The leader., 1902-01-15


gressional districts shall be composed
of contiguous and compact territory,
and containing Ii Jarly as practicable
an equal number of inhabitants, and
that the said districts shall be equal to
the number of representatives to
which the State may be entitled.
In view of the fact that Mississippi
by said act, Is entitled to an additional
Congressman. 1t becomes necessary
that the Legislature. at the present ses-
sion, shall pass bill redistricting the
State so as to comply with the provi-
sions of said act of Congress.
1t becomes my duty, therefore, to
submit the subject for your considera-
ton, and to recommend the enactment
of proper law governing the subject
matter.
RBANCH EXPERIMENTAL STATIONS.
The Board of Trustees of the Agri-
cultural and Mechanical College, act
ing under the provisions of Chapter
81 OF Acts of 1900, located the branch
experimental station at Mcneil on the
New Orleans and Northeastern Rail-
road, in Pearl River County. For in
formation regarding this matter, your
attention is directed to the report of
Hon. Fl. M. Street, Chairman of the
committee to locate same. From the
liberal donations made by the people
of that section, | feel encouraged to
believe that public attention is being
attracted toward practical industrial
lines, and from the encouragement in
the location of this station, am con-
strained to the belief that your honor
able body would do wisely to locate
other experimental stations, one IN
the delta, and l respectively recon-
mend that you consider the matter
and act as your judgment approves,
looking to the interest of the farming
classes of our people. The difficulties
encountered at Mcneil will, by rea.
overcome and place the station in po-
sitiop to demonstrate to our people
what can be done in an agricultural
way in the pine woods.
] respectfully recommend that you
make appropriation sufficient to carry
this enterprise to successful ends. and
where in the Yazoo-Mississippi delta.
SCHOOLS.
Under the term Common Schools"
are embraced all the schools of the
State to which the general fund ap-
propriated by the legislature for free
schools is distributed. These schools
are divided into two classes, namely:
Separate school districts and rural
schools.
The report of the State Superintend-
ent of Education, recently issued,
shows that IA of the towns in Missis-
sippi are : organized into separate
school districts, and it is gratifying to
report that they. as rule. have COM
modious, handsome and suitable build
ings, and that during the scholastic
year. ending 1900 the enrolment was
approximately $4,000, ami for the year
1901 they enrolled in the aggregate
1876 pupils. The average number of
days taught in said schools during the
last scholastic yea" was 1888. or more
than eight scholastic months. 1t fur
Their appears, from the Superintend.
ents report, that the total amount of
money collected for these schools for
the last scholastic year was s4l2.
449.S3. and estimate the same
amount for 1900. These are gratifying
statistics, and show that the citizens
OF the towns are progressive, and are
keeping well in the van of the great
educational movement now in progress
in this country. 1t will further appear
from the above-that the approximate
per capita per annum of all the funds
received was $11.55 on the total enroll
ment
1t may be interesting to extend this
line of statistics to the State colleges
for the last two years. The average
amount per capita per annum expend.
ed. on the students enrolled In these
institutions Cor the last two years was
as follows:
State University .........,...... 1929 "a
A. NJ College. ........-....... "A 80
Alcorn A. 4 N. College,. ........ 81 IS
Add the appropriations of the last
sassion Of the legislature for repairs
and improvements on these institu-
tons, the above figures will stand.
State University S1ge &C
a. NJ. Coliege- --........... lea 0(
Alcoru A. 4 NJ. College. ......... IS Il
The approximate total enrolment in
the rural schools for the scholastic
years 1900 and 1901 was 691.742 which
would make a per capita allowance
out Of their share ct the s2,0oO.ooO ap