the last legislature two persons
appointed from each Congressional district to act
in conjunction with myself State Board Of Immi.
grafton The gentlemen appointed rendered inteli-
gent ana Jealous service tow rd the end contemplated
| After due consideration it was deemed that wide
and systematic dissemination Of facts touching the
advantages of our State embodied in q concise and
readable FORM afforded at once the speediest cheap
est and most effective means toward the end sought.
Accordingly the board made prompt provision tor
the publication Of pamphlet which had been care
fully prepared by its secretary, and arranged at the
same time for its wide advertisement and the publ
cation Of . summary of its contents through the
| agency of the American Newspaper Union. BY this
means SO extraordinary demand was stimulated for
Information of our State that edition OF COP.
les of the pamphlet was quickly disposed of and two
subsequent editions absorbed with equal rapid
ty making total circulation Of ooe0 copies. To-
| ward this result was enlisted the efficient Coop
| Grafton Of several OF the leading railroad COM
panies, by whom the expenses and advantages
| were shared. Owing to the depressed industries
which filed cities throughout the country with idle
| work1nen and Idle capital, it seemed advisable to
limit the small means at command of the board chiefly
| TO present effort to attract immigrants from the
several States of tho Union, but revvns home indus
try and tho circumstances strongly tending to re-
newal OF emigration from Europe render it advisable
to enlarge operations to correspond with the e1tend-
ed field to be thus presented. There is reason to be-
| leve that large edition Of our immigration pam
| phlet in the German and Scandinavian and other
languages could now be circulated to good advantage
and that renewed efforts to attract emigrants from
various countries of Europe would be well repaid.
The simple and inexpensive mode Of making widely
known the advantages we offer to persons in search
of new homes has unquestonaby lent great acceler-
| alton to that common movement from abroad which
is peopling our vast prairies and developing
board, and solicit such further support at your hands
as the importance and value Of its labors seem to
require.
| PUBLIC ExAX1NEn.
The legislature, by an act approved March II, 1878
created the Office of public examiner and defined its
duties to be the exercise of constant supervision
over the financial condition and management of the
various State institutions and county offices well
Of monied and savings associations organized
der the State laws The first report of the officer ap
rointed under this law will be laid before you, and
beApeak your candid and consideration of its
comprehensive statements and exhibits. Affurdins
does ample evidence Of the tireess labors of
conscientious officer, Of his power of exhaustive
search and clear analysis well of dangerous er.
in existing financial methods and dsccrnnent Of
practical remedies, cannot doubt you will join me
in the conviction that the pblc is to be congratulate
ed both upon the establishment of the oi:e aud the
character Of its incumbent
and delay were necessary to properly IN
| Al; o::cc demanding many aud variod quallfica-
t" vel! TO bring its provisions into practical
operation. in consequence of which but months
are embraced in the period covered by this report.
Yet i'll that brief space the examiner has gained .
c''':' i>'rsise knowledge of the different duties Inn
posed upon him and has condensed into convenient
sl,ae mass OF information of the nrlutudnous de-
tails failing under his observation Which will prove
Invaluable Els basis and guide for intelligent egts-
laion upon those subjects. Having fanfiiarzed
himself with the merits and defects OF the existing
conduct of county affairs the examiner has after
careful study and consultation with experienced Off
cials elaborated an improved plan for the more COM
ete control of taxes by guarded system of receipt
ing for their payment, to which your careful atten
tom is invited. Cogent reasons educed for his
belief that this Improvement would constitute the
groundwork for the correction of the most radical
evils in the conduct of county finances by making it
for the immediate interest of all concerned to give
more wstchfn supervision in all initiatory proceed
ings. The other views aud suggestions of this off,
Ger are worthy of careful examination, especially