The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1912-09-20
NEWS LETTER FROM
THE STATE CAPITAL
Number of School Children in State of
Washington for 1912, and Former
Years

According to the school census of
1912 the school children between the
ages of five and twenty-one years in
the State Of Washington numbered
283,141 as compared with 276,244 in
1911, and with 168, ,582 in 1902, or
ten years ago. OF this number 224,-
405 were enrolled in the various
schools OF the state as pupils while in
1911 the number enrolled was 220,-
461. This shows a gain over last year
of 3,o44 in the number Of pupils en-
rolled and of 6,87o in the number Of
school children in the state. In the
number of teachers employed there
was an increase of 452 over 1911,
8,O41 teachers being employed this
year in the state. In few counties
there was loss in the number of pu-
pills enrolled compared with last year,
but in most of the counties healthy
growth is shown. In Chelan county
the school population decreased slight
", or from 4,475 in 1911 to 4,464 in
1912, which is loss OF II pupils. In
the number of pupils enrolled however
there was gain OF 10, or from 3,715
in 1911 to 1926 in 1912. The num-
Der of teachers employed in 1911 in
Chelan county was 156 which number
was increased to 172 in 1912.
An employer who is to obtain the
benefits OF the industrial insurance law
must be regarded exactly as worker,
and even though he is carried on his
own payroll he cannot recover damages
for injuries unless he is engaged in
hazardous occupation, according to an
opinion given out recently by the at
torney general, who also holds that an
employer cannot place himself on the
payroll after he is injured and recover
damages.
Incorporated cities and towns with
other improvements pay 53.9 per cent
of the total taxes of the state, accord
ing to figures compiled by H. B.
Dewey, state superintendent OF public
instruction, which show that during
the past two years city property has
increased in value more than has rural
property, as last year the cities and
towns paid only 50 per cent OF the
taxes, while from 48 per cent paid
last year by farm property a decrease
to 46.1 per cent is shown this year.
AS the result of complaint made
by the citizens of Whatcom county the
public service comission is called upon
TO decide whether a woman is eligible
for the position Of station agent. The
complaint alleges that there is wo-
man station agent at Acme and thai
she cannot handle the mail, express
and freight, but that people standing
by are forced to help her with the
work This is the first question OF this
kind which has come before the com
mission and as yet no ruling has beer
made in the matter.
The 1912 assessment rolls in The
various counties OF the state will tota
more than one billion dollars, accord
ing to reports made to the state tai
commission. This would be an aver
age of 1875 for each person in th'
state based on assessed valuation, o
S1.7OO based on actual value OF TIT
property, so that figuring an average
of five persons in each family ther
would be $500 to each family if tn
property of the state were equally dl
vided.
During the past year the merchant
of the state as a whole have not cal
ried as heavy a stock Of merchandi'
as in former years, according to test
mony given in by the different count
assessors before the state board
equalization. It is shown also that a
though the assessments on property !
the state has increased this year aoor
s4s. .OOO,000 owing to additional Ian
brought under cultivation, the asses
ment of timber in some counties an
roflrOa