Morning journal and courier., 1885-01-09

State as avails of the military communication l tax ninety-seven thousand three hun | dred and ninety-two dollars and twenty | cents (S97, ,392. 20).
 1 It will be seen therefore that the ordinary 1 military expenses exceeded the income from the communication tax to the extent only of nine thousand and twenty-six dollars and sixty seven cents.
 Armories are in process of construction, and nearly finished, in Bridgeport and New London. A site for another in Norwalk has been purchased but no further step towards it's construction has been taken Of the two hundred thousand dollars appropriated in 1882 for the building of armories the amount remaining upon the completion of the work in progress at Bridgeport and New Lon don will be about thirty thousand dollars
 Legislation is needed in regard to the care of armories, and it is possible that an exami- nation of the reports just mentioned may suggest to you the advisability of taking ac- ton on other subjects.
 EDUCATION
 The number of our public schools is six teen hundred and thirty nine, and the num- Der of children between the ages of four and sixteen years shown by the enumeration of January, 1884, was one hundred and fifty thousand six hundred and one, being 8 small increase over the number enumerated in 1883.
  schools, not including expenses of the Nor nal school during the past year was enc million seven hundred and seventy-seven thousand two hundred and seyenty-seven dollars (Si, ,777,271, Of which amount the sum of one million one hundred and thirty thousand eight hundred and sixty-thrce dol lars (51, 130, ,S63) was paid to teachers.
 Of the whole expenditure one hundred and twelve thousand nine hundred and fifty dol :ars and seventy-fve cents (Sl12, 9o0. I3} came from revenue of the school fund; two hun dred and twenty-eigilt thousand nine hun fred and twenty-six dollars and fifty cents (S22S, 92G. 50} from the treasury of the State: forty-two thousand and eighty-nine dollars and six cents (S42 ,089. .06) from income of town deposit funds; eight hundled and ten thousand two hundred and fifty three dollars and ninety-three cents (SS10, 253. .93) from town taxes; four hundred and eighty-four thousand three hundred and forty-three dol lars and fifty-five cents (S454, }43. 55) from district taxes, and the rest from other sources.
 The principal of the school fund on the thirtieth day of November, 1881, was two millions and seventeen thousand one hundred and ffty-eight dollars and seventy-four cents (S2, or, 158. 74) and it's income during the year ending on that date was one hun ared and twenty-seven thousand and forty nine dollars and forty seven cents (S121: 0f9.- ID. Appropriations were made by the General Assembly in 1883 and 1884 towards satisfying deficiencies which had resulted to the fund from depreciation in real estate ac- ,luired by the foreclosure of old mortgages. The whole of the depreciation is not yet made up.
 The Normal school is improving. Its number of pupils on the Both day of No vember, 1881, was one hundred and sixty | four.
 The common schools throughout the State, on the whole, are making satisfactory prog | eess. A few of them, however, from spe- ;ial and local causes, are deteriorating. The | report of the Board of Education will ex- | plain those causes and proper remedies for l ,hem.
 More efficient means than those now exist ng should be provided for bringing into the schools a class of children who, without | good reason, are permitted to stay away | rom them in idleness during considerable | 1art of the year.