Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 13.djvu/630

MINNESOTA. per cent., as compared with 20.7 for the United States. During that decade every county in the State shared in the increase, but it was generally greatest throughout the northern ones, where the population is still very sparse. The movement of the population turned toward Minnesota at a period when the German immigration was still great and the Scandinavian peoples were just beginning to come in large numbers. As a result these elements are heavily represented. No other State contains so large a number of Swedes and Norwegians. In 1900 the foreign-born population numbered 505,318. The colored population numbered only 14,358, of whom 4959 were negroes, 7414 Indians taxed, and 1768 Indians not taxed. As is common in newly settled States, there is a large excess of the male sex. At the last census there were 22.1 inhabitants to the square mile. The State contains the two large metropolises of the Upper Mississippi Valley—Minneapolis and Saint Paul—and the per cent. of urban population is therefore high for so new a State. In 1900 the 19 places which exceeded 4000 inhabitants each constituted 31 per cent. of the total population. The figures for the four largest cities in 1900 were as follows: Minneapolis, 202,718; Saint Paul, 163,065; Duluth, 52,969; Winona, 19,714.

. The noteworthy characteristic of the religious situation in Minnesota is the great predominance of the Roman Catholic and the Lutheran Churches. The strongest of the other denominations represented are the Methodists, Baptists, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and Protestant Episcopalians.

The census of 1900 reported 4.1 of the population ten years of age and over as being illiterate; for the native white population alone it was only 0.8 per cent. The average length of the school year in 1900 was 169 days, which was greater than that of any other State west of the Appalachians. The State has been very zealous in building up a complete and superior system of public schools, and its success has been greatly aided by the large State endowment. Minnesota has developed a system intended both to aid and to stimulate the schools to a higher degree of efficiency. The apportionment of the current school fund is based upon the number of pupils attending school forty days in the year, and in addition to this there are State appropriations to such schools as attain a certain meritorious rank, the test of merit being the employment of teachers holding the higher certificate, and meeting the requirements of duration, of equipment, and of gradation. In 1900 additional aid was received by 115 high schools, 110 graded schools, 191 semi-graded schools, and 660 rural schools. The policy of causing the special appropriation to depend in part upon the grade of certificate held made it necessary to establish a uniform test, to secure which the State took over the examination of candidates for that grade of certificate. The counties still examine the candidates for the lower certificates. The total number of teachers in 1900 was 10,586, of whom 8,534 were females. The State provides opportunity for pedagogical training at the normal schools at Mankato, Moorhead, Saint Cloud, and Winona. The policy of supporting sununer schools for the benefit of teachers has been adopted. The State University, located at Minneapolis, is one of the foremost educational institutions in the West. The enrollment has reached about 3500. There are also a number of small denominational colleges in the State. In July, 1900, the total permanent school fund amounted to $12,546,599, the principal sources of which were the sale of lands ($9,417,791) and the sale of pine timber ($2,176,673). The permanent university fund of that date amounted to $1,246,817. The apportionment for the current school fund in 1900 was $1,295,459, and the total paid to teachers amounted to $3,842,987.

A law was passed in 1901 for the creation of a Board of Control, consisting of three members appointed by the Governor and Senate for the term of six years, and having full power to manage and control the State charitable and penal institutions, and authority in financial matters in certain State schools, including those for the deaf and blind. Under the new system each institution has but one head, the superintendent. To prevent nepotism, the board has ordered that superintendents or wardens cannot employ or retain any relative, or any relative of the officer to whom such an employee would be directly responsible; nor does the board itself appoint any relative of any member to office under it. A uniform system of records and accounts has been introduced, and the first report of the Board of Control shows a general decrease in expenses over the preceding year. The following table gives a summary of the institutions, with the average number of inmates, and the per capita cost of maintenance for the fiscal year ending in 1902:

The State public school is for dependent and neglected children. The Reformatory, at Saint Cloud, is for criminals within the age period of sixteen to thirty years, while the older age group is sent to the prison at Stillwater. The convicts at the State prison are worked under the piece-price and public account systems, and also manufacture supplies for the use of the public institutions.

In 1900 the population of militia age of the State amounted to 399,734. The aggregate strength of the militia in 1901 was 1922 men.

The present Constitution, which is the only one the State has had, was adopted by an almost unanimous vote of the people, in October, 1857. Proposed amendments upon receiving a majority vote of both Houses must be submitted to the people at a general election, when each amendment is voted upon separately and becomes a part of the Constitution if it receives a majority of the votes cast. A two-thirds vote of each House and a majority of the popular vote are necessary to call a constitutional convention.