Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-01-14

per cent. What state can snow III lILt
midst Of the failing times any such
prosperity as has chung TO our hills and
our Valleys Within two years not
bank has failed within West Virginia,
and the percentage of failures within
the State. with one exception, has been
smaller than that Of any State IN the
Union. Our taxes have been reason
able. and our collections have been
careful
In the department of the schools our
splendid progress is also unprecedented
i'm the work which has been done. The
irreducible school fund has been in
creased from 1872 600, in 1898, TO SSS4'-
COO i'm round numbers, in 1896, an m
crease Of S102. geo in four years. Within
this time there has been constructed
the Normal school building at Sheph-
erdstown. at a cost of 14,963.S5; the
building at Marshall College, at a cost
of S24961 80: at West Liberty, at
cost of S5.9S3.20; the addition TO the
FairmOnt school, at a cost OF Sll,5S5.S0'
and TO the colored school at Farm at
cost of $50 600.
During the four years there has been
expended $1,000 for the preparatory
branch of the University at Montgom-
cry. and $4,000 for the West Virginia
COlOred Institute at BlUeheid. Tor me
ColOred Institute at Farm. $4,000; tor
the Reform School at Pruntytown 500
zoo 90 for the schools for the deaf and
the blind at Romney, $4,000, for the
West Virginia University at Morgan
town. S117.5S1: for the State Normal
School and its branches more than a
quarter OF a million of dollars, making
a grand total of appropriation for high
or education in the State in the four
years of sos, 472.00.
IN is not alone in the higher education
OF the State the energies OF the people
have been expended within that PERIOD
but the amounts which have been well
expended I'm elementary education IN
these wears furnish us cause for gratlh-
cation and pride in our State. In that
period the total general State fund has
AGGREGATED Sl.527. i2771; to this is TO be
added the teachers fund from all other
sources which has been for the same
time s.. 555 .2O2.57. and to this must be
added for the same period the building
fund. which was S2,Si7215IO, and 10
this sum must be added the total appro-
priation for the last four years as above
give.. and We have the aggregate OF
SS.4SS.3179S. which has been expended
within four years i'm the cause OF edu-
cation within The state OF West Nlr-
ginia.
Continuing the investigation OF our
progress within the four years, we ma
chat The total value of the school houses
within the State. in 1898, was $685.
275. which I'M 1896 was increased 10
s.. 49,. l76. q gain in four years OF SloO-
eco. that our gain in total value OF all
school property shows an increase OF
more than $2j0C00 i'm the four years
that the number Of school houses within
the four years has increased from 5,l92
To- 3 .415 In 1896. an increase within that
time Of 2S3, or an average Of seventy new
school buildings erected every year.
That within the four years of this adj
minisjratiOn there has been an increase
i'm The enrolment of the schools OF
las. an increase in the average at
tendance I'm the primary schools or
6.556. an increase in the number Of
schools of AZ and an increase IN the
number teachers employed of Oh.
No state makes a better comparative
showing than ours for the past four
years.
FINANCES.
From the statement heretofore made
YOU viii see that the finances of the
State are i'm q very handsome condition.
Notwithstanding the financial depres-
sion the finances of the State have been
very carefully conserved. collections
Ia Wit n
care ana no period of the States his
tory will show her affairs in better
condition than the present The Aud
itor has been very diligent in closing
up the sherilfs' accounts The sherins
who have been behind in collections
have been looked after, and | believe
that the administration of the finances
of the State I'm both the Auditors and
Treasurer's offices has been very wise.
Every effort has been made by me TO
promote the strictest economy in all the
institutions and departments OF the
State wish however, TO call general
attention TO the matter Of general APP
preparations. As an example, the ap-
preparations az the last term OF the
LEGISLATURE were entirely inadequate
TO- uav for the printing and the binding.
do not believe that false economy IN
that department will be regarded by the
peopIe. Whilst I do not undertake to
criticise the Legislature, for / believe 1t
tried TO do what was right, still when
cousflering the question of apprOpria-
H,ns we must understand that the State
can be injured by parsimOny 10 as great
an extent as by lavish expenditure.
or
ment I'm the State under my supervis-
ion which has not diminished its ex-
Denses when YOU take into considera-
tfOu the increase in efficiency and vol
urre of work. AS | say above, the APP
preparation last year for printing. sta
tiOnary and binding was absolutely in
adequate. The amount appropriated
was based upon the work of seven or
eight years ago. within that time the
business Of the institutions OF the State
has more than doubled in volume. New
lcpartments have been added; the De-
narJment of Agriculture has grown
from n department needing $1,000 OF
printing to upwards Of $4,000 for the
two wears. The Experiment Station at
1rorga0towu requires a vast amount
of prirtirg. The Commissioner of La
bor has increased the amount of work
required by his department. The Blue
feld Colored Institution, the Second
Hospital at Spencer and the Reform
School nc Pruntytown have been added.
The Colored Institute at Farm is new
Institution. Not only have these in
stitutions been added to the list OF
state institutions demanding work in
the printing and stationery depart
ments. but the expenses have been al