Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/677

 VERMONT 555

VERMONT.

Government. — The gtate logislatm-e nonsists of a Senate and House of Representatives having, the foi-nier 30 and tlie latter 246 members. Electors are all men of United States citizenship with certain residential qualifications.

The State sends two Senators and two Representatives to the [Jnited States Congress.

Governor .—AUen M. Fletcher, 1912-1914 (2,500 dollars).

Secretary of State : — G. W. Bailey.

The seat of the State Executive is at Montpelier. The State is divided into fourteen counties.

Area, Population, Instruction.— Area, 9,565 square miles, of which

430 square miles is water.

Population

Years

i

Population

Total

Per sq. mile

Total

Per sq. mile

1860 1880

315,098 332,286

34-5 36-4

1900 1910

343,641 35.5,956 I

37-6 39-0

The population in 1910 included 182,568 males and 173,388 females ; 49,861 were of foreign birth, 1,621 were negroes, 26 Indians, 8 Chinese, and 3 Japanese. The State contains a very high proportion of English. In 1900 the foreign-born population numbered 44,747, of Avhom 14,924 were Canadian French, 10,616 Canadian English, 7,453 Irish, 2,447 English, and 2,049 Scottish. In 1906 the urban death rate was 18*0 ; rural 16*5 per 1,000 of population. The largest cities are Burlington, with population in 1910 of 20,468 ; Rutland, 13,546 ; Barre, 10,734,

The religious denominations are Roman Catholic, Congregational, Methodist, Baptist, and Protestant Episcopal, in the order given.

School attendance during the full school term is compulsory for children from 8 to 15 years of age. No child under 16 who has not completed the 9 year school course may be employed in any railway, factory, mine, or quarry work, or as messenger during school hours. In 1910 the public elementary schools had 3,257 teachers and 66,615 enrolled pupils ; 68 i^ublic secondary schools had 138 teachers and 4,335 pupils. In the three public normal schools were 23 teachers and 250 students. The University of Vermont (1800) had, in 1910, 91 instructors and 537 students ; Norwich University (1834) 14 instructors and 181 students ; Middlebury College (1800) 13 instructors and 228 students.

Charity. — Besides almshouses, &c., there are within the State 23 benevo- lent institutions, comprising nine hospitals five orphanages, and nine homes for adults and children (including the State home for soldiers). Overseers of the poor in each town relieve or support the poor in almshouses or otherwise, the cost of relieving a pauper who has no settlement in the town being recoverable in the town where he has last resided for 3 years. If the pauper has no settlement in the State, his cost to the town is paid by the State. Parents, grandparents, children, and grandchildren of a pauper are liable for his support. A pauper who comes, or a person who brings a pauper into a town with intent that the town may "support him, is liable to a penalty. Towns may build and manage poorhouses singly or with other towns.