Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1902-02-22
NORTH DAKOTA'S FINANCES.
In the Best Condition Since Statehood. Over
S6oo,0 0o in the Treasury. Gossip From the
Various Departments at the Capitol.

is at the Capitol.
Walsh county, bonds of $1,000 having
been purchased. Other bonds bought
are: Rockford, Ward county, $3.50:
Haaland, Wells county, $780,; Eu-
reka, Ward county, $3.50; No. s5, Cass
county, $500; Leipzig, Morton coun-
ty, 5000; Sullivan, Ramsey county,
5000; James River Valley, Dickey
county, $500.
The annual report of the commits
sioner of agriculture of the state shows
a total of 1881 farms operated in the
state in the veal 1901, and a total acre
age Of 7,127,42 under cultivation. The
acreage sown to wheat last year was
3,S95,957. The flax acreage was L.
394,737. The corn acreage in the
state last year was more than doubled,
l51,OO acres being planted against a
total OF $4,000 acres the year before.
Coal mines operated in the state for
the year 1900 are given as 80, with
$4,000 tons of product and $1OS,OOO
paid out as wages in the mines. The
statistics for 1901 not yet available
will show a large increase over these
igures-probably double.
The state board of university and
school lands held it's monthly meeting
this week, and bought some $4,000
worth of school bonds. The board has
had a proposition to buy $4,000 Of
construction bonds from the state in
dustrial school at Glendale, but as
the purchase of these bonds is outside
the general provisions of law on the
subject and in the absence of a special
law. it was impossible for the members
of the board to make the purchase.
1t is probable at the next session of
the legislature such a special law will
be introduced and passed. Sales of
school lands in Cavalier and Benson
, counties have been authorized to take
place about the first of May. The
!, success of the sale of lands in these
counties last fall induced the board to
hold another sale in the spring.
E The judges of the supreme court are
enjoying their vacation from duty and
S preparing for the hard work of the
/ March term of court, which c%onvenes
IN a few weeks. Among the matters
O OF special interest to come I'D at the
March term are the Voss disbarment
case. in which testimony was recently
taken at Mandan. The application
of L. A. Simpson OF Dickinson for re-
instatement to practice will probably
come up also at the March term. Both
OF these matters are of interest to the
western part of the state particularly.
IN addition to these out of the ordin-
airy matters there will be the usual
number of appealed cases for hearing
and the judges will be kept busy the
greater part OF the spring and early
summer with their work. North Da-
kota is one of the few states in which
the calendar of cases in supreme court
is cleared and kept up to date.
!. The officials of the department of
public instruction report inquiries
; coming from all parts of the state
= with reference to the proposed consol-
ldation of rural schools. This move
was set afoot by Superintendent De-
vine some time ago, and the seed sown
appears to be bearing good fruit. The
e arguments made by the state DEPART
ment in favor of consolidation are
that half a dozen school districts NAV
unite in one school house. hire con-
~veyances to carry the pupils to the
common school building, institute
graded schools. and dispense with the
e services of half the teachers, the saw
e ing to be applied to better apparatus
and fixtures and the other incidental
expenses of graded schools. 1t is es-
s timated by the state department that
e three teachers can do the work now
done by six if the plan of consolida-
ton is carried into effect. Steps are
being taken to test the method in the
near future, and the department be-
lieves that North Dakota's rural
schools will soon be upon the same
footing as those of the older settled
states. whore consolidation has been
tried and found successful.
= The next teachers examination, con-
Quoted by the state department of pub
s lie instruction. will take place on the
n second Friday in March. It is ex-
d pected that from 700 to 1000 teachers
e through the state will take this exam