The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1900-09-26

I
n. been fulnlled. Vim briefly indi-
cate:
| Eaneation.
The greatest achievement, IN my
opinion. 81 the Ret4 ttan alministra-.
tion. has been the creation, building up
and conservation Of the states perma-
nent school fund and the development
Of our educational facilities made pos
sible thereby.
To-day Minnesota has permanent
school fund amounting to $13, 294. O16. 4S,
and permanent university fund Of
81. 4oa. o7o.14, all of which Is invested
either In United States bonds. the
bonds OF other states, loaned to school
districts. towns, counties, cities and
villages in our OWN state. and In land
contracts. The school fund OF Minne-
| sofa is the largest OF any state in the
Union, and will ultimately reach $780,
900, 900. We have 325, 766 school chill
dren In Minnesota, and, owing to the
L
fund, supplemented by the 1-mill gen.
eral school tax, there was distributed
by the state In aid Of the public schools
for the year 1900, the. sum OF $780,
1862, or 1888 per capita. That is to
say. the state was in q position to give
and did give the sum OF $3.sS for each
one Of the 325.7ss pupils.
During the past forty years the state
a 70
investments Of the permanent school
fund has amounted In the aggregate to
81. 20S, 946. &c. In educational matters
Minnesota is the third state in the
Union, and Is excefled only by the two
old and rich commemorative OF Massa-
chusetts and New York.
Direct aid Is given to each school In
addition to the aid given on the basis
Of the school population. We have lis
high schools in Minnesota, which each
received for the year 1900, the sum Of
10000, or sSO.5OO in the aggregate. Over
ITO graded schools received 5000 each
last year, equal to $22, 900; the six nor
NAL departments of high schools re-
ceived $500 each, or $4,000 in all; our
100 semi-graded schools were given
$3.50 each, or &c., 1886. 10, and our $50 ru
$39.996.00 in the aggregate. The total
amount of direct aid to the different
public schools for the year 1900 amount
ed to $156,431.1O.
In addition to this, the school dis
tricts can secure loans from the per-
manent school fund at the low rate Of
interest of per cent to aid them in
building their school houses and for
iron
has thus been loaned to school districts
81. 114.034.93 At present an amount not
to exceed per cent of the real proper
ty OF a school district can be borrowed
from the permanent school fund, but
the legislature of 1899 wisely provided
for an amendment to Section of Arti-
Gle of the State Constitution, which,
if adopted by the voters next Novem-
Der, will permit of the loaning of an
amount not to exceed Is per cent of
the assessed valuation of the real prop
erty to school district, and at the rate
of 8 per cent per annum. I sincerely
hope that that amendment will be
adopted. There is no reason why the
state should not loan it's permanent
school fund to its own school districts,
towns, villages cities and counties on
as easy terms as it loans to other
states.
Summer training schools for teachers
have been established and have proved
very useful in providing valuable in
struction to teachers from all parts of
the state. L have not yet mentioned
our splendid state university among the
list of our educational institutions. 1t
contains colleges of science. literature
and arts; college of engineering and
mechanic arts: an agricultural college;
a school Of mines; law college.
college of medicine and surgery: a
dental college and college of pr1ar-
macy.
The number of students enrolled at
the university in 1898 was $3.50, and the
present number is over $500.
In Winona, Mankato, st. Cloud and
Moorhead are located four stately nor
NAL schools that are the pride of their
several localities. These normal schools
are turning out hundreds of we'll
equipped teachers annually. The SER
vices Of normal school graduates are
always in demand as teachers at re-
munerative wages. The total amount
expended by the state on normal school
buildings to July 31st 1900, was $685.
1892, and the total cost of mainten
ance of the four normal schools to July
31st, 1900, was $1,746, 755.39. At the pres
ent time the state appropfiates about
$4,000 annually for the support of it's
four public schools.
1t is impossible to overestimate the
value of our splendid educational sys-
tenn, and the marvel of it is. that all is
free, Education, for the primary grade
to the university, is rs free to the child
of the laborer as it is to the child of
the millionaire. The children Of the
foreign born enjoy the same education
al privileges, as the descendants Of the
Pilgrim Fathers. There is no discrim-
nation. It is free to all.
OF the school lands granted by con-
gress to the state, amounting to some
2,S4O,284 acres, there yet remains UNI
sold, in round numbers, 100000 acres.
which are steadily increasing in value.
and at the moderate estimated value Of
$500 per acre would net the school fund
1920, 900 and increase It ultimately to
$40, 49f, 600. With the addition Of the