Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1881-01-20

same time, mo ulSltlNe, ana rlghuully
demand to know what it costs to accom-
plish these purposes. Would it not be
wise, therefore, abolishing all circum-
| locution, to let your appropriations
show the total amounts of public money
devoted to any specific object? The
present system of maintaining the hos
pitfalls for the insane and the industrial
school for boys, whereby portion OF
the expense is charged to counties, and
| the sums thus collected treated as a
separate fund, not under legislative con
troll, or appearing in the annual appro-
priations: appears to me to be cumber-
some, expensive and misleading.
1t is the duty of this legislature, as,
[ trust, it is its purpose, to exercise
wise discrimination, not only in the
matter of specific appropriations, but
also in the consideration of all questions
involving the expenditure of the public
funds.
| EDUCATION.
The report of the state superintend-
ent will show that the total amount of
money expended for the support of
common schools during the past year
was 50, 166, 366.43, an increase of near
" $14, 900 over the preceding year, and
that of this sum 1867, 870.32 were
paid for teachers wages. The whole
number of children within the state,
of school age, is reported at 483, 190, a
slight decrease from last year, but the
attendance at school has increased
nearly 5000, and is now reported at
299, 258. The number Of teachers en-
ployed in the public schools of the
state the past year was 1O,l1O. By
the terms Of the compulsory educa-
ton law" which went into effect Sep
TENDER l, 1879, all children between
the ages of seven and fifteen years, not
excused therefrom for good reason,
are required to attend public or pri-
vate school at least twelve weeks in
each school year. The number OF
children, between these ages, in this
state, is found to be 229,076 and no.
402, or nearly three-fourths of them at
tended the public schools during the
year.
The state superintendent has been
most active in the discharge of the
varied duties of his Office during the
past year. and the impress of his yea
and faithfulness will be felt fol many
years to come.
There is a healthy rivalry, but nc
unfriendly jealousies, between the pub
lie and private schools of Wisconsin
The friends and promoters of either
recognize that the field is broad enough
for all who may come, and each en-
courages and supplements the work OF
the other The report Of the state SUI
perintendent will contain the most
complete and reliable statistics of the
condition of all the schools in the state
private as we'll as public, ever compiled
and in this and other respects will be OF
unusual interest.
The expenditures for the four Nor
NAL Schools were $74 015.33, for teach
ers' institutes, $7,21079, and for expen-
ses of administration, $2,7O9.41. The
amount paid to teachers at the sch )ols
was $57, $4,000, and for repairs sc, O81. SO.
The whole number of pupils in attend
ance was l $3.50, at an expense averag-
ing $40.S per pupil. The number at
tending Institutes was 1866, q gain OF
$40 over the attendance for the previ-
Gus year, and the expense of conduct
ing the Institutes averaged less than
$1.50 for each member enrolled. The
management of this most important
trust by the Board of Regents is emf
nently satisfactory and merits high
commentator.
| The number of students enrolled at
the State University in the different de-
| no ont nOtnhnr I
| The total expenses for the fiscal year
were $97, 06004, Of which sum $40
5O2.40 were paid to instructors, $13-
1872. 46 for completion Of Assembly Hall,
$6,779.33 for repairs Ind other improve
ments, and $27 ,585. So for miscellaneous
purposes, The University has attained
conspicuous and we'll merited rank
among the higher institutions of learn
Ing in the United States. 1t is in fact
as wells as in name a State university
and 1t aims to meet all legitimate pub
lie demands. Its corps Of instructors
and its courses Of study, as exemplifed
in the character and success of its grad
yates, are not in any respect inferior tC
the best, however much its methods
and purposes may differ from those
adopted in institutions founded a cen
tury or more ago. am glad to know
that its merits and advantages are be-
coming better appreciated throughout
the State, and that, in consequence
very few counties are unrepresented in
its catalogue of students.
INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS.
The fiscal year of the Industrial Schoo
for Girls, in Milwaukee, closes October
31st. The managers forwarded me
their report for the past year, request
ing that it might be published by the
State. Much to myregret, the Commits
sioners of Public Printing could find nc
authority in the law for complying with
this otherwise most reasonable re-
quest. The buildings and grounds oc-
cupied by this institution are the prop
erty of the state, and it is doing most
noble work in a most excellent way; a
work which, but for the self-sacrifcing
philanthrophy of the ladies connected
with its management, the state would
be obliged to undertake. at cost of
several thousands of dollars annually,
and 1t would seem that for this reason,
and because Of the public interest in
the methods and results of this work,
the state ought to make provision for
the publication of their annual reports.
| The number of children received in