Finances.—The receipts for the year 1917-1918 amounted to $15,643,321, and the disbursements to $14,878,937. There was a balance on hand at the end of tho year of $5,372,820. The assessed valua tion of real estate in 1919 was $722,761, 254, and of personal property $179,764, 087. The state has no outstanding bond ed debt.
Charities and Carrections.—The in stitutions under control of the State include school for the deaf, school for the blind at Vancouver, training school house at Seattle, for the year ending Sept. 30, 1919, aggregated $2,013,736, 000; an increase over those of the pre ceding year of $352,932,000.
Ednoation.—There were in 1919: 3,439 schools, with 8,158 teachers. The attend ance in the elementary schools was 235, 008, and in the high schools, 37,317. There are three normal schools, with about 5,000 students. The total ex penditure for the year for educational purposes was $16,587,356. The univer sities for higher education are the Uni versity of Washington at Seattle, Uni versity of Puget Sound at Tacoma, State at Chehalis, school for girls at Grand Mound, Soldiers' Home at Orting, Vet erans' Home at Port Orchard, three in sane asylums, a penitentiary at Walla Walla, institution for feeble-minded at Medical Lake, and a reformatory at Mon roe.
Churches.—The strongest denomina tions in the State are the Roman Catho lic; Methodist Episcopal; Disciples of Christ; Regular Baptist; Presbyterian; Congregational; Protestant Episcopal; Lutheran; Independent Synods; and United Brethren.
Railways.—The railway mileage in the State in 1919, was 6,292.09. The roads having the longest mileage are the Northern Pacific, the Great Northern, and the Oregon and Washington.
State Government.—The governor is elected for a term of four years. Legis lative sessions are held biennially and are limited in length to 60 days each. The Legislature has 41 members in the Senate and 97 in the House. There are five Representatives in Congress.
History.—For the early history of this region, see OREGON. Washington was a part of Oregon Territory till the admission of Oregon, in 1853, when this section was separately organized as Washington Territory. There was sub sequently considerable trouble with the Indians. Immigration having set ac tively in that direction, it was admitted into the Union as a State, Nov. 11, 1889.