The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-02-18
Reports.

Reports.
We are indebted to our representatives il
the legislature for copies of numerous reports
that have been laid before that body
amounting in the aggregate to a thousand o,
more pages of printing. Ofthese some are toe
meager in their statements to give anv int,lli
BILE information, while Others are inordinately
voluminous. In the former class NAV be
ranked the report of the state house commiss
toner's. From that the only ineligible items
we CLEAN are that during the past year Sa77.-
5f3,l3 have been expended; it is limited that
the amount the work has thus far cost is in
the vicinity of million, and that it will cost
$1,000, 900 more to get the building so far along
that the Legislature can hold its sessions in it,
and we are finally advised that Jacob Bum
drew his per diem as one Of the commissioners
with remarkable punctuality on the LIST day of
each month.
The trustees of the state reform school are
equally succinct in their statement. They say
they have erected building at Pontiac 1873
feet long, the centre being 64x67 feet and the
wings 35x59. The building appears to be two
stories high with basement and an attic,
and has cost thus far Slsl,OOO To lengthen
out the report, (for the benefit of the printer,
we presume,) the committee add cope. of the
various laws passed by the legislature in ref
erence to the institution.
The state agent for the collection of war
claims from the general government gives US
8 pages, from which we gather that he sue
ceeded in wringing out of the Comptroller of
the treasury during the year SOL ,42l 81 on these
claims, and that claims to the amount of
1929, 900 still stand suspended
The trustees of the "Southern Illinois
Normal School" report that after good deal
Of tribulation they got their institution loca
ted at Carbondale, commenced the erection of
building, (sze not gven) which has pro-
crossed to one story above the basement.
jackson county got this institution located
at Carbonate by agreeing to issuebonds
for $4,000 as bonus, and the con
tractor agreed to take these bonds as part
pay. Now, however, 1t turns out that the
bonds were illegally issued, and the trustees
want the state to make up the deficit Thus
far expended on the building about $4,000
The trustees, Superintendent and officers of
the ''llnoss Soldiers Orphans Home report
their building finished, CAT Normal,) that the
school was opened a year ago. and has had
since then 800 pupils Of both sexes. The
health Of the children has been good and there
had been but deaths during the year. The
boys outside of school hours, work on the
farm, and the girls are taught needlework.
cooking, &c. The concern expended $50, 900
during the year, and is $S,1796S in debt
Among the unnecessarily vo!uminous re
ports must be classed as No the report of the
trustees of the industrial University at
Champaign, Ill. 1t is a book of over 400
pages, and aside from dozen of pages re-
ating to the condition Of the school, its pro.
gress, number and class ofstudents. their stud.
les, &c, and the finances of the institution,
the bulk Of the report is made up of discuss
AoHS, iceIuicS, W., vi agricultural meetings
held in various parts of the state, most of
which are the merest trash. Here is speci |
men, which has already been sufficiently rid |
iculed elsewhere:
Miles, know number of dairymen who |
insist on the rule drinking first the forward |
and then the hind tcats, together 1t depends
a good deal on the cow--that is, on the |
position and distance apart of the teats.
Whitncy-Nlilking IN the Store and aft !
style is good deal 'all in my eyew prefer
the diagonal style, but think that every man
should be left to milk according to the die
tates OF his own conscience.
That the state should be obliged to pay
of dollars to print large books filled
with such trash is enough to disgust the most
earnest friends Of our Estate institutions"
We must reserve the penltentiary report
and the vouminous reports Of the various
benevolent institutions at Jacksonville for
another day when we have more leisure.
The Tennessee.