Growth-gain and loss.-The total amount expended for common schools in 1890-91 was $146,800,163, an increase in one year of over $7,000,000, or 5.30 per cent. This is more than double the annual rate of increase of the population, and indicates how fast the school expenditure has been gaining upon the population the past year.

This is also shown in the expenditure per capita of population (Table 11). In 1889-90 the expenditure for common schools per capita of population was $2.24; in 1890-91 it had advanced to $2.31, reaching a much higher point than ever before. In 1879-80 it was only $1.56. It has thus increased 50 per cent in eleven years, while the actual gross expenditure has nearly doubled in the same period, having increased from $78,000,000 to $147,000,000.

The States of the North Central Division expended for common schools in 1890-91 more than all the States of the Union did as late as 1869-70, so rapid has progress been in this particular.

The greatest rate of gain during the past year has been made in the States of the Western Division (Table 12). In these States the total expenditure for schools increased over one-fifth (21.94 per cent), while the expenditure for schoolhouses, grounds, etc., increased over onethird (34.34 per cent).

The State of Washington shows a phenomenal increase. In that State the expenditure for houses and grounds was more than trebled the past year, and the total expenditure more than doubled.

The Southern States, in general, show a very gratifying increase of total expenditure, nearly 10 per cent on an average. The expenditure for schoolhouses and grounds shows a net gain of 21 per cent in the South Atlantic States and 23 per cent in the South Central States. The actual amount expended for these purposes in that section is still small, however. Either New York or Pennsylvania expends more for schoolhouses and grounds than all the States of the two Southern divisions taken together, and Illinois nearly as much.

The gain in the permanent expenditure of the South Atlantic States, it must be noted, is due to the increased activity in building in three States, viz, Maryland, West Virginia, and Georgia. In all the other States of that division except Delaware there has been a decrease.

The Northern Atlantic and Central States also show a net decrease in the amount expended for buildings and grounds of about $2,000,000, or about 9 per cent. Of the 21 States of which these two divisions are composed, 15 show a falling off in this class of expenditure.

The total increase in the amount paid teachers and superintendents was $4,932,920, a gain of 5.43 per cent. There were only three States showing a decrease in the amount paid for teaching, viz., North Carolina, South Carolina, and South Dakota, besides the Territory of New Mexico. Expenditure per pupil.-The average amount expended for each pupil in attendance (Table 13) was $17.62. This amount has been gradually rising since 1879-80, at which time it was $12.71.

The expenditure per pupil reaches its maximum in the States and Territories of the western division, where it is $34.03, or twice the average. How this excessive expenditure is made with out a correspondingly heavy strain on the individual taxpayer will be understood from the remarks under the head of "receipts" (p. 24).

The expenditure per pupil for tuition alone is in the North from two to three times what it is in the South. This arises in great part from the longer school term in the North. To get the relative cost of the schools while they are in session, equal periods of time must be taken.

Table 14 accordingly has been computed, giving the expenditure per pupil per month, first, for tuition alone, and second, for all purposes. For tuition alone the two southern divisions pay out on an average for each pupil, white and black, each month, $1.24 and $1.30 respectively; the North Atlantic Division, $1.74, and the North Central Division $1.76. The difference is small when all the circumstances that have been noticed are taken into consideration.

The total expenditure per pupil per month is greatest in the State of Washington, viz, $9.40. This is eleven times what it is in South Carolina and nearly three times what it is in Massachusetts. If tuition alone is considered, Arizona leads with $4.30 per pupil per month, and Nevada comes second with $3.84.

ED 91-3

a 8-15 in cities and towns where opportunity is given for industrial education.

ance in the United States.

view, September, 1892.]

Under
what
age is
employ- what ages

ment

Between

Custody of traants. Provision for during is schooling Amount of such Requirements of non

poor children. school required

hours preliminary
to employ.
ment?

absolutely

schooling.

public schools.

forbid.