The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1875-01-21
INTERMEDIATE SCHOOLS.

| oCIlOOlo VI 1IttfM0u1aGS SfdUO between
the lowest and the highest, similar to
the plan OF some of the Eastern States
SO that not only ID the larger cities but
also IN every county, If not in every
town, there shall be a series of free
schools leading our youth through sue
cess1ve gradations from the primary
school up to the university. For full
Ell discussion OF this important subject.
as also of the need of legislative meas
ures looking to d greater uniformity of
textbooks, [ refer you to the able report
OF the State Superintendent.
1t has been suggested by prominent
friends of education that the erection of
q central normal school in connection
with the university would strongly tend
to harmonic all interests, and to give
measurable unity and efficiency to our
educational plan. The reasonableness
OF this suggestion is obvious. As its
name implies, the university is intended
to supplement all classes of instruction
taught IN the state by public authority,
and the adoption of this suggestion,
while it would not necessarily impose
any additional burden upon the people,
would at least insure additional efficien-
cy and unity to this special department
OF instruction.
NATIONAL WATER COURSES.
regret my inability to congratulate
you upon more liberal improvement of
onr national water courses during the
past season. While [ have no official
knowledge Of precise results, it is mat
ter of notoriety that the appropriations
made by Congress for this purpose the
past year were insignificant in proper
ton to the magnitude of the interests
committed TO its charge and dependent
upon It's bounty. The Improvement Of
our lake ports has been continued to a
moderate extent, but not on a scale COM
mensurate with the Importance Of our
commerce, or the revenue derived from
our people by the federal government.
Work on the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers
was not actively resumed until July, and
the better portion of the season was
needIessly lost to the prosecution of that
ENTERPRISE. ] am unofficially informed
that detached sections Of the Wisconsin
River, for a considerable portion Of the
distance from Portage City to Prairie dl
Chen, are deemed complete for nayiga-
BILE purposes; that dredging out the
connecting canal between the Fox and
Wisconsin Rivers is being prosecuted
under contract, and that the efficient
continuance Of the work the coming
season requires further and more lib
eral action by the present Congress.
Probably a quarter of a million of our
people reside on the immediate SHORES
OF deep waters, navigated by steam and
sail These waters are grand highways
which nature has kindly and abundantly
bestowed upon our people. They were
destined by the Creator to bear upon
their bosoms precious burdens from off
farms and workshops, in exchange for
products of foreign industry and skill.
Over all this broad expanse Of navigable
waters the federal government holds
complete and indisputable sway. In the
solution of the grand problem of cheap
exchanges Of product, we ask OF that
| government to return to us but frac
ton OF that which we pay for It's support
| by enlarging the natural channels OF
trade, by providing sufficient shelter for
our shipping, and by protecting the
lives of our gallant and hardy sailors
from the rage Of November storms. We
ask this not merely ON the ground Of
justice, and much less Oh the ground Of
1lnrequited bounty. The wisest states
men of our time are confirmed by every
intelligent engineer of the federal ser
vice, in estimating an ultimate profit to
the treasury upon every dollar iudici-
| ously disbursed in this branch of the
public service IN truth, there are no
figures adequate to complete express
sion of the past or the future advantages
either to the government or to the peo4
pie, of the easy and safe navigation Oh
our lakes and rivers. The conceded
obligations Of the government IN this
! department have been the foundation of
our growth and the life Of our industry.
| But while it is fortunate for our own
people that the duty OF the government
is neither doubtful nor obscure, 1t is
unfortunate that the extent OF that duty
is not better defined, and that its
| faithful discharge cannot be more prompt
| ly enforced.
AS to the special claims of the Fox
and Wisconsin River improvement, /
need not indulge in repetition Of the
facts I have already stated, in my first
annual message and on other occasions.
[ now call your attention simply to the
conceded truth, that not less than che
| third of the states are more or less
directly interested in this improvement;
dom and other high authority, that it's
| completion would connect the commerce
of nearly 200 vessels on the lakes with
| that of quite 1000 boats on the Missis-
slppi River and its tributaries; would
save 80 cents per bushel'' on the cost
of wheat shipments, which would natural
! ly be contributed from Minnesota, Wis
consin, Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri
amounting to yearly aggregate to
those states of not less than $10,OOO,
900; would save other millions upon the
cost of transporting iron, copper, salt
and lumber from Northern Wisconsin
and Michigan, and Eastern merchan-
| disc received in exchange; and that with
the completion ofs the Huron Canal, its
natural extension, distance would be
sufficiently abbreviated to encourage a
large additional production and ship
ment, even promising to the toiling
producer of the West q profit on his
surplus oats and corn. A hundred