ent relatives, that such provision should be made as will insure prompt action on their claims upon the bounty of the Government. It is estimated that the sum of $29,535,000 will be required for the pension-service during the next fiscal year; which amount is less by $965,000 than the estimate submitted for the current fiscal year.
EDUCATION.
The report of the Commissioner of Education for the last fiscal year contains the usual abstracts of reports of State and city superintendents, and of other official publications relating to educational matters, together with increased tables of statistics compiled from replies to inquiries, made by the Commissioner, of the various State and city educational officers, and of institutions devoted to the interests of public instruction.
The benefits of a common nomenclature adopted in reporting statistics relating to education are becoming apparent. The information now given to the public by means of the official publications of State and local school-systems and of educational institutions is thus more easily generalized and better understood. Valuable lessons are derived, in the opinion of the Commissioner, from the generalization of such a multitude of facts obtained from so large a number of State, territorial, and City systems and from so many institutions, and he regards the enunciation of such lessons as of more general importance than the exercise of any control in> educational matters; for in this way existing excellencies are shown and emulation excited, while past errors are noted and methods of improvement suggested.
The demand upon the Office for information upon special topics has been met, in part, by the publication of eight pamphlets, containing, in all, 704 octavo pages. During the year more attention has been given to the introduction of drawing in public schools than formerly, and there has been a marked tendency to abandon faulty and obsolete methods of instruction, adopting those more in harmony with natural development, and better adapted to fit pupils for the more practical duties of life. A special report on drawing, as taught in these schools, and on art-education in the United States, is in preparation and nearly ready for publication.
The statistical work of the Office has largely increased during the year. In addition to general inquiries with reference to State and territorial school-systems, requests have been made for special information of the various universities, colleges, schools of science, theology, law and medicine, schools for the higher instruction of women, college preparatory schools, academies, musenms of art and natural history, schools for the deaf, dumb, and blind; reformatories, and asylums in the country. A special report is now in course of preparation in regard to public libraries in the United States, including those of schools, colleges, societies, &c., which will furnish interesting statis-
