Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-01-22


Total receipts NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. s22,0!o 90
Balance in the Treasury Dec. 3lst, 1862 s4,753 35
OF this income there is by law appro-
| priated annually 25 per cent. to the School
Fund, % per cent to the Normal School
Fund, and SO per cent. to the Drainage
! Fund.
TIE following is summary of the trans
actions OF the War Fund during the calen-
dar year:
Balance on hand Dec. 9lst, lS61... s5O,a27 %
Receipts OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 7577O0 90
Total amount...... ................. SS09, 1928 OF
DISBURSEMENTS. Observation-Disclosures. 49,. 7oO,929 q
Balance in Treasury, Dec 31st, 1902. 1898 55
The receipts in this fund are made up
mainly of money received on sales of State
bonds and advances made By the United
States upon the claims of the State for
war expenditures. The amount Of these
claims sent to the Secretary of the Treas
ury for examination and adjustment is up
to the present time 81, 125, 349 81.
| Ofthis amount there has been retun-
| ded to the state and passed to the
/ war fund S51I,S00 70
Applied in payment of the direct tax
due from the State. Observation-Disclosures. S441735 81
Total amount refunded. .s1.o1e. 546 90
Leaving due the State the sum off,. Slu5 sos AZ
| 1t is source of great qualification to
| me that, in addition to the settlement of
the direct tax due from the State and
amounting originally To the sum Of s5l9.-
69S.66, but reduced Is per cent, on &C.
count of having our vouchers fled in prop.
er time, | was enabled to obtain an ad.
vance sufficient from the General Govern
ment upon our unsettled claims to enable
the state TO discharge all its outstanding
! indebtedness on account of war expenses
| OF last year. Under the great pressure of
business and the vast transactions of the
u. 5. treasury department., the eEamina~
! and settlement OF these State claims pro-
| gress but very slowly, and great embar-
rassment would have resulted to the State
and its creditors, had these liberal advan-
ces not obvated the difficulties. No further
advance can however now be counted
upon, as the margin left for accounts that
may not be allowed is already very small
one, and as the financial embarrassments
Of the General Government would also
prevent further advances
The sources of income, then, to meet the
expenditures of this fund during the pres
eat year Will be confined 10 the tax Of
$275,000 provided at The extra session of
last year, and such other provisions as
may be made by you to meet the demands
upon this fund. These demands will be
large, and in addition to the necessary
expenses of our military departments, of
state surgeons for cavalry and artillery,
and OF taking care OF our sick and wounded
soldiers, will mainly consist of the extra
pay OF IS per month allowed to the SOL
der5 who have families dependent upon
them. It is estimated that this will re-
quire $50 900 per month. The special tax
Of $275, 0OO will probably be exhausted in
the month OF March or April. The State
OF Wisconsin cannot permit the families of
her brave soldiers to suffer for want of
this additional pay-it should not be dis
continued; but | know of no way in
which the honey necessary for this pur-
pose can be procured except by an addi-
tlona loan. This subject will undoubtedly
receive your most careful consideration.
and you Will adopt such measures as your
wisdom may dictate.
| will close this short financial review
by stating that on the 31st day of Decem-
Der, 1862 there was in the treasury as the
whole amount of balances on hand in all
the different funds the sum of 1921 ,424 60.
COMMON. SCHOOLS.
The very able and Interesting report of
the Superintendent of Public Instruction
will give you much valuable information
concerning the condition of our common
schools, and contains many excellent sus-
| in tn
ment and future development of our free
school system. Your attention is respect.
fully invited TO a careful examination of
this report and especially to his recon-
mendations concerning the establishment
OF high schools as part of the common
school system. Education is one OF the
chief corner stones of free institutions,
without it they cannot long remain pure !;
| ignorance Is a great enemy OF liberty. Ii
by some means attendance upon schools
could be enforced, it parents who often sci :
fishly retain their children at home and per-
init them to grow up In Ignorance, could be
compelled to send them to school for a
certain length OF time, as they are rigor-
ously compelled to Go in Prussia and some
other European States, | should gladly
advocate the passage of the necessary laws
for that purpose. do not consider such
laws an i'm proper interference with indi-
vidual liberty the child is not the prop
erty of the parent, the state has a large
interest in its education and may well
make regulations concerning it. Not en-
tirely satisfied that such a law could be
carried into effect in our State, leave
this matter to your superior wisdom and
consideration.
The following are few of the statistics
taken from the report of the Superinten-
! dent:
Total number of children between four
and twenty years of age............ 3OS. O56
! Whole number OF pupils attending
school during the year. ...... ...... l9I 1866
OF which there were under four years
of age..:......,........ ...:......,....... 1920
ana over twenty years OF age. 2,049
Number of male teachers employed dur
ing the winter term ............. 23Ia
Number of female teachers employed
during the winter term ............ 1910
| Number OF male teachers empioye dur
=, ing the summer term. .............. AIS
! Number of female teachers employed
! during the summer term ..... 1862
Total number OF school houses....-..... 5000
Total school taxes raised ............ S7O3 1862 So
State fund apportioned during the year 149 S9l 90
| STATE UNIVERSITY.
The condition of the State University in
an educational point of view during The
! past year has been very satisfactory Al
! though large number Of the students
! have exchanged the nusket and sword for
theil books and studies, and are serving
our country in the ranks of the army, the
numhpr Of Stulpntc 1prior tho c,,r,nou