REPORT.

To the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Twentieth General Assembly:

Your joint committee, appointed to visit the State Normal School at Cedar Falls, have performed that duty, and beg leave to report as follows:

We were cordially received by the Principal, J. C. Gilchrist, and other officials, and by them shown over the building and grounds, and accorded free access to the books and accounts and the departments of the Institution.

We made thorough examination of the educational and boarding departments, and found them in a gratifying condition.

Your committee find that while the funds have not been applied to the specific purposes for which they were appropriated, as will be seen in a subsequent part of this report, we are of the opinion that they have been wisely and economically expended.

Your committee would report that there was appropriated by the last General Assembly the sum of fifteen thousand five hundred dollars ($15,500) for the payment of teachers' salaries, that there was paid out for that purpose to June 30, 1883, the sum of fifteen thousand nine hundred and sixty-nine dollars and eighty-four ($15,969.84), being in excess of the appropriation four hundred and sixty-nine dollars and eighty-four cents.

Your committee would commend the Trustees and Steward for their economical management of the finances of the Institution, but find that they have incurred an indebtedness contrary to the provisions of chapter sixty-seven (67) of the acts of the Seventeenth General Assembly.

Your committee find that there has been the sum of six hundred

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and twenty-eight dollars and five cents ($628.05) diverted from library and apparatus fund to building fund.

We also find that the receipts for musical tuition, about seven nundred dollars ($700) which should have been paid to teachers' fund, was also turned over to the building fund.

We herewith append a list of names of teachers employed and at what salaries:

J. C. Gilchrist has board for himself and family for which he pays, but has rooms, light and heat free. Miss S. L. Ensign pays for board, but has rooms with some furniture free. Miss Ida B. McLagan has room with some furniture free. Miss Anna E. McGovern has room and some furniture free. M. W. Bartlett, D. S. Wright and W. M. Hull board outside of the Institution, except to receive their dinner there when teaching, for which no charge is made. Miss E. Miller is the teacher of the model school and receives about two hundred and fifty dollars ($250) from the public school funds in part payment of salary.

We herewith give names of other employes, naming kind of labor performed and wages per month each:

We find that none of the employes receive any perquisites, except as herein stated; that these contained in the last above list are paid out of the Steward's fund received from the boarding department, incidental fee and tuition charged students who do not sign the agreement to follow the profession of teaching when they leave the Institution.

In the opinion of your committee the school has a very capable and careful Board of Directors, and a most efficient Faculty, and that they have worked together with commendable zeal for the success of the school, and it has been their aim to secure for the State the largest possible results for the appropriations made and placed at their disposal. The teachers are doing an excellent work. They are preparing teachers in the subject matter, as well as the best way of imparting knowledge to others.

In regard to the new building we would say that to erect one upon the plans and specifications of the architect as submitted to the Trustees was found to cost more than the amount appropriated, but being desirous of erecting a building, entirely suitable to their wants and creditable to the State, the Trustees and professors by an extra effort were able to raise by subscription the amount of five thousand dollars, which sum was added to and expended with the appropriation building. Much crdit is due the generous people of Cedar Falls for the aid they have given the officers of the school. The building is well adapted to the wants of the school and is a fairly substantial building of fine appearance, although we were disappointed to find the inside walls of plastering slightly cracked at the angles of the ceiling, but think it comes from the force of steam heat in the room, and will not be a great nor permanent damage to

for the new

the value of the building.

The means of fire escape in the new building are ample for the

number of occupants.

The means of heating and ventilating seem to be all that is desired

in both buildings. But there is urgent need of some rubber hose to be attached to the water fixtures, to be used in the case of fire, and we have recommended an appropriation for the same.

Drainage and sewerage are perfect in the new building, but more sewerage is needed in the old building.

We would also state that the extra and unexpected expense of lowering and repairing the boilers was unavoidable. They must be lowered in order to use them for heating the new building, and when their unsafe condition was ascertained, it would have been culpable and criminal, indeed, to continue their use without thorough repairs; therefore we cannot censure the Board for diverting some of the appropriations from their proper use for their repairs. Circumstances compelled them to this action or to discontinue the school until an appropriation should be made. We have, therefore, in this report recommended an appropriation of three thousand dollars to meet the unpaid balance of this unexpected and unusual expense.

We find that the Steward's department has been more than selfsustaining, having each year a balance to turn over to the Treasurer. Strict honesty and economy have been used in this department. Yet we cannot commend the manner in which the accounts of this department have been kept, and would decidedly recommend that the Steward's accounts be hereafter kept in separate funds in such a manner as to enable a committee to readily ascertain the aggregate receipts and expenses of each fund.

Your committee would recommend that there be appropriated out of the State treasury, not otherwise appropriated: