The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-01-07
DRAINAGE.

for the coming biennial period.
DRAINAGE.
In accordance with the law enacted DUR
ing the last session Of the legislature ap-
propriating $4,000 for drainage, the
board thereby constituted, consisting Of
the auditor, the secretary of state and the
governor, met, organized, and selected
an engineer, and provided for the prose-
cution of the work as contemplated by the
law After careful surveys, contracts
were entered into for nine bitches; sew
eral have been completed and others are
we'll under way. The work has been re-
tarded by the unusually wet season, high
prices of labor, and, in many cases, the
swampy nature of roads leading to these
bitches. In all 1856 miles of bitches have
been contracted for, and when these are
surveys, the $4,000 will have been ex-
pended. These bitches have reclaimed
many thousands of acres Of land and it is
certainly desirable that this work should
be continued as the necessity for more
bitches is very great in some portions Of
the state. A suitable appropriation should
be made to carry this work on vigorously.
EDUCATION.
Nothing I can say would give you a
more thorough knowledge Of the advanced
position taken by our state along edu-
catlonal lines than the report Of the sup
erintendent Of public instruction., of the
regents Of the university, and Of the nor
NAL schools. commend these to your
careful perusal. ,.-zz. -. j.
The growth Of our schools has kept pace
with the growth of the state. We have
enrolled 414,e71 pupils, gain of 1864
during the past two years, and 1865
teachers, a gain during the same period Of
2,O19. So -
There were built during the last bien-
NAL period 633 new schoolhouses at a cost
Of 81, 1854, 756. We now have S,59S school
houses and these with sites cost $17,6O4.-
446. ''@'s'"~< 8
This large number Of scholars and great
amount Of money invested will convey
to you some idea Of the magnitude Of our
school system. 1t is, pleasure to state
! that the superintendent of public instruc-
| ton has made special effort to promote
and make more effective our rural schools
| This is proper, for in these schools more
| than IS per cent of the children receive
| the only education that they will ever OBJ
! tain to fit them for the duties Of citizen
ship. 49, -. =. ..r* -.* "
Our great university ranks as one of tn
! foremost institutions of that character il
| America. Its growth has been phenom
email; it's benefits cannot be estimated, ani
! Its influence is constantly increasing. j
| has nearly four thousand students. Blu
| it is not only great in numbers, for will
| it efficient president and excellent corp
of professors, it's standard Of scholarship
| is not surpassed by any of the leading
educational institutions of the country.
It's department or school of agricultur
| stands at the head of similar institution
in. the United States. It has great.
benefited the farmers of our state an.
has been one of the factors of our growt]
and prosperity. The young men VIII
4 graduate from this institution become sci
entific farmers and their influence is fel
in every section Of Minnesota. : ~
+ I trust that you will carefully look afte
the needs of our university and it's schoo
Of agriculture, and make liberal appropri
i ations for their maintenance. - -
I Our normal schools are unsurpassed
4 They have done such excellent work tina
their reputation has gone far beyond tn
q confines Of our state. The success of on
school system in g. large measure is du
to them and while they annually gradu
ate a corps of well-equipped teachers
they cannot begin to supply the demand
One third Of the more than 10000 of GU
teachers have received normal training
Educated at the expense of the state
these teachers discharge with fidelity til
special obligations thus placed upon then
These schools have performed their wor
in, satisfactory manner and they ar
entitled to and should receive most lbera
treatment at your hands. s&,s ~
i In this connection 7 would suggest tina
the salary Of the superintendent of pub
lie instruction should be increased fro1
$4,000 to $500. It seems to me a mer
: statement Of this should be sufficien
:, The former sum was ample in the earl
days, but with our great educational ad
! yancement and let:ge amount of additions
: labor, the sum asked for is not unreason
=: able. The requirements Of that offic
;. are of such a character that the supeE
; intendent of public: instruction should re
ceive fair compensation for his services
!, and the sum suggested is not too large.
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