Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1879-01-16

school expenses, the sum of 81 O61, 762, or more
| than one-fourth of all the money raised by taxa
! ton for all purposes, goes 10 their support.
| / believe that our university, normal schools,
! ana the public schools proper well the
| universities, colleges, academies and the MANY
other excellent private schools not supported BY
| the state, are Improving from year TO year, that
] they were never in better condition. or doing
! more effective work than now. 1 would not have
i their capacity Tor usefulness in the least de-
| creased. On the contrary. I hope to sec ii en-
1 larged; but that it may be so, and our present
| system retain the public confidence, it is indis
/ pensabIe that economy and wisdom should
characterize all expenditures
! l sincerely hope that the textbook commits
| sion, appointed by the last legislature, may be
able 70 present for your consideration some feas
Ibe I Ian Tor securing uniformity in textbooks
throughout the state, and greatly reducing their
COST and that you will be able TO afford the people
! very material relief IN this direction.
INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS
The managers of the school for boys, at Wauke
| sha, report the whole number of boys in attend
ance during the year to have been 527, the YER
| age attendance $50. and the number present at
the close Of the fiscal year4.9. The expenditures
! for the year amount to S48,7 As. The expenses
OF the current year are estimated at Sij1l925, Of
which Sl1, 1925 will be received from counties,
and the balance of S34, 0O0 they ask may be ap-
plOpriated by the legislature.
Attention Is called to the oVercrOWded COndi-
ton OF the buildings and it is very evident that
unless IN some way relieved provision must be
made Tor more room. The managers estimate
that with the funds and material on hand and an
additional appropriation of SIS 900, two addition
al buildings, with capacity to accommodate 100
boys, can be erected and furnished.
have no official report from the managers of
the industrial school for girls in Milwaukee, but
am able to say from personal knowledge, that the
appropriation made last winter has been most jul
dlciOuSIy and economically expended. The city
OF Milwaukee has conveyed 10 the state a most
eligible site, containing nearly nine acres, for the
location of the institution, and a structure in
every way adapted to its wants has been erected
thereon, and is now nearly or quite ready for &C.
cupancy.
DEPENDENT CHILDREN.
There are now in the Industrial School FOR
/ Boys about one hundred boys, sent thither, not
because they have committed crime, or
are incarrigtble but solely because they
have no homes, and there is no 9TH
er place for them except the poor house. 1t is
not the best policy to SEND such children to an
Institution OF that character. The true place for
them is in families; but for various reasons it
! seems difficult t. find places for them from that
school.
For this class of children the state of Michigan
has prOvideda distinct state school, which has
/ been in operation nearly five years. and Is &C
counted one Of their most successful charities.
/ should very reluctantly approve any measure
looking to the creation of another state institu-
! ton in Wisconsin, requiring the present eXpend-
! lture of any considerable sum of Oney even for
| so worthy purpose as the one now under con-
sideration 1t viii be remembered, however,
| that Ex-Governor c. G. WaShburn, with most
cOmmtndable liberality and philanthropy, last
winter rendered to the state as free gift his ele
CANT and commodous residence at Edgewood,
near this city, and the grounds connected there
with, some fifty acres in extent, to be used an
| industrial school for girls. In view of what had
! already been accomplished in this direction by
| an association Of ladies in Milwaukee, and the
! reasonable expectation Of the future success of
! their plans with very limited aid from the
! state, 1t was not deemed eXpedient TO accept the
generous offer for the specific purpose designa-
! ted, but joint resolution was adopted accepting
! IL for that or such other purpose as might be APP
! proved by the donor, and | have been given to
understand that if it shall be the pleasure of the
! state to accept this properly and establish there
! school for dependent children, it Will be con-
/ Veyed to the state for that purpose.
Relieving that sGCh an institution may be made
! the means Of accomplishing great good, by res
! Cuing the children for whom it may be designed
! from lives Of idleness, pauperism and crime, and
! from thus becoming the prOgenitors of long lines
! of paupers and criminals, and conceding the ne
ceSsity for the erection OF additional buildings at
| Waukesha, unless that school can be in some
| way relieved, l commend the whole subject to
| your careful consideration and wise Judgment
/ and shall cheerlully cooperate with yOu in car
| rying forward any measure that may be deter
mined upon.
The number of COnviCtS confined in the state prs-
on, September 30, 1878, BAG; the highest number
during the year 3G6, and the average $50, in
crease of AZ over the average for the previous year.
/ The number received during the year 2l3 and
! the number DISCHARGED, including two deaths and
one escape 157. The receipts from all sources were
S7G743. ~, and the disbursements SG5,OS8.65. The
estimated expenditures for the year ending Septem-
Der 90 1872 including the completion of work in the
north cell room, Sol, 73S 10. The current
rent expenses, but the deficiency will be supplied by
collections on accounts of sales of chairs and wagons
You should not in any degree relax proper legiS-
lative scrutiny into the management of theprson,
cause it does not apply for appropriation. The
| recommendations submitted by the directors and
warden, should receive your early and attentive con-
sideratiOn.
! Reflection, study and personal observations
! have led me to believe in the eXpediency OF q
most radical change in the law relating to sem
fences. This is not the place, even If time would
permit, to argue this question at length. Both
/ the law and judges are too lenient in dealing
! with professional criminals. Many times the
sentences pronounced in such cases are but little
! better than traVestleS upon Justice, and do not
tend to beget respect for the law on the part of
/ the offender or any one else. The opposite eX-
! IRENE is sometimes reached, and sentences are
made too severe. Many of these cases come be-
! fore the governor on applications for pardon,
which ii is difficult to deny, Notwithstanding it is
well known that every pardon granted in such
| cases tends to weaken the public confidence in
| law and its Judicial administration. The inc
quality of sentences is another most serious evil!
to which attention has frequently been called,
! and which should not be longer overlooked. l
ask your attention TO the tables on pages 81 and
| 90 of the prison report, setting forth the actual
! results OF the law as it now is.
A system under which such errors and injustice
are possible, though hallowed by the practice Of
| centuries, ought not to be continued. Wisconsin
may better lead than follow in this matter of
| prison reform. The substitution of indeteTmin-
| ate f~r fixed sentences has been successfully
| tried, and is approved by those who have given
| the subject most thought, and have had OppOrtu-
nifty for widest observation.
! BENEVOLENT INSTRUCTIONS.
/ The report of the trustees of the soldiers or
| phans' home shows that in pursuance of the pro-
visions OF chapter - OF the laws of 1874 there has
been paid for bounties to the mothers or other
legal guardians OF the former inmates of the
home, and for expenses connected with the adj
ministrattOn of this trust and the distribution o!
the Ward and Smith fund, the of 81 500 -,
leaving balance of 1888. 30 in the hands of the
treasurer, September 30, 1878. The names OF
| twenty children still remain upon the rolls enti-
tied to bounty during the current year, and it is
estimated that the sum of $500, In addition to the
amount Oh hand, will be required to meet these
demands.
Inadvertently the whole law relating to this
subject was repealed by the revision of the stat
uteS that there Is now no board OF trustees, or
other body or officer, authorized to carry out the
provisions of the law of 1874, or to complete the
distribution of the Ward aud Smith fund. l rec
ommend therefore, the Te-enactment of so much
of the law may be necessary under the circum-
stances now existing and the appropriation OF
the amount asked for by the trustees in their re
port.
Wisconsin has appropriated from her state
treasury 1888 I0J 10 aid in the education and sup.
port of her soldiers orphans. No money was
ever more cheerfully paid or more worthiy APP
piled. 1t is not proposed to continue payments
| beyond the present year and henccforth this
noble charity Will live Only in history, and The
hearts fthe hundreds of fatherless children who
have been the recipients Of the bounty of CRATE
full people.
Hospital for the Insane shows that 127 patients
have been cared for at that institution at a cost
of S146Si9, inclusive of S32 707. 50 expended for
repairs and improvements. The average number
of patients was 5i3, and the number under treat
ment at the close of the year $50 The estimated
expenses for the present year smount to S12LS34,
of which S473S9.40 will be received from counties
The Wisconsin State Hospital for the Insane
has had total of $50 patients during the year,
the average having been $50, and the number I'M
der treatment at the close of the year, $685. The
expenditures have been SI14,443. 90, inclusive of
S105.33 for repairs aud Improvements. The eS-
Inmates for the present year are Sl20S00, of which
S37, 152 13 will be received from counties.
:. ..:- 10. =.