The State has an excellent banking system, very conservative in its holdings of re serves; the New Orleans banks were notable for their exceptional solidity and punctuality in meeting Northern obligations when the Civil War broke out. On 18 Sept. 1916 there were in operation 219 State banks with resources of $221,316,903,000. There were also 14 stock sav ings banks with 100,000 depositors and $33,863, 885 deposits. In the year 1918 the exchanges at the United States clearing-house at New Orleans were $1,799,857,000.
Government and constitu tion of 1898 was devised to exclude the illiterate negro vote, except for owners of property to over $300 who are not subject to educational qualification. Otherwise than that, each voter must be able to fill out his application blank for registration, but this does not apply to anyone who was a voter on 1 Jan. 1867 (that is, before the 14th or 15th Amendment was passed), or his son or grandson of mature age. Women taxpayers can vote on all questions of tax paying in any subdivision of the State. State officers are elected for four years. The gov ernor has $5,000 salary, the pardoning power and a veto by items, which may be overridden by a two-thirds vote of the elected members of each house. The legislature holds biennial ses sions limited to 60 days; both houses are elected for four years; the senate may be from 36 to 41 in number, the house from 98 to 110, and as a fact the numbers are now 39 and 114; there must be one representative to each parish, and to each ward of New Orleans. The ju diciary is headed by a Supreme Court, consist ing of a chief justice and four associates ap pointed by the governor with the consent of the senate, for 12 years. There are judicial dis tricts, to be not less than 20 nor more than 29; the judges are elected for nine years, as is the district attorney for each.
From and after 1 July 1904 there has been a Court of Appeals, composed of two district judges designated by the Supreme Court. The State has a large Democratic majority. It sends two senators and seven members to Con gress. The assessed valuation of property in 1918 was $1,412,552,191; the State tax is $5 per $1,000. The legislature cannot incur debts ex cent to repel invasion or suppress insurrection. A poll-tax on each adult male goes to the school fund (see Education). The bonded debt for the fiscal year 1918 was $11,108,300. The budget for 1918 was $6,993,527.
Louisiana, formerly near the foot of the ladder in the general education of its people, has made extraordinary efforts in the vast two decades, and in some respects has surpassed all other Southern States; a fact more creditable from its large negro population. The average school term (191.4 days) was the longest of any Southern State. The term of colored schools was as long as those of the white, and the amount expended is exceedingly creditable, being in 1915, $5,961,596.86, or nearly half as much as the current receipts of the State. The school revenues are made up of 1 13/20 mills from the State property tax of six mills on the dollar, a poll-tax of $1 13/20 on all males over 21-- retained in the parish where levied, and other local taxes may be laid — special corporation taxes, etc. By the law of 1902 the school administration is cen tralized in a State board of education consisting of the governor and eight appointees, the super intendent of education and the attorney-gen-. eral; this appoints a four-year board of educa tion for each parish (county), who appoint parish superintendents. The enrolment in schools during 1915 was 63 per cent of the white children from 6 to 18, and 40 per cent of the colored; in both cases more than a three fold increase in 20 years. Despite all efforts, however, the load of illiteracy is a heavy one to struggle against. In 1915 there were 5,658 teach ers, nearly three-fourths female; over 1,176 col ored teachers, about evenly divided. Besides these there were many hundred private teach ers. The pupils in the Catholic schools alone were about 25,000. Total pupils enrolled in common schools were 254,861. For higher edu cation there were 38 public and 135 private high and secondary schools, two industrial col leges, the Industrial Institute at Ruston (North Louisiana) and the Southwestern Industrial In stitute at Lafayette, two normal schools, the State at Natchitoches and that of the city at New Orleans; the State University and Agri cultural and Mechanical College at Baton Rouge, partly supported by the United States; Tulane University, with affiliated special colleges, one of the best reputed institutions in the South, and a number of Roman Catholic and sectarian colleges. For the colored people are four — Southern University, Leland University, New Orleans University and Straight University.