Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1880-01-22

l.
Flown taxi. 2. 42S, 99T rate ............ rs 3
school tax. !, 90S, 742 rate............. As
Road tax. 1890 050 rate .............. 90
These figures, of course, represent
only the direct taxes levied upon prop
erty. Quite large amounts were cJl-
lected by the state. and cities, villages
and towns, in addition thereto. by way
of licenses and otherwise. What the
total amount collected and discussed
for public purposes may have been, /
am unable to state. The total state tax,
direct and indirect, is represented by
the payment into the general fund, and
these amounted to 81, 100, 1897. 81, in the
fiscal year ending September 80, 1878,
and to $1,249 33802 in the fiscal year
ending September so, 1879. The in
crease during the last fiscal year is very
satisfactorily accounted for in the ex-
cess of cash on hand at its close.
In my lsst annual message, referring
to the state tax then being collected, I
said: ''It is confidently expected that
this tax will pay all the expenditures of
the year 1879, and in addition, very
materially reduce, if it does not en-
tirely extinguish, the deficiency in the
general fund which has appeared on
each first day of January for several
years last past" 1t gives mc much
pleasure to inform you that this ox-
pectation has been more than realized.
January l, 1873, the general fund was
over-drawn $146,46867. January J..
1879, it was over-draWn $74, 860.8S.
January /, 1880, the surplus or balance
on hand belonging to this fund was
$145, ,40649.
The state tax now being collected is
$455, ,S71.S9, which is 1926. 517.10 less
than was apportioned for collection
last year and moro than twenty-three
per cent. less than the least tax in many
preceding years. l sincerely hope that
this tax and the receipts from other
sources, with the amount now to the
credit Of the general fund, may be
found ample for all the ordinary dis
bursements of the present year, and to
hat end invite your most rigid scru-
tiny of all bills appropriating money.
ESTIMATES.
The Secretary of State estimates the
expenditures for the calendar year 1880,
will be $96S, ,305 81, and the receipts un-
der eXlStlDg laws as lOllOWS:
Taxes OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES. 1907 $50 u
Reflway companies. 50 i.UU0 90
Insurance companies. es...........,. -. 45 COO 90
Miscellaneous sources. ..... ........... 20 600 GO
Total. S677, ,455 81
If your appropriations do not mate
rally exceed the Secretary's estimates,
= tax levy by this legislature of $780,
$4,000 will be ample for all purposes.
1t does not need, think, that should
alplfy the views heretofore expressed
upon the subject of appropriations and
public expenditures. 1t is neither pru-
dent or popular to withhold what is neC-
essary. The people of Wisconsin al
not stingy, nor do they expect their reL-
resentatives to be niggardly in the man
agonent of public business. They re-
al1zc that penuriousness does not con,
stitute economy, and therefore will ap-
prove wise expenditures and account
them profitable investments.
EDUCATION.
The report of the State Superintend-
ent shows that the total amount of mon
ey expended for the support of the COM
mon schools of the state during the
past year, was 50, 52,7S9.15, seventy.four
per cent. of which was for teachers
wages; that 293 .286 pupils attended
these schools and received instruction
from 9,S75 teachers in 5,626 school
houses. The estimated value Of these
school houses is S4,919, ,445.S1; of the
sites on which they are located, $685.
$40 50, and for the apparatus which
tlny Contain, $157, ,012 30-an aggregate,
investment for common school pur-
poses of So, 214, 1906. The total num-
Der of children over four and under
twenty years of Gge, is reported at 4S4,-
S53, with less than 5000 of them in
scLool districts maintsiIing schools j.. s
than FIVE months in the year.
The expenditures for the four nor
nal schools were $72,70S.07, of which
s57, ,49S.4) were paid to i sructols.
The attendance during the year aggre-
gated l, S03 different pupils.
The ca :alogue of the state university
shows 4S1 Giferent students in atten-
dance during the year. The Board OF
Regents report sc, ,55S.1S paid out dur
which $40, 206.77 was received by in
structors.
These statistics are presented for
your consideration, not by way of criti-
cism or complaint, but with the hope
that they will attract to the subject oil
education the attention which Its i'm.
portance demands. 1 believe our
schools are improving from year to
year, particularly the rural district
schools, whese the mass of our people
receive their education, and that this
Improvement is due, in large measure.
primarily to the Jealous and intelligent