The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1900-09-28

bear a portion Of the expenses of main
tanning the schools in the less wealthy
counties. -.
+ BY adding the $11, 2o3, SO to the in
come derived from the permanent
school fund investments, to the $685.
381.10 produced by the state 1-nill tax,
we find that since 1863 the enormous
sum Of $17,723, 327.43 has been appor-
toned to the common schools Of the
state.
No Saving Under the Present Admin
is tratiOn.
OF the public institutions Of the state,
which have been provided for educa-
tional, charitable and correctional pur-
poses during the forty years Of Repub-
1ican rule, the people of Minnesota
have just reason to be proud. Without
presenting mass of figures and de-
tails which would be Of little interest
to you may say that in the past forty
years the state has expended over S.
O0O,0 900 on buildings for state institu-
lions, and over $20,000,000 in maintain
ing them.
The per capita cost of maintenance
steadily decreased up to the close of
1898; during the years 1899 and 1900
there. is a. slight increase, SO far as
the charitable and correctional institu-
lions are concerned. There has been
no decrease of cost during the present
administration, so that in this direc-
ton, also, there has been no benefit to
no %ov
tration.
The cost of educational institutions
will increase I'M proportion to the in
crease of pupils, and the state is fully
able to provide for them generously IN
the future, as it has done in the past.
Minncsota's Charitable Institutions.
Minnesota has many noble charitable
institutions. All things considered no
state in the Union has made moro
ample provision for it's unfortunate and
afflicted than our own North Star State.
The three main hospitals for the in
sane, located at st. Peter, Rochester
and Fergus Falls, are ably managed
! and we'll conducted, and every care is
| bestowed upon the unfortunates con-
| fined therein. In the beautiful little
city of Faribault is located the Min
| ing of a school for the deaf, a school for
the blind and school for the feeble
minded. The inmates are well cared
for by humane and experienced officers
and instructors. Another noble charit-
able state institution is the home for
dependent and neglected children, 10
| Gated at Owatonna. The building and
grounds cost the state 100000, but it
| so
of the institution is to provide tenn
porary home and school for the depend
ent and neglected children Of the state.
The Minnesota state training school
for boys and girls, located at Red
Wing, while somewhat on the plan of a
reformatory is necessary and beneti-
cent institution and is generously pro-
videq for by the state. All these insti-
tutions are under the care and super
vision of non-partisan boards Of man
ayers. It was Republican legislatures
that provided for the establishment Of
these institutions, and it was Repub-
lican legislatures that wisely guarded
against partisan boards of managers.
State Soldiers Home and State Re-
lief for Soldiers of the Civil War.
The Republican party Of the state has
always recognized the justice of pEovid
ing for the necessities of the veterans
of the Civil war and their widows and
orphans. We find that as early as 1865
the legislature established a soldiers
orphan home at Winona. This was sat-
isfactorily conducted for several years.
It was not, however, until 1887 that the
legislature decided to provide a perma-
nent home for all honorably discharged
ex-soldiers, sailors and marines who
served in the army or navy Of
the United States during the War
Of the Rebellion or the Mexican
war, and who had no adequate
means of support. Beautiful buildings
have been erected near Minnehaha
Falls on the outskirts Of Minneapolis
for that purpose, and to the present
time over $25O,00O has been expended on
the home. About 800 old soldiers, who
are unable to provide themselves with
the necessaries Of life, are being cared
for at the soldiers home at an average
expense Of $4,000 a year, a portion Of
which expenditure is borne by the ma
tional government. Nor is it necessary
that old soldiers should go to the So
diers' home to obtain the benefit ct
state assistance. The same law which
148, G. L. 1897 also provided that those
who were unable or unwilling to go 20
this institution could receive relief 1T
their own homes, and this was made
permanent by tax levy Of one teath
of one mill upon all taxable property in
the state. Since that law was passed
in 1887 the generous sum Of $50, 0l322
has been distributed by the trustees to
old soldiers, their widows and orphans,
| at their homes. This has been done as
a positive recognition of the debt the
| state owed the veterans Of the Civil
war and their dependents. =.
Assisting Fire Companies.
Nearly every village in our state has
an organized fire department. One-han
of the amount collected from the in
surance companies as a tax levy upon
the premiums received in the villages
and cities of our state is paid back to
the local fire departments. The law au-
thorizing this payment is found in
chapter 1877, G. L. 1895. In cities where
the fire company has organized a fire.