Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1880-01-16

shOu Id be rescued-rescued not alone Tor
themselves but for the public good.
The building and the site occupied by the
Industrial Schuol for Girls are the property of
the State. There is some necessary grading to
be done upon and around the grounds, and
something also should be done in the way of
ornamen,ation by planting trees, constructing
walks and otherwise. The managers have no
funds with which to do this work or means of
securing them except by voluntary benefactions
and all that can be secured in this way are
needed to meet current expenses. therefore
recommend an appropriation to the managers
to enable them to make these necessary I'M
provements.
DEPENDENT CHILDREN.
cannot forbear in this connection calling
attention to the unsatisfactory provision made
by the State for the care of dependent children
who are simply poor and without homes. The
authorities are by law wisely prohibited from
sending them to the poor house and with equal
reason ought to be prohibited from sending
them to the industrial schools. They ought
not to be brought into association or contact
with paupers with children who are lncUr-
rigibe or have begun criminal practices. Their
true places are in the thousands of homes
where they are needed and would be welcome,
where they could confer we'll as receive ben
6ts Institution life at best is but a poor
substitute for home, and in the cases of these
children should be only hating place and
distributing station. The more l reflect upon
this subject the more positive becomes my con-
victiuna that the next public enterprise to be
undertaken in Wisconsin should be a school
for dependent children, separate and distinct
from the industrial schools.
STATE PRISON.
The number of convicts confined in the State
prison, September Sd, 1879, was 309-thirty-
seven less than were there a year previous
The average number in confinement was SIS
nine less than the average for the preceding
year. There were only 100 commitments dur
ing the year. as against 2l3 for the year ending
September 80 1878. 1t does not follow, how
ever, that there has been a decrease in crime
under the change in the law relating to lar
ceny, many are now sent to county jails who
were previously sent to State prisons. l am
very reluctant to recommend return to the
law as it was prior to the revision of the stat
utes, and vet it must be conceded that incarcer-
alton in the average Jail is not conducive to re-
formation of character. However unfortunate
it may be for this class of offenders it certainly
is creditable to the State that our criminal
population is not numerous enough to justify
the erection of an intermediate prison. a
temporary and tentative solution of the prob
len may possibly be found in utilizing the
north wing of the prison at Waupun as an in
termediate prison, under some appropriate
name other than State prison. This would OBJ
viate the necessity of ere.ting new and expen-
sive buildings aud providing an extra corps of
superintendent and officers, and measurably
remove the cdium attached to sentence to State
prison.
OF the 1870 convicts committed to the State
prison during the last fiscal year, only twenty
had heretofore been in prison and but seven
teen were without the rudiments of an educa-
ton. The total cost to feed warm, clothe,
guard instruct and discharge the prisoners was
S40,27O.O8, or 1886 each per week. The prin-
cipal items of disbursements were for salaries
and wages Sl5, 535.75, and for subsistence,
5l4, 367.02. The total receipts from all sources
were SAG 6l9. %. the disbursements BAT, 324,
and the cash balance at the close of the year
was 81 090.44. The expenses for the current
fiscal year are estimated at $40 825. 0U, of VIII oh
the prisoners earnings not expected to pay
to exceed three-fOurths. 1t seems almost i'm
possible to correct the false impression that
because the prison authorities do net ask for
appropriations the prison has become self
supporting. The time is apparently not far
distant when the accumulated capital will be
exhausted, and moderate appropriations be re-
quired to meet defciencies-and in justice to
all concerned this fact should not be forgotten.
1t has been the aim of the directors and ward
en-, first of ali, to place the prison upon the
highest ground a refOrmatory, and this,
from considerations of wise economy as we'll as
utility. Tie great cost of crime is not in
prison expenses, but in the expenditures look
ing to the protection of life and property, and
the arrest, detention and conviction of GRIM
inals.
of last year in regard TO the good time law and
extra provision in extreme cases for discharged
prisoners, and l commend these recommends
tons to your favorable consideration. l also
renew the recommendations contained in my
previous messages in regard to the substitution
of indeterminate fer fixed sentences.
BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS.
The trustees of the Wisconsin Soldiers Or
phans Home have submitted their fourteenth
annual report, and therein give brief resume
of the work done and the expenses incu rred in
the prosecution of this charity since the }lst
day of March, 1866, when the home was adopt
ed by the State. Six hundred and eighty-three
children have shared in the benefits of the
home, aud the total cost to the State has been
$3i2, 800. From the Ward and Smith fund.-
originally amounting to S25.55497, and its ac-
cumulations, there has been paid to former In
mates of the home the sum of Sl8, 1869, and
there remains on hand, in cash and bonds, the
sum of I5,552.77.
At the Northern Hospital for the insane ISL
patients have received treatment, of whom 65
were discouraged, IcCOVefeU 8uu 90 Improved
The daily average of patients was $50. The
total expenditures were 1892 452 81, of which
S2l, 9S5. ST were for additions, repairs and i'm
provements, leaving as current expenses the sum
of $l10, 467.06, or at the rate of 5000 for each
patient The current expenses for the next
hospital year are estimated at 1922, 99l.96, re-
quiring an appropriation. in addition to other
sources of revenue, of S72. 33945, The super
intendent and trustees think it expedient to
construct a tunnel from Lake Winnebago to
the hospital in order to secure an adequate and
unfailing supply of water, and, not rely, as
now, exclusively upon the artesian we'll which
may fail. The estimated cost of the improve
ment is Sl5, 10000. They also ask appropria-
tions for steam fire engine, s., 10000, and
sundry other purposes 50, 500 90.
The Wisconsin State hospital for the insane
has given treatment to 607 patients during the
year, and reports 81 discharged cured, and 80
discharged improved. The average number
under treatment was 425, an the total expendi-
lures were Sl35, 500 49, of which $50, 95l SO
were for additions. repairs and Improvements,
by which, among other points gained, the
capacity of the hospital has been increased to
accommodate $50 additional patients. Some of
these additions had not been authorized by the
legislature. but it was practicable to secure SO
much additional room for such comparatively
trifling expense, altogether unprecedented in
the history of hospital construction, that the
trustees veutured to anticipate your approval
of the necessary expenditures therefor. The
current expenses at this hospital were SlO4,-