The actual expenditure for maintaining the school ing the year, as seen from the above table ("Total ditures," less amount on hand October 1, 1862), cities, $1,969,806.35; rural districts, $1,985,857.98; $3,955,664.33.

The progress of the schools during the last five ye exhibited in a table of comparative statistics, for the 1857, and the fiscal year 1861-2. (Appendix, Table LIBRARIES.

There was apportioned for libraries to the cities, fo school year ending with the 30th of September, 1862 sum of $20,142.14; of which, only $6,353.82 was expe for that purpose. The cities generally are authoriz pay their library money for teachers' wages, or s

11,763

15.683

1,322,523

90,255

7,585

18,915

892,550

18.863

1,326,662

11,750

10,001

Totals. 501,660 03 394,417 90

the sum of $15,788.52 was unus applied.

For the same time, there was apportioned for libraries to the rural districts, the sum of $34,887.86; of which, $26,559.10 was expended for that purpose; showing either that the sum of $8,328.76 remained in the hands of the trustees on the first day of October, 1862, or had been expended by them for teachers' wages and school apparatus. In the whole State, the number of volumes in the school district libraries, as reported for several years, is as follows:

In 1856...

1857, Jan. 1

1858, Oct. 1.

19,998 05

068,057 75

407,009 57

1859

77,598 12

1860

68,741 42

1861
1862

1,418,100

1,377,933

1,402,253

1,360,507

1,286,536

1,305,377

1,326,682

This statement shows, very plainly, that the reports of the trustees are not accurate: in fact it is well understood that they seldom take pains to make them so, by counting the books belonging to their respective districts.

It should be borne in mind by those who might anticipate a large increase in the number of books, that the people of the districts to which a less sum than three dollars is apportioned are authorized to expend it for teachers' wages, and that very many of them do so; that the average amount apportioned to the rural districts was only $3.06; that if we take from the whole amount the large sums which are apportioned to the villages and other thickly populated districts, and divide the residue among the remaining districts, the library money received by each will be even less than $3.06. The average amount actually expended in the rural districts during the last school year, was only $2.33. It ought not to be expected that one or two dollars a year will supply a district circulating library with new books as fast as the old ones are lost or worn out, even if the money were all applied to the purchase of new

and the purchase of school apparatus.

In order to form some definite opinion upon this su the undersigned called upon the School Commission report to him the condition of the libraries and the to which they are used. The nearly uniform reply that they are little used, and in many districts the are so worn that the library money annually receiv not sufficient to replace them by others.

In many of the villages and other thickly popu districts to which a much larger sum is apportioned that to districts generally, the libraries are large, selected, carefully preserved and highly prized. Tha two, or three districts in a town do entertain a p appreciation of the value of their libraries, and, by n of the money received from the State, together with raised by voluntary taxation, manage to keep the repair, does not change the fact, that a majority of the tricts do not receive a sufficient sum to warrant the tees in giving much time and attention to the selecti books, or to the price they pay for them; and tha some cause, not so much interest is manifested in libraries as formerly.

Various suggestions and plans in regard to this lib money have been made:

1st. That the district libraries should be consolid into town libraries. The objections made to this are: the inhabitants of some districts in nearly every t prize their libraries highly, have taken proper care of th have taxed themselves liberally for their repair enlargement, and would be unwilling to surrender the of them to the town; that, if this objection were remo another equally forcible would appear, namely, that town libraries would be inconveniently distant from

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would seldom resort to them; and that the people of the districts are generally opposed to such consolidation. As evidence of this, it is remarked, that chapter 480 of the Laws of 1847 authorized the districts to consolidate their libraries; and had the plan met with favor, they would have availed themselves of the privilege conferred by the law; but, on the contrary, there is scarcely an instance of the establishment of a "joint library" under its authority.

2d. That the majority of the voters of the district should have the power, at an annual meeting, to direct this money to be applied to teachers' wages. In support of this plan, it is urged that the law does direct the money to be applied to that purpose, whenever the sum received does not exceed three dollars, and that they are equally competent to direct a similar expenditure of five or even ten dollars; that the cities have full authority to apply the large sums of money which they receive to that purpose, and that the rural districts are quite as competent to determine this question as are the cities; that there is no dearth of reading matter in the rural districts; that one of the principal reasons why the district libraries are not so highly regarded as formerly, is the fact that thousands of families now have private libraries, whereas but a very few had the like twenty years ago; and that during the last quarter of a century, newspapers and other periodicals have increased wonderfully in cheapness, ability and circulation, so that they are now found in almost every household, occupying the largest share of the time which the inmates devote to reading; and, finally, that when the inhabitants of a district, thus supplied or not, feel sufficient interest in their library to warrant its preservation and usefulness, they would continue to apply the money to the purchase of books, notwithstanding the law might authorize them to do otherwise.

3d. That the money should be allowed to accumulate in the treasury, till it shall reach a sum sufficient to buy large [Assem. No. 20.]

2

torious books would find their way into the and that this would be the most economical mod pending this money for books; but they could money, be distributed according to the number of of school age, nor according to population. T practical mode of distribution would be to treat the large and small, alike, by allowing to each the mos tant volumes thus purchased.

4th. Still another plan proposes to continue the mode of apportionment, and to require each district, a requisite to the reception of its portion of the library to raise an equal sum by taxation for the same purpos urged that such an annual tax would secure atten the proper care and preservation of the librarie that the money thus raised by tax, united with that r from the State, would make, annually, an apprecia dition of valuable books. Were this plan adopte difficulty of securing the proper selection and purc books, at a reasonable price, would still exist.

The undersigned commits this subject to the wis the Legislature, hoping that they will be able to det what action will be proper in regard to it.

COMMON SCHOOL FUND.

A brief history of this Fund, up to the close of the year ending with September 30, 1856, may be for the report from this Department, made January 15,

Table F, annexed to this report, will show how the tal of this fund has been invested, and its increase fr beginning to the close of the last fiscal year. It i composed of bonds for land sold, loans upon bond and gage, loan under authority of the law of 1840, Manh