employment would very much increase this per centage as well as increase the number (now only a little more than 25 per cent.) who will seek the opportunities offered for im provement in normal schools and teachers' institutes.

The number of scholars registered would show a registry. of about 130,000 outside of the cities, a calculation as accurate as can be made on account of incompleteness of returns. Those actually in the schools are but 59 3-10 per cent. of this number, or 77,090. This may, in part, be accounted for by looking at the number of seats furnished for pupils in the school houses reported. By the same calculation as before and making allowance for the counties reporting scholars who do not report number of seats, we find seats enough for only 69 1-2 per cent. of the scholars registered, or for 90,350.

Dividing the years of school age into periods of two years each, we shall have eight such periods, each being 12 1-2 per cent. of the whole. It will be seen that the pupils registered during the first period from four to six years of age, are 16 2-10 per cent., while the last two periods, from 16 to 18, and from eighteen to twenty, furnish ouly 6 3-20 per cent. each.

The large share of very young pupils will account, in part, for the small per centage of punctual attendance. This cause, however, will be partially removed, as our schools are so classified as to make them attractive and profitable to small children. Another occasion for absence from school may be found in the very poor school houses, which, according to the reports, constitute more than 27 per cent. of the whole number. All these causes of irregularity of attendance ought to be removed, and will be when the foundation upon which they rest is broken up, viz., apathy of parents. From a large majority of the schools I have visited, comes the same complaint of want of interest in the school. More of this in its proper place.

By means of this table I am able to present a comparison of our schools with those of other States, as regards punctuality of attendance. The per cent. of number registered is given, and not per centage of whole number drawing public money.

Wisconsin shows 59 3-10 per cent., Maine a little less than 68 per cent., Ohio 52 per cent, Pennsylvania less than 60 per cent., Massachusetts 74 per cent., Connecticut 70 per

cent.

CITY SCHOOLS, SPECIAL REPORTS.

3. On the next page will be found statistics relative to the schools of our cities, which are working under a special charter. With one or two exceptions they are all obtained from the school officers of the several cities by personal conference. The tables may not be absolutely correct, but as the same basis of calculation has been assumed in all the cases, they may be relied upon as relatively correct, and thus one of the main objects in view in the preparation of tables is attained. The results will doubtless differ from reports made up at home, because made upon a different basis. Especially will this be true in relation to the expenses of the schools. In the Milwaukee High Schools two teachers were reported as employed, who may have given instruction in other schools also If this be the case the expenses of the High Schools would be diminished perhaps 15 per cent., while the expenses of the other schools would be relatively increased.

In most of the cities also more or less time of the Principal is given to work outside of the High School. In proportion to the time thus spent will the real expense of the High School be diminished, and that of the other schools relatively increased. In some cases also the Principal has charge of a Normal class which diminishes the actual cost of the school to the city in proportion to the amount drawn from the Normal Fund. This has not been taken into the account in my calculations. I have taken simply teachers' wages as the expense of the schools. Incidental expenses are not included. They will be relatively about the same as teachers' wages and will increase the expenses about 25 per cent.

The average wages of male teachers can only be judged correctly by comparing that column with the column of number of male teachers. The average wages of Principals of . High Schools would not show so great a difference.

The expenses can only be correctly estimated by comparison with results attained as seen in columns of per centage of attendance. A comparison of the two last columns will show the condition of cities as to per centage of scholars drawing public money, who are found in the schools. Those which are the nearest alike have the largest per centage.

The estimates are made upon six months of the year ending September 30, 1860.

II-WORK OF THE YEAR.

CORRESPONDENCE.

1. The Correspondence of the Department has been steadily increasing for several years. This year it has given constant employment to one person. Every letter received has been answered within twenty-four hours after its reception, unless it involved questions requiring a longer study and consultation. A complete registry of every letter sent has been kept, and copies of all important letters preserved. Letters received have been filed, with dates of writing, posting, receipt, and answer recorded.

APPEALS.

2. The Number of Appeals made to the Department has decreased during the year. I have made decisions upon thirty, and hold some four or five under advisement.

TRAVELS AND LECTURES.

3. As much time as could be spared from the duties of the office, has been spent in visiting different parts of the State, speaking to the people when convenient, learning the wants of our State in respect to its schools, conferring with teachers and with school officers, and in endeavoring to awaken a deeper interest in the cause of popular education. Nearly fifty public addresses have been delivered by myself or my assistant. As many of the appointments have been made in connection with Teachers' Institutes, under direction of the Board of Normal Regents, we have been able to spend a little time, beside that given to public addresses, in talking to teachers. During the spring series of Institutes, free conferences were held with school officers, ho were specially invited to be present. By these means we have reached more than 2000 teachers, and several hundred superintendents and district officers. While traveling I have visited nearly 300 schools, and have found the teachers at their daily task. The time spent in each school, could of course be small, but sufficient to give some idea of the general character of the schools, and for a few words of ad vice and encouragement to teacher and pupils. These visits have not been confined to schools of any particular class, but have embraced all classes, from the best to the poorest.

The counties visited are Brown, Columbia, Dane, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Grant, Green, Green Lake, Iowa, Jefferson,

Kenosha, La Fayette, Marquette, Milwaukee, Monroe, Oconto, Pierce, Portage, Racine, Richland, Rock, Sauk, Sheboygan, Walworth, Washington, Waukesha, Waupaca, Waushara, and Winnebago.

From one to four addresses have been delivered in each of the counties above named.

Office duties prevented my visiting other counties. I hope to be able to reach during the coming year, all except a very few of the newly organized counties. Uniform courtesy and kindness have been extended to me both upon the part of the people and teachers. From all the many gatherings held, I have carried away pleasant memories, and ardent hopes for the future of our State. No occasions have been more gratifying than the school celebrations, held in several counties during the past summer. Such gatherings are very profitable, and I trust they may be multiplied. As little time as possible should be consumed in preparation for them. The more impromptu, the better they are.

A few weeks, during the time when little could be done in our own State, were spent in visiting superintendents of other States, that through conference with them I might be better prepared to work in my own field.

DISTRIBUTION OF WEBSTER'S DICTIONARY.

4. Before the Legislature of 1860 convened, there were on file in this office, applications for more than 500 copies of Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. 600 copies were purchased, in accordance with the act of the Legislature, at a cost of $4 per copy, delivered at this office. These were all distributed as soon as they could be sent out. We have received receipts from the officers to whom they were sent, for all except 31. These were sent to remote counties. They have been notified of the place to which the Dictionaries were sent, and informed that the Express Agents having them in charge would be ordered to return them to this office, unless called for before the time of selling for charges. Several Dictionaries have been sold in years past for charges. If the Dictionaries sent to the several districts are not worth to them the charges upon them, they should be transferred to other districts now waiting for a supply. Districts once supplied, as appears from the records of this office, have again made application, but have in all cases been refused, unless I have been satisfied that those sent them failed to reach them through no fault of their own. Such a record is kept of Dictionaries sent, as will prevent any second application from the same district meeting a supply.