The record-union., 1898-08-09
CALIFORNIA; PROGRESS.
STATE OFFICERS, REPORTS FOR
TWO YEARS.
interesting Facts Concerning
Funds, Schools and Other I'm
portant Matters.

AS the period of another State cam
paign is approaching, and as the
masses Of the population are inter
ested in the progress of the State dur
ing the past two years, particularly
since Hawaiian annexation and other
developments in history make Califor-
MIA an interesting section of the United
States to thousands thrc ughout 'he
'world, it is interesting to notice what
progress the State has made during
the fiscal year that closed on June Both,
as We'll as during the year that closed
June 80 1897.
1t should be borne in mind that all
State officials in California make their
reports every two years, for which rea-
son the data pertaining to 1887 are new
to the public.
A 'Record-Union" reporter went to
the various heads of departments a few
days ago to ascertain what progress
was being made in the business of
preparing their biennial reports to the
Governor, but there was much diff
Guilty in getting late data, owing to the
fact that the closing of the State
Printing Office had left the question
of printing the reports in doubt and
confusion. 1t was the general opinion
that the reports cannot be printed until
the Legislature meets and passes some
sort of legislation providing for print
ing the reports. However, owing to
the courtesy of the departments Wis
ited-such of them as have made total
footings the following interesting
facts were cleaned:
The Controllers Office, of course,
shows the general flow of the revenue
current, and from the advance figures
of that report already tabulated it ap-
pears that the total receipts for the
fiscal year ending June 30, 1896, were
S7,64S, OPS. % and that the disburse-
ments were $S0SS, 1874. The total
receipts from July 1, 1897, to July J.,
1898, were $7,795, 1886, and the dis
bursements for the same period were
SIS, ,1S1, ,S63.O4. The total value of real
property for 1887 appears as S6o4, 20, :
ia; improvements, S239, ,S61 ,O2O; total
value of personal property, Sl2o,o9Z.
S75 The grand total valuation OF all
property in the State appears as 81
OS9. .Sl4, ,SS6. The tax levy for State
purposes during 1897 amounted TO a
total of s., 1888, ,95OS2, and the total
amount collected was So, ,167, ,547.06. The
figures for 1898 are not yet tabulated
on these headings.
PUBLIC INSTRUCTION.
ments in the State is that of Public In
struction, particularly since the Cali
fornia system of school maintenance
has recently attracted attention all over
the country as the most perfect eXtant.
The figures in this department are al
ready quite complete, and the tapu-
lated headings are of particular inter-
est. AS the number of school edlnces
constructed during a given era SHOWS
the amount of pioneer work, as Wen
as something about the increase OF
population it is interesting to note the
fact that ninety-two new schoolnouses
were built in 1897 and 100 during 1898.
The total amount expended IN io3i lol
sites and furniture was, in round num-
hers half a million dollars. The fol-
lowing interesting figures show the
facts concerning census children DUR
ing the periods embraced in the report:
Total census children in 1897, 34O,9oZ'
for 1858 347, $50. THIS is an increase
of | 95 per cent.
AS it is we'll known that the hlgn
schools Of the State have made great
progress during the past decade, de-
pending for their organization ana sup
port upon the votes Of citizens IN the
communities affected, 1t is interesting
to note the fact that the growth OF
high schools has been healthful, and
that in many places children have been
extended the opportunity to obtain
high school education. The growth OF
high schools in the State is thus shown
by Superintendent Black: 1899, 81;
1896 9S; 1897, 104; 1898, no.
This report shows that direct taxa
ton is popular in the local districts
that have established high schools.
There is a prospect that the growth
this year will be marked in the same
direction.
1t appears by the report that Cali
fornia still keeps up her reputation as
a State that spends money for educat-
ing children. 1t appears that the ex-
penditures have been as follows: 1896
S494, 600; 1897, 100000, and in 1898 a
total reaching nearly $780, 600.
The increase in the number of school
districts in the State Is shown by the
following tabulated statement: 1895
3.1S2; 1896, 3.243; 1897, 3,27O; 1898. 81
3O1
The total expenditures in county
taxes and State apportionment for the