The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1880-01-24

&,
eoe views heretofore expresses upon The subject Of
pIoPfiailons and public exrenditUrss Ii is
heAtneT pruceGt Nor popular TO .cholt what Is
necessary Ih7 people of WiscoEgi5 are not sttogy,
uoE 20 tney expect their Representatives to be MIS-
gardly in ths Iaansg neot Q. pubic business.
lhsy realise that renariousness does not cOpslitu
economy, ard shate:ore wi approve wise experdi-
ture- srd account those profitable Investments.
EDUCATION.
The report of the state superintendent shows
that the total amount Of money expended for the
support OF the common schools Of the state durtE
the past year 81 152, 7s2 Is. seventy four Der
cent. 81 which was for teachers wages that %SS,
2s6 pupils stteuded these schools, and received
instruction from s,s75 teachers IN 5,626 scaoJl
houses. The estimated value Of these school
houses IS -, 3t9,s. 81; OF the sites upon which
III located, sI3S $50 95 and OF he 81 aratUs
they contain, $751; ,0l2.5Qsn aggregate tnt estnneut
FOR common school purposes OF s., ,sIs.C6. The
total number OF children over four and under
twenty years OF age is reported st asa $685. with less
than 5000 OF them IN school districts antaining
schools less than i've months IN the year.
The expenditures Tor the four normal schools
we're s7Z,gtS,07, Of which s57,49s40 were paid 10
instructors. The attendance during the wear
aggregated J, s9S different pupils.
TGe catalogue OF the state university shows 4Sl
Inherent students in attendance during the year
Inc Board Of regents report $T0,55S.lS paid out
during the year FOR current expenses q which
81, ZO6.II we're received by instructors.
These statistics are presented Eor ycur cousders-
uon, not by way Of criticism or coupIsint but
with the hope that they viii attract TO the subject
OF educstioa the attention which its Importance
demands. l believe our schools ars improving
from year TO year partiC ularly the rural district
&c ools, wnere the mass OF peo receive b. IT
education, and that this in prOYement IS due IN
tarse measure primarily to the jealous and fntel-
gent labors Of state and county superiutendents,
aud the enthusiastic cooperation Of the profes-
sIon2l teachers who have graduated from our
normal schools and state university. and
the excellent colleges and other institu-
tons Of learning not il any way aided BY the
state. IL is Their fore, serious Misrepresentation
10 assume, fear many do. "a IL the only tustif-
cation and reason for expendiL the large sums OF
money necessary TO equip and maintain our normal
schools and university 70 be found in the
direct and primary results # their labors IN
turnlshlng the opportunity and means Of educa-
cation 20 the pupils in atte dance. These results,
though in and Of themselves by no means uuim-
portaut, are among the least Of the benz 4 CEN
TERED by these institutions Their fun frutiOn is
net seen without including the public schools,
proper, and the good therein accomplished.
ne ordinary Income of the u7iyersity is derived
nom the II tsrest upon the University and AzTi-
cultural college funds amounting last year to $780,
5t4.Z3, and the proceeds OF the onetenth Of 3 mill
tax provided for in section 800 Of the revised
statutes which was Sil $40 so. These sums appear
TO De adequate TOR all the present necessities OF the
institution, and II the present ragiO Of assessment
is 10 continue tAsre i3 perhaps no necessity for
any change IN the lsT, but II IL sEeld rs increased
SIS II ought ID be to represent mere nearly ual
value Of taxable property, there would seem u he
manifest prOpriety IN changing the form Of the ap-
preparation from "a indefinite 10 u liked suu-such
sum, be It more or less, as the legitimate needs Of
the university may require.
INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL.
The whole number OF boys in attendance at the
Industrial School for Bows, IL Taukesha, during
the Last fiscal year, gss 49,, and the average at
teLd nee 425. The number admitted was Us a.
8 alnst Isl last year, and The number discharged
ll3 The current expenses were So $3.50, or at
the rate Of SlQ0 IS Per inmate, Is against s11452
last a.. The amount paid for salaries and wages
vas $3.50 80. and for sub-isteaceSl1 OF -. The
Al n 4~r Fr4f Do
zion Of new buildings.
The managers ask for an appropriation OF $50 600,
IN addition 70 surplus and the sums to be re-
ceived from counties, 70 meet the expenses OF the
current year.
Of the amounts heretofore appropriated for
building puposes, there will remain, when the
present buildings are completed and Paid fer, the
sum of t5,-0 "A, which the managers propose to
e1pend il building hospital and ice house. They
claim that this sum represents in part the value of
the labor Of the bO,s the erection of the build
ing the past summer, and that x may therefore be
legitImately expended in providing other needed
structure.
The spidemic which prevailed in that ms tuition
last summer attracted de attention and ected
much discussion. II is easy 10 be wise AFTER the
fact The health Of the boys AMI all connected
With e school, had been for years exceptiona Il
good under Ct cumstsnces and coudi ions, 10 al
appearances precisely similar 10 tho existing
hen the disease broke ont ard the managers are
not ceLsursble because they did not discover the
undiscovered bic. The total number of cases fypho-
malarIal fever, IN population OF nearly soc, was
30, six Of them terminating fatally T4e promp =
ness viSor and skill with which the disease vas
handled after its breaking GU, i5 Cr5diahle TO the
ma ayers ara the attending physiC Pm
The mans gers of the industrial School fer Girls
IN Milwaukee are not required TO report 10 the
state, but do, IN fsct favor with copy of their
report when published. No having received their
report for the past year, ] unable 90 give YOU
the details Ct their *. I have. however. visited
their Institution, and been mucu graf fed ana en-
c2uIaged in wit esug the success OF tue l-bOrs Of
the phiauthropic ladies who have its management
IN charge. am persuaded that the advantages Of
this school are not sufficiently known or a0pre-
cIated throughout the state Magistrates and 9TH
ers who are clothed With authority and with re-
possibilities such matters, should see TO il
that girls who ought to be IN that school sent
there as they see to it that boys are sent to the
hoOl il Waukesha. W0uan's influence and ex-
ample for evi, we'll as for good, are far more
potent than mans, aud hence it Is vitality impor-
leading them irtO paths Of srame, and sin, and
crime, should be rescued rescued no alone for
The mselyes but f0T the public good.
The build ng ana the site occupied by the Indus
trial School for Girls 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 orramentatiOn, By
plant ng trees, constructing VIZ ks and otherwise
The managers ave no fund.- With VII CO 10 DO this
work or cans Of securing them, except by 70 M
tary benef&ct3OEs, and all that can b secured in
this way are needed TO NEE: current expenses I
therefore recommend an appropriation to tAe man
ayers 70 enable them TO make these necessary in
provemeats.
DEPENDENT CHILDREN.
cannot forbear in this connection ca ling atteu.
ton TO the unsatisfactory provision made by the
state for the care Of dependent children who are
simply poor aud without hoUes. The authorities
are by law wisely prohibited from sending them e
the poor. house, and with equal reason ought 70 bt
prohibited from sending them to the industrial
schools. They ought not to be brought into assO
cation or contact with paupers or with children
Fho are inc0rrigible or have begun criminal prac
tees. Their true places are IL the Thousands OF
hemes where they are needed and would be vel
come. where they confer IS well as receive beneh 3
Institution life at best is but poor substitute fOl
home and ia the of t. 7se children BHruld bs
only ha ting place and strIbating station. Tn.
more I reflect upon this subject the more positive
become my CONVICTIONS. chat the next public enter
prise TO be undertaken in Wisconsin should be
school fo7 dep -ndent children. separate and dis
tInet from the industrial schools.
STATE PRISON.
The number OF couyicts confined in the state
prison. September 50, 1879. was s09-Ihirty- seven
les thsn were there 8 yesc previous. The average
number in confinement wac 52S-aine less thar
the average for the preceding year. There were
only $50 commitments during the year. "a against
213 for the year ending September 81, ISIS. I
does not follow, however, that there has been
decrease in crime, as unuer the change IN the Law
relating TO larceny, many are DOW sentenced t
county iails who formerly sent 10 state prs
am very reluctant 10 recommend return 70 tbs
law as il pi0r to the revision Of the statutes
and yet must be conceded that incarceration II
the average jail IA not conducive 10 reformation OF
character However unfortunate Il may be fol
this class OF offenders il certainly s CrUGttable K
tie state. that criminal population Is not uum
/ erous enough 10 justify the erection OF an inter
mediate PRISON AtempOrary and t NATIVE solution
Of the problem may possibly be found IN utl ZluE
the north wing OF the pr son at Wsupun inter
mediate prison, under some appropriate name Other
than state prison. This would obFate the necessity
Of erecting new and expensive bui}1 ings and pro
viding an extra corps Of superintsndents and
officers and rneasuraby remove the Cdium attach