Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/575

 IDAHO 453

IDAHO.

Government. — The Legislature consists of a Senate of 23 members, and a House of Representatives of 53 members, all the legislators being elected for two years. Sessions are held biennially. The electorate of the State consists of citizens, both male and female, over the age of 21 years, who have resided in the State over six months. The State is represented in Congress by two Senators and one Representative.

Governor. — John M. Haines, 1913-15 (5,000 dollars\ Secretary of State. — W. L. Gifford.

The State is divided into 23 counties. The capital is Boise (population 17,358 in 1910).

Area, Population, Keligion, Instruction.— Area, 84,800 square

miles, of which 510 square miles is water. In the last 4 census years the total population was : — 1880, 32,610(0-4); 1890, 84,385 (I'l) ; 1900, 161,772 (1-9); 1910, 325,594 (3-9). In the white population were included 1,467 Chinese, 1,291 Japanese, and 4,226 Indians. Of the total population 24,604 were foreign-born, 3,943 being English, 2,974 German, 2,923 Canadian, 2,822 Swedish, 1,173 Norwegian, and 1,633 Irish.

The population is largely Mormon, other religious denominations, in the order of their numbers, being Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians, and Disciples or Christians.

For supervision of the public schools there is a Board of Education, of which the Superintendent of Public Instruction is President. In 1910 the public elementary schools had 2,232 teachers, 76,168 enrolled pupils, while the 54 public high schools had 4,093 pupils and 242 teachers. The two public normal schools had 22 teachers and 211 pupils in 1910. Superior instruction is given in the State Academy of Idaho and the State University of Idaho, founded in 1892, which had 61 professors and 517 students in 1910. The State has an industrial training school, and a school for the deaf and blind. There are also 5 sectarian colleges or schools to Avhich, however, pupils are admitted without respect to their religious belief.

Chanty. — Idaho has a State home for aged soldiers, two asylums for the insane, and a penitentiary. Within the State are six hospitals (for benevolent purposes, not for profit), into which, in 1904, 1,494 patients were admitted, the numberot inmates at the endof the yearbeinglll. The board of county commis- sioners may contract for the maintenance of the indigent sick and poor. There is no requirement as to residence on the part of applicants for relief, aid being extended even to residents of other States, nor is there any provision for the support of the poor by relatives. Applications for relief must be written, sworn to, and addressed to the clerk of the court or other proper oflBcials. On January 1, 1905, the almshouses had 112 pauper inmates (one of whom was coloured).

Finance, Defence.— For the 2 years ending September 30, 1912, the receipts and disbursements were as follows : —