Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 38, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 December 1899 — STATE CAPITAL CHAT [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

STATE CAPITAL CHAT

A. W. Butler, secretary of the State Board of Charities, has been investigating the report of the Commissioner General of Immigration with the purpose of ascertaining how many and what kind of immigrants become residents of the State. He says that a comparison with other States shows conclusively that Indiana has fared better by receiving less and a better class of immigrants than any other State in the Union. Of the immigrants coming to this country for the year ending June 30, the destination of 1,335 was Indiana. How many others came into this State we do not know. The majority of these were from the races which are the more desirable immigrants. The greatest number from any one country were Germans. Of these there were 260. One hundred and ten were Welsh, 165 Irish and 98 Scandinavians. We also received in this State large additions from other races which are less desirable. Five hundred and fifty-six were Assyrians, fifty-three Slovak and 122 Italians. , While the present laws exclude certain classes of those who may become public burdens, many for whom there are no restrictions still gain admission and they soon become dependents. There are to be found in our insane hospitals, poor asylums and other institutions cases of those who are not our citizens—whose homes are in foreign lands, and these are public charges of our commonwealth. Neither those whose destination is Indiana nor those foreigners who become inmates of our institutions are so numerous as they are in some other States.

The annual agricultural report has been completed by the bureau of statistics. Including products on hand, listed at current Indianapolis market prices, the amount raided and values are thus summarized: '

Products. Quantity. Value. Wheat 31,357,090 $21,014,256 Corn 151,240.804 45,374,041 Oats 30,801,186 9,300,286 Barley and buckwheat 315,796 157,988 Rye 499,112 299,450 Timothy and clover hay 3,691,531 3,255,340 Flaxseed 8,486 13,880 Irish and sweet potatoes 5,577,237 3,255,340 Sorghum 791,135 \ 245,350 Wool clip 4.631,477 1,140,400 T0bacc0.......11,891,464 590,400 Tame grasses 6,500,000 Milk, butter and cheesj 17,180,000 Poultry and eggs 6,980,000 Slaughtered animals on farm. 4,795,639 Fruit and garden products, estimated 9,840,000 Honey Total $167,967,870 Domestic animals— Milch cows... 492.680 $15,210,000 Other eattle 665,478 19,964,340 Sheep and lambs.... 1,320.121 4,680,600 Swine and pigs 2,902,432 20,210,124 Horses and mules... 663,259 25,120,100 Grand total ..... $253,153,084

The members of the fee and salary commission are making experiments with systetos to equalize the salaries of county officers. William A. Wilkins, secretary; A. C. Daily and Timothy Howard are working on systems of their own, and will meet in January to compare notes. About June, 1900, a bill will be drawn up to recommend to the next Legislature for passage. No definite recommendations are yet decided on, as the matter is still in a purely experimental state. It is safe to say, however, that there will be no radical departure from present salaries recommended. In the progressive counties there will be no reduction whatever., Mr. Wilkins is basing his calculations on population, taxable valuation* of property, and on allowing officers a certain percentage of fees coliected. Mr. Wilkins thinks his plan would do away with 'all inequality in salaries. All but a few of the county officers have complied with the request of the commission for information. The commission will not mjnee matters with those who do not answer, but will send an officer, with full power to examine all books, to make a thorough examination. The State militia now numbers eleven companies of infantry and two batteries. The batteries are located at Indianapolis and Attica. One more battery, at Fort Wayne, is nearly ready so rorganizatlon. There is an average of 55 men in the infantry companies, but it is the wish to have 60 in each infantry company and 64 in the batteries. The law provides for 48 companies of infantry, or four regiments, but the appropriation has never been large enough to support so many. On the present appropriation three regiments could be maintained. Owing in some degree to the number of men which have enlisted in the volunteer* service, there is at presenhpo battalion or regimental organization of Indiana’s National Guard. One company, at Frankfort, has been mustered out because the captain and most of the men went into the volunteer service. Before the outbreak of the war the State had forty-two companies. There is an epidemic of hog cholera in Indiana. The report of the State Board of Health says the disease was carried to Wayne County from the Union stockyards, Indianapolis, and as a consequence forty thousand dollars’ worth of hogs died in that county alone during the month of November. Among the other counties affected are Jackson, Henry. Laporte. Shelby, Hancock,’ Adams and Franklin. ■ iThe State Board of Health has received word of the prevalence of anthrax near Switz City. The local health officer said that within five days one-half of a herd of sixty cattle died from the disease. Dr* Hurty said that the case at hand emphasized the need o$ a veterinarian in connection with the State Board of Health.