The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-01-18

lishcd boards of railroad commissioners, and
many other states are likely soon To do So |
think the people of the country are convinced
of the importance of maintaining such
commission, and that corporations created
by the State must hc subordinate to its SOW.
crcignty,
recommend that the law creating the of.
flee Of railroad and warehouse commission.
| rr~ he amended So that the term of office he
| four year, instead of two.
The grain inspection department, under
the control Of the railroad and warehouse
| commissioners. is now administered with
| very general satisfaction to all concerned.
! The shipments to Chicago, reported by the
| chief inspector for 1878, show an enormous
gain over 1877, and the fact that the business
| of inspection is 80 well managed is increas
| inc the public confidence in the wisdom of
state inspection.
STATE BOARD OF HEALTH.
The act to create and establish state board
| of health went into force July l. 1877, and
| very soon after that date the board was or.
ganizcd and entered upon its duties The
blanks and instructions for registration of
births, marriages, and deaths were prepared,
and the system was naugurated in 1878, with
| results that are very satisfactory for Il begin.
ming, and which will he placed before you ~
soon rs they can be collected and tabulated.
The board of health has performed with
! great success the important work imposed
upon it 10y the medical practice act. 1t con
tans representatives OF the leading medical
schools who have worked in entire harmony
and have sought 10 secure for the people of
! the state the great advantages which the law
WAS intended To give, 10y She elevation of the
standard OF qualifications for the practice of
medicine Many delicate questions have
arisen in the discharge of this branch of their
duties, and while they have aimed to faith
| fully execute the law, they have also been
careful not to make ii means of oppression
| or persecution. More than five thousand per.
sons practicing medicine in this state have
! complied with the law and received certif
Gates. and it Is estimated that fourteen hun
| dred persons who had been practiclng medl-
cine, and were unable to comply with the
law, have left the state. The board OF health
! recommend that provision be made for the
publication, in book form of the register of
practitioners who have complied with law.
Owing to the pressure of the work imposed
/ by the medical practice act, the board has
/ not done much in the way OF sanitary invcs
/ tigation, but they have prepared a scheme
! for "a complete sanitary and typographical
! survey of the state, which will he placed be-
/ fore you for your consideration. Daring the
| ycllOw-tcver epidemic in the autumn of 1878,
! they did good service in assisting municipal
! authorities, and | am satisfied that the par
tal quarantine established at G, iro was very
usethl in hndering the introduction and
| spread Of the disease, and in allaying excite
ment and preventing panic IN the neighbour
| ing towns.
STATE HOUSE.
| The report of the state house commission
ers gives full financial statement, including
| n Il nd A.
| for the building, and also recitcs in detail
what remains to be don" for its completion.
| The thirieth general assembly passed an act
appropriating $53l 7l2.1S for the compile
ton and furnishing of the new state house."
! subject to ratification by the people at the
| succeeding general election. The appropria-
/ ton was submitted, and voted down by the
| people by large majority. Little remains
to be done in which the usefulness or practi.
cal features of the building are involved, hut
| am convinced, as think you will be when
You have given il personal examination, that
the interests of the state demand its early
completion in all It's parts.
COMMISSIONERS TO PARIS EXPOSITION.
Under the provisions Of the act of congress
| nominated, and the president of the United
States appointed, John NJ. Gregory and Os-
| born II. Keith as honorary commissioners to
|
tional industrial exposition, held in Paris in
1878. These gentlemen prepared and |
| caused to be printed, pamphlet, III the
| French language, containing sketches of the
! history, geography, geology, and other hat
! ural features of the state. its agriculture com
| merCe, manufactures and educational system
with description of its chief commercial
city, and other interesting facts. THIS was
freely distributed at the exposition, and | have
abundant evidence that 1t was highly appre
| ciatcd, not only as Il description OF this state
but as representation of the general char
! acter of American states and institutions. The
commissioners have prepared report, which
will be placed before you In which they have
embodied the results ola careful study of The
leading exhibits, selecting those which give
| information most valuable to the citizens of
| Illinois
| recommend that an appropriation OF S5OO
be made to DR.. j. Nj. Gregory, for his ser
vices in preparing and experimenting the
| publication of the pamphlet in French, and
| to reimburse him for clerk hire and other ex
pclses connected with the preparation of the
report.
COMMISSIONER TO STOCKHOLM.
appointed Fred H. Wines, secretary of
the state board of charities, a commissioner
10 attend the International prison congress,
port as commissioner, which Is Incorporated
IN the biennial report of the state board of
charities, gives, in addition to Il report of the
congress, much valuable information con
corning penal and charitable institutions
which he visited
PENITESTIARIEs.
The full and explicit reports of the com
missionerS and warden of the Illinois state
penitentary at Joliet furnish all the facts aud
tables needed to enable you to have com
plcte knowledge of the affairs of the PRISON
during the last two years its expenses, It's
earnings, the amount of It's Indebtedness the
health of the cOnvicts, and, geSerally, the dis
cipline of the prison. The Indebtedness on
the 30th of September 1878, was S5O,59632,
which amount should be appropriated, ana
the debts paid without delay This prison
has been selfsupporting since the early part
of last summer but when the present board
of commissioners took control, and for "A year
atierward il was ovcrCrowdeu with cnnvIctS,
and IN the general depression OF business II