Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1880-01-15
81

in the management Of public business They
realize that penuriousness does not consti.
tute economy, and therefore will approve
wise expenditures aud account them proiita-
bic investments.
EDUCATION.
The rerort Of the State Superintendent
shows that the total amount of money ex-
pended for the support of the common
schools Of the State during the past year was
s., l52, 7S3.l5, seventy.four per cent of
which was for aeachers' wages shat 293 ,2s6
pupils attended these schools and received
instruction from 9,s75 teachers in 5,626
school houses. The estimated value of these
school houses is S4,3i9 1851, OF the sites
upon which they are located S73S, 52O.95,
and of tlc apparatus they contain, $751;
el2 30,-an aggregate investment for COM
mon school purposes of $5,2l4, o. The
total number of children over four and un,
der twenty years Of age is reported at 4S4,-
S53 with less than 5000 OF them in school
districts main Tain schools less than five
months in the year.
The expenditures for the four Normal
schools were ST., 703.e7 of which S57, 498. 40
were paid to instructors The attendance
during the year aggregated 1908 different
pupils.
The catalogue OF the State University
shows 4Sl different students in attendance
during the year The Board Of Regents re-
port $40, 558.lS paid out during the year for
current expenses, Of which $40, 206.77 were
received by instructors
These statistics are presented for your con-
sldcration not BY way of criticism or COM
plant, but with the hope that they win at
tract to the subject of education the attention
which its importance demands | believe
our schools are improving from year to wear.
particularly the rural district schools where
the mass of our people receive their eduea.
ton, and that this improvement is due in
large measure primarily to the jealous and
intelligent lahors of the State and County
superintendent and the enthusiastic CO.
operation Of the professional teachers who
have graduated from our Normal schools and
State University, aud the excellent colleges
and other institutions of learning rot in any
way aided by the State. Il is, therefore, a
serious Misrepresentation to assume, as | fear
many do, that the only justification and rea~
son tor expanding the large sums of money
necessary to equip and maintain our Normal
schools and University are to be found in
the direct and primary results of their labors
in furnishing the opportunity and means of
education to the pupils in attendance. These
results, though in and of themselves by no
means unimportant, are among the least of
the benefits conferred by these institutions.
Their full lruition is not seen without includ-
ing the public schools proper and the good
therein accomplished.
The ordinary income Of the University is
derived from the interest upon the University
and Agricultural college funds, amounting last
year to $50 344 % and the proceeds of the
one tenth OF a mill tax provided for in Sec
ton $50 Of the revised statutes, which
was $il,3l0 80. These sums appear to
be adequate for ali the present necessities of
the institution and if the present ratio Of
assessment is to continue there is perhaps no
necessity for any change in the law, but if it
should be increased, as it ought to be, to rep
resent more nearly the actual value of taxa,
bic property, there would seem to be mani,
fest propriety in changing the form of the ap.
preparation from an indetint9 to fixed sum.
such sam, be it more or less as the legiti-
mate needs Of the university may require
INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS
The whole number Of boys in attendance
at the Industrial School for boys, in Wauke-
sha, during the last fiscal year was 435, and
the average attendance 425 The number
admitted was l25, as against l5l last year.
and the number discharged ll3 The current
expenses were S42,s66.72 or at the rate of
500 sc 4-l00 per inmate, as against STA
524 last year, The amount paid for salaries
and wages was Sl3,8l0.36 and for subsistence
Sll,09Z4l, The sum Of Sl3 10000 has been
paid towards the erection of new buildings
The managers ask for an appropriation Of
$4,000 90 in addition to surplus aud the
sums to be received from counties to meet
the expenses OF the current year
OF the amounts heretofore appropriated
Tor building purposes there viii remain, when
the present buildings are completed and paid
for, the sum of s., POI "a, which the mana
gers propose to expend in building hospital
and ice house. They claim that this sum rep
resents in part the value Of the labor of the
boys in til" erection Of the buildings the past
summer and that i. may therefore be hqiti>
mateiy expended in providing other needed
structures.
The epidemic which prevailed ia that insti-
tuition last summer attracted wide attention
aud elected much discussion. 1t is easy to be
wise after the fact The health Of the boys
and all connected with the school had been
Tor years exceptionally good under circum-
stances and conditions 90 all appearance pre-
cisely similar 10 thoseexistiug when the dis
ease broke oat, and the managers are not
censurable because they dia not discover the
The total number Of cases Of
Iypho-malaTa fever, in population of near
900 was 50, SIX OF them terminating fatally.
The promptness, vigor and skill with which
the disease was handled afterits breaking out
is creditablc to the managers and the attend
ing physician.
The managers Of the Industrial School for
girls in Milwaukee are not required to report
TO the State. but do in fact favor me with
copy Of their report when published. Not
having received their report for the past year
| am unable to give you the details of their
work. ! have however visited their institution
ana been much gratifed and encouraged in
the success of the labors of the
ladies' who have its management
in charge. | am persuaded that the adyan-
tages of this school are not sufficiently known
or appreciated throughout the state Magis>
trates and others who are clothed with au-
thority and with responsibilities in such mat
tiers should see to it that girls who ought to
be IN that school are sent there, as they see
to it that boys are sent to the school in Wan
kesha Woman's influence and example for
evil as well as for good are far more potent
than msns and hence it is yitally important
that girls whose surroundings or habits are
leading them intc the paths of shame and sin
and crime should be ACKNOWLEDGEMENT not
alone for themselves but for the public coed.
The building and the site occupied by the
Industrial School for girls are the property
Of the state. There is some necessary grad /
ing to be done upon and around the grounds
and something also should be done in the way
81 ornamen.atlon, by planting trees, construct
ing walks and otherwise The managers have
no funds " th which TO do this work or means
Of securing them, except by voluntary bene,
factions, and all that can be secured in this
way are needed to meet current expenses. /
therefore reeor'nend an appropriation TO the
managers to enable them to make these nec~
essary improvements.
DEPENDENT CHILDREN
l cannot foEbear in this connection calling
attention to the unsatisfactory provision
made by tie state for the care Of dependent
children who are simply poor and without
homes. The authorities are BIZ law wisely
prohibited from sending them 10 the roor, /
hopss and with equal reason ought to be pro. |
sibited from sending them 20 the industrial /
schools They ought not to be brought into
association or contact with paupers or with /
children who are incorrigible or have begun /
criminal pracSiees Their true places are IL /
the thousands Of homes whore they are need, |
ed an3 would be welcome, where they could |
confer as well as receive beuefis Institution |
iie s. best is but poor substitute for home. 1
aud in the cases OF these children should be !
only a haltiag place and distributing station. |