Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/623

 NEBRASKA

501

NEBRASKA.

Government. — The Legislature consists of a Senate of 33 members and a House of Representatives of 100 members. The Legislators are elected for two years. The franchise extends not only to citizens but also to aliens who, thirty days before the election, have declared their intention of be- coming citizens. Voters must have resided in the State for six months, in the county for 40 days, in the precinct for ten days next before the election. This autumn, however, the State will adopt constitutional amendment requiriug foreigners to complete citizenship within five years or lose right of franchise.

Nebraska is represented in Congress by two Senators and six Representatives.

Governor.— John N. Morehead, 1913-15 (2,500 dollars). Secretary of State. — A. Wait.

There are 92 counties in the State. The State Capital is Lincoln.

Area, Population, Instruction.— Area 77,520 square miles, of which

712 square miles is water. The population in decennial census years from 1860 was :—

Years

1880 1890

Population I Per sq. mile

452,402 1,058,910

5-9

13-8

Years

1900 1910

Population

1,066,3001 1,192,214

Per sq. mile

13-9

15-5

1 Including 6,269 negroes and 3,322 Indians. In 1900 the population by sex and birth was : —

—

White

559,339 497,187

Negro

Asiatic

Indian


 * Total

Male. Female

3,368 2,901

183

1,702

1,620

564,592

501,708

Total

1,056,526

6,269

183

3,322

1,066,300

In 1910 there were 185,544 males and 180,708 females.

The foreign-born population numbered 177,347, of whom 65,506 were German, 24,693 Swedish, 16,138 Bohemian, 12,531 Danish, 11,127 Irish, 9,757 English, 9,049 Canadian, and 8,083 Russian. The largest cities in the State are, Omaha with a population of 24,096 in 1910 ; Lincoln (capital), 43,973 ; and South Omaha, 26,259.

The most numerous religious bodies in the State are, in order of numbers Roman Catholic, Methodist, Lutheran, Disciples, Presbyterian, Baptist, and Congregational.

In Nebraska (as in Iowa) in 1900 only 2*3 per cent, of the population over ten years of age were illiterate, the lowest proportion of illiterates in the United States. School attendance is compulsory for children from 7 to 15 years of age for not less than 12 wi eks in school term. The use of the Bible is permitted in public schools, but s'ectarian instruction ""is prohibited. The elementary public schools, in 1910, had 10,355 teachers, 281,375 enrolled pupils and 11,099 teachers. There were 375 public high schools with 981