The statistics of religious denominations are but partially available, only a few of the de nominations publishing complete reports. The Protestant denominations are divided into many sects. The number of ordained ministers is given as follows: Advent,23; African M. E. Zion, 15; Baptist, 209; Catholic Apostolic, 5; Congregational, 497; English Lutheran, 17; German Lutheran, 19; Swedish Lutheran, 17; Hebrew, 8; Methodist Episcopal, 177; Presby terian, 14; Episcopal, 194; Roman Catholic, 432; Unitarian, 5; Universalist, 10.
Charitable The educational institutions which are partly or wholly sectarian in character will be mentioned in speaking of the general subject of education. The Board of Charities reported, in 1914, as in successful operation, 26 hospitals, public and private; 6 sanatoria for tubercular patients; 2 State hospitals for the insane; 12 private asy lums for the insane; 1 colony for epileptics; 1 school for imbeciles; 2 schools for the deaf ; 1 school for the blind; 2 homes for old soldiers; 8 county temporary homes for children; 67 almshouses; 20 private homes for old people; 19 private homes and asylums for children; and recent additions to the list have been made. Of these, the Roman Catholic Church supports 3 orphan asylums, 5 hospitals, 2 homes for aged poor, and the Swedish Congregational Asso ciation largely supports one orphanage. Of the almshouses, 61 are owned by the towns or cities in which they are situated, and 6 are owned and managed by private individuals, 101 towns caring for their poor in their own houses or in families. The Hartford Retreat for the Insane, the third in age in the United States, having been opened in 1821, holds a unique position, because, although always a private in stitution, it was long the only place in which State patients could be received; and some such are still committed to it each year.
Penal and Reformatory There are 1 State prison; 10 county jails; 1 State reformatory for male delinquents be tween 16 and 25; 1 school for boys; 1 indus trial school for girls; 3 homes for young women offenders, of which last the Roman Catholic Church supports one. The State Reformatory, opened in 1913, is doing a very satisfactory work, and is an important addition to the cor rectional work of the State. The total expense to the State for the care of delinquents, defec tives and dependents in 1914 was $1,946,517.92.
The educational system of Connecticut was planted almost literally with the first corn that was planted by the early settlers. From the small beginnings in the few towns, the present system of public schools has been evolved, aided materially in 1795 by the proceeds of the Western Reserve Lands, now in the State of Ohio, which were sold in order to establish a school fund. The lands, to the extent of about 3,500,000 acres, were granted to Connecticut by the United States in 1786 as a tacit compensation for her loss of the Wyoming territory by a decree of 1782.
About 500,000 acres were granted by Connecti cut to those within her jurisdiction who had suffered from the incursions of the British during the Revolution, and the remaining 3,000,000 acres were sold for the establishment of a school fund. That fund remains intact to the present day, and amounted, in Octo ber 1916, to $2,008,590.79, yielding an income of $116,850.55 for that year, and providing 43 cents of the $225 per child, distributed to the schools on the basis of enumeration. Another fund, known as the town deposit fund, was Connecticut's share of the apportionment from the surplus of the United States Treasury in 1837, and was given by the State to the towns. Under the law of 1859, the entire income of this fund was to be used for education; but it has become so merged in the general treasuries of the towns that it scarcely has a separate ex istence. Beyond this State support, the com mon school system depends on taxation in vari ous towns and school districts to meet expense. By a recent decision of the courts, a school dis trict may, in lieu of the payment made by the State of $2.25 per year for each enumerated school child, receive from the town the actual expense of conducting the schools for 188 days in the year.
Education is compulsory, within the limits of 7 and 16 years. The control of the com mon school system is varied, being by commit tees, either of towns or of school districts, or by boards of education, the tendency being toward the consolidation of districts in each town. Supervisors have been introduced with good effect, and in increasing numbers. Trade schools, where vocational preparation is given by practical experts in the different trades, are assuming a prominent place in the scheme of public education, and are well equipped. In addition to the common schools, to whose sup port it contributes, the State now supports four normal training schools for teachers. It also supports and controls an agricultural college and an agricultural experiment station. In 1915 the public school buildings numbered 1,510, employing continuously 6,392 teachers, with many others employed at times. The average daily attendance during 1915 was 175, 881. The value of school property was $23, 193,194.84; the total expenditure for public schools as reported by towns was $9,590,562.67; the receipts on account of public schools, as reported by towns, was $7,656,423.37; received from loans, $1,949,796.13; indebtedness of towns on account of schools, $8,703,329.31. The expenditure per child registered in 1915 was $23.67; per child in average attendance, $36.87; the increase in cost per child in average attend ance in the 10 years preceding 1916 averaged $1 a year.