The salary paid Miss Ida B. McLagan is largely returned to the treasury by music tuition. Vocal music is taught all pupils free, but a fee of $12 per term is charged for instrumental music. Miss Anna E. McGovern, the last teacher employed, is a graduate of this school, going through its four years' course.

The Principal and his family, and three lady teachers, live in the main building, which has enabled the school to do without a Matron, thus saving the salary of such an employe.

The institution has a boarding department of the capacity of one hundred students, and under the management of Wm. Pattee, Steward. By good and economical management he has been able, besides paying the expenses of his department, to pay into the treasury the sum of $1,400 in two years. This sum has permitted the Board to employ a much-needed additional teacher, and to a moderate extent advance the

salaries then much too low, and still lower than this class of instructors is paid in like institutions in other States.

The Board has met quarterly for the transaction of business and for the thorough examination of the school.

The value of the school property is annually enhanced by the im provements and purchases made, and the property is in an excellent condition.

Estimates for actual wants for 1881-82-83:

For teachers' salaries.....

For repairs and improvements.

For library and apparatus...

For contingent expenses..

Total actual running expenses..

.$ 16,500.00

2,500.00

1,500.00

1,500.00

$22,500.00

The Board cannot see how it can possibly get along with a less amount, except to reduce the number of teachers and pupils. The increased cost of living will prevent the Steward from turning into the treasury any considerable amount of money, so that the full sum asked for will be absolutely essential to keeping up the school, even in the manner it has been the past two years.

The Board calls attention to the report of the Principal, hereto appended, for further details of the means in use and the practical working of the school.

The State Normal School is no longer an experiment. It is a success beyond peradventure. It has been brought thus speedily to its present excellent condition mainly through the indefatigable and untiring efforts of the very efficient faculty, whose whole being has been so wrapped up in the prosperity and success of the institution, that they have been willing to labor for such small compensation as the Board was compelled to allow them, hoping and trusting that a generous State, as soon as it saw the great and noble work being done, would bring it within the power of the Board to increase the salaries to a fair and just compensation for the labor performed.

AN ADDITIONAL BUILDING.

The capacity of the Normal School building, without overcrowding, is one hundred and fifty pupils, but the number now attending is about two hundred and fifty. To properly provide for even one hundred and fifty, the efficiency of the school would be greatly increased by the addition of the following:

Room for library and reading-room.

Room for museum and apparatus.

Room for general assembly.

Room for chapel.

More room for recitations.

More room for dormitories.

The largest room in the building, now used for assembly, seats but one hundred and fifty, while the school now has nearly two hundred and fifty pupils. By the addition of a room for a general gathering, the present largest room could be well used for two additional and much needed recitation-rooms.

The Board has given this subject considerable study and examination of plans and specifications and the cost of construction, and with a view to the strictest economy, they cannot see how they can get along with a less sum than $30,000, which amount is hereby asked for for an additional building. This sum for this building is necessary even though no more students are provided for than are now in attendance. But the Board is confident that with this appropriation and provision for employing two additional teachers, they can advantageously take care of from three to four hundred pupils. It is an appropriation which will, for normal school purposes, produce the greatest possible result with the least possible money.

The day has passed when argument is necessary to convince a State that the largest returns come from appropriations made to prepare teachers for the public schools. Iowa has not quite come up to her sister States in fostering institutions of this nature. There are now some 23,000 teachers employed in the public schools of this State. There are $10,000,000 invested in school-houses. For the maintenance of these schools the people of the State submit to an annual tax of nearly $5,000,000. The average attendance in these schools is not far from 275,000 pupils. The people of the several districts ask to be permitted to pay a tax of $18 for the instruction of each of these pupils, but when it comes to the State to provide teachers for these schools, it appropriates annually for normal school purposes purely, less than six and one-half cents for each pupil. Is it reasonable to presume that a people which voluntarily pay $5,000,000 per year for educating their children, are satisfied with the State paying only $7,500 per year for the education of the teachers who are to instruct these children?

There is not a member of the General Assembly but is as much interested in the work of the Normal School as are the members of this

Board. We have been chosen by the State to look after the management of the school, and see that the appropriations are judiciously and economically expended. Our contact with the school gives us a better idea of its needs and wants than is possessed by the members of the Assembly, and prompted by that interest and governed by that knowledge, we come to the custodians of the people's money, asking these reasonable appropriations, for the noblest of purposes, satisfied that a State whose free school system is the greatest pride and boast of its people, cannot be otherwise than generously disposed towards an institution which is doing so much to elevate and refine that system. In the name of the people of Iowa, who are so directly interested in the results of this school, this Board, through you, Mr. Superintendent, thanks the State for the appropriations heretofore made in its behalf, and begs the Nineteenth General Assembly to give this report and these recommendations that consideration which a subject of this importance demands.

EDWARD H. THAYER, President of the Board.

WM. C. BRYANT, Secretary.