The school revenue is derived almost wholly from taxation. In 1907 the State levy was raised from 2 mills to 3 mills and school dis tricts were authorized to vote 7 mills instead of 5. In November 1916, the people adopted an amendment raising the latter limit to 12 mills. The total expenditures in 1915 were $4,454,737 as compared with $3,187,083 in 1909 and $1,369, 810 in 1900. The value of all school property in 1915 was $12,660,849 as compared with $6, 939,000 in 1909 and $2,500,000 in 1900.
The census of 1910 showed 142,954 illiter ates, or 12.6 per cent of the population, as against 20.4 per cent in 1900. The percentage for whites was 7.1, negroes 26.4 as against 11.6 per cent and 43 per cent in 1900. The percent age of illiterates 10 to 14 years of age was 82 per cent in 1910, 162 per cent in 1900. The school population in 1916 was 649,083, of whom 460,145 were white, 1:•:,938 colored. The en rolment was 332,914 white, 114,812 colored, total 447,725. About 6,250 were enrolled in private schools. The percentage of the school population enrolled in the public schools is higher than in any State east of the Mississippi. The average length of the term is 134.9 days, the average daily attendance 304,401. The average salary of teachers is $51.50, or about $325 a year; $65 monthly for male teachers, $50 for female teachers. The number of teach ers was, male, 4,982; female, 6,080. Arkan sas ranks first in the percentage of revenue paid to teachers. There are 145 schools giving high school instruction, but only 82 maintain a four years' course. The en rolment in public high schools is 9,505, private 1,356. Four agricultural high schools (at Jonesboro, Russellville, Magnolia and Monti cello) and one normal (at Conway) are sup ported out of the general revenue. Also a °Branch Normal)) for negroes at Pine Bluff. The University of Arkansas (Fayetteville 1872) has a total annual revenue of about $300,000. In 1917, it was put on a millage basis. The enrolment is about 800. A medical de partment at Little Rock was added in 1911. Besides these there are the following private institutions: Arkansas College (Presbyterian, Batesville 1872); Hendrix College (Methodist, Conway 1884); Ouachita College (Baptist, Arkadelphia 1886); Henderson-Brown (Metho dist, Arkadelphia 1890) ; Arkansas Cumberland College (Presbyterian, Clarksville 1891); Gal loway Female College (Methodist, Searcy); Central Baptist College for Women (Conway); and Crescent College (Eureka Springs).
The Baptists and Methodists are the leading denominations in membership and influence. Catholics, Disciples of Christ, Presbyterians and Episcopalians have growing memberships in the order given.
Charitable and Penal Institutions.—There are 27 benevolent institutions in the State. The following are maintained by the State in or near Little Rock: School for the blind, school for deaf mutes, hospital for nervous diseases, reform school and home for Confederate soldiers. The State also pays $1,000,000 a year in pensions to ex-Confeder ates. The tuberculosis sanatorium is located at Booneville. The State prison is located at Lit tle Rock, the State penal farm for whites in Jefferson County, for negroes in Lincoln County. At the last census the number of de pendent paupers was 534, or 33.9 per 100,000 of the population. Criminals amounted to 1,307, or 83 per 100,000 of the population.
The growth of population is indicated by the following figures: 1820, 14, 270; 1830, 30,388; 1840, 97,574; 1850, 209,897; 1860, 435,450; 1870, 484,471; 1880, 802,525; 1890, 1,128,179; 1900, 1,311,564; 1910, 1.574,449; 1916 (est.), 1,753,033. The State lost heavily to Oklahoma when that State was opened to settlement. Of the total population, 71.8 per cent are whites, 28.1 per cent are colored. In 14 of the 75 counties over half the population are colored, but in 26 counties the whites make up 95 per cent. The foreign popu lation is 46,909 or 1.4 per cent, though native whites of foreign parentage make up 2.3 per cent. Of these the Germans contributed 34.4 per cent. In 1910 there were only 28 incorpo rated places of more than 2,500 population and these contained only 12.9 per cent of the total population. There were 395,842 males, 21 years of age in 1910, and 263,055 qualified voters (who had paid the poll tax) in 1915. The lead ing cities are Little Rock, 45,941; Fort Smith, 23,975; Pine Bluff, 15,102; Hot Springs, 14,434; Argenta 11,138.