The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1881-01-22


small additional appropriations to comulete
additions and improvements already com.
menced, and their application, l doubt not will
receive, as it viii merit. your favorable consid.
Grafton.
The whole number of boys il attendant o.
the school in Waukesha during the wear yas
549. the average for the year being 427. Tho
number received during the year was l18,-10S
by commitment and ten by return of former
inmates. The number released. died and &c
capped was 119, of whom 104 were DISCHARGED
on ticket Of leave, 81 to their homes and seven
to new places on trial. The whole numbcrra.
ceived at this school since its opening il TDIv
1860, is 1901. The industrial interests con,
nected with this institution are reported to bs
In fourishing condition, and their bealtIfu
and refOrmatorv influences upon the bows can
/ not be over-estmated. All the boys work some
| portion Of each day. but none of them to exceed
! five hours, and it Is not expected that Their
labor can be made to yield large pecuuiary re.
/ turns. The shops, however, more than support
1 themselves, but the reports do not show their
net earnings. The expenses for the past wear
were S51, 650.7S, including s., 33l. II for repairs
| and improvements. The payments for salaries
and wages were S15, 223. 05 and for subsistence
| exclusive of products of farm, S1i, 689.9l. The
current expenses for the present year are est.
mated at S54 900, which VIII require an appro-
priation of Sal, 70624, the balance being
charged to, and collected from, counties. The
managers ask for specific appropriations, for
I
eating S22,050. They also recommend q mod
ification of section 4,970 of the statutes con-
corning commitments and forwarding a COPY Of
the testimony upon which the conviction is
based t-
If the presel system of caring for an tbe
classes of boys who now sent to this school
is to be continued, most, if not all Of the an
preparations asked for by the managers oreb+
to be made; but if the recommendations 1 am
about to submit, in regard to distinct school
for
DEPENDENT CHILDREN
shall receive favorable consideration, the
greater part of the improvements and add
tons estimated for may be Committed.
The experience of Wisconsin confirms the
teachings of experience in all ages TO the effect
that the most economical way to diminish and
prevent crime Is to rescue the children from
paths which lead to idleness, vice and criminal
habits. The monetary benefits which have been
conferred upon the people OF Wisconsin by the
Industrial school for boys, are literally incalcu-
liable. They are IN some measure negatively
/ indicated by the comparatively limited number
! of inmates IN state prison. | think il
| within the truth to say that but for the good
! effected by this Industrial school in the past
/ our criminal population would he twice as large
as it now is, and the expenses for courts.
sherlns and JaIls proportiOnatelv increased.
/ Under the present circumstances it cost the
several counties iii the state, for the year
1879 over $3.50, 0G0.00 to arrest, detain, convict
and obvious saving of perhaps quarter of
million dollars annually, but this is the least Of
! the accruing benefits. The great gain, event in
dollars and cents, results from having up
right intelligent, sober and industrious ciI-
/ Zens IN place of professional criminals.
But may we do not even better than We az
doing? Or, rather, is not our present system
/ In some respects, ineXCusaby bad? There are
in the industrial school at Waukesha yery.many
boys, sent there nominally for ya6rancv, or per
haps incorTigibilIty or even larceny, but really
and in fact, because they had TO homes or friends
This is the record for the last year: committed
for vagrancy, II; for inco1igibiiity. 80: for lar
ceny, 81; for burglary, 2; for malicious destruc-
| ton of property, 2; for forgery. l. OF these
! 43 were less than Is years of age, If had no
parents living, Is had mothers only il fathers
only, and in cases of 13 the parents were
separated Many perhaps most, Of
these boys were not IN fact vicious
or incorigible In times past they would
have been sent to poor-houses- q most unfit
place, surely, because the tendency of the as
sOciations and surroundings was 80 make them
confirmed paupers, and the practice has been
wisely. prohibited by law. But the same line
of argument which justifes this prohibition,
leads irresiStibly to its extension. Industrial
schools are Intended for the incorrigiblc. the
vicious and the criminal, and not only are these
classes present III those schools, but every boy
committed to them to greater or less extent,
deservedly or undeeervedly, becomes identified
of the results is that it is extremely difficult to
find homes for a large class of boys who are
/ as bright, as Intelligent, as innocent and
afectiOnIte as any in the land. And yet the
rich and powerful state of Wisconsin, upon
the pretext that thereby it saves few thou
sands of dollars, consents to affix upon such
| boys as these badge of dishonor.
L have alluded to this subject in previous
messages as one demanding attention in the
early future, but further observation and re-
| Election convince ne that We cannot afford
either on grounds Of + ght or expedicncy, longer
to delay to provide suitable temporary home
and school for dependent children, a place to
which they may be sent and from which they
may be distributed without having their mis-
fortunes increased by the state.
STATE PRISON.
The number of conyicts confined in the state
prison September 30. 1880, was 277-thHty-twO
less than We're there year previous, and de-
crease of siXty-nine in two years. The COM
mitments during the year were 121. OF the
prisoners received only twelve are known to
have been previously in any prison, ana only
| ten could neither read nor write. The total
! expenditures for the year were 444 082. SO, an
increase of 81, 157.89 ever the amount estimated
! III the preceding report, and of this sum
S473.79 was paid on account of previous unre-
ported liabilities. Theamount paid for salaries
and wages was SIS, 1851, and for subsistence,
S14, 21473. The convicts earnings were ST.
! 1910. The expenses for the current year are
estimated at $40, 10000, and the earnings at
| 1927, 10000, but the deficiency viii be supplied
| from the assets on hand and no appropriation
will be necessary.
The reports of the directors and wardens set
forth very clearly all matters connected With
the management and condition of the prison.
and | bespCak for them a careful perusal. II
must be matter Of just pride TO every citizen
that our prison population Is cOmparatlyly so
small, and il is in every way creditable II all
connected with the administration of isOn
affairs that so few of ity discharged prisoners
are reconvicted of crime: but the perfection of
prison discipline cannot, in my judgment, at
| tanned until the laws are modified by tie sub
sttutIon of mdeterminate for fixed sentences.
BENEVOLENT INSTITUTIONS.
The whole number Of patients treated ut the
Northern Hospital for the Insane during the
! last fiscal year was 719. the daily average
500 $40. and the number under treatment at
the close Of the year 489 The number dis
charged recovered was AZ, improved II, aud I'M
improved II. OF those discharged % were re-
moved to the state hospital and SO to tie Mil
! waukee county Insane asylum. The total ex-
penditure5 were 1888, 910.45 of which 1884,
/ O56.21 were for current expenses. The current
/ expenditures for the present calendar year are
estimated at Si21 1882, which will require al
4 appropriation of so, 319 CT iii addition TO the
amount to be received from counties, and the
| surplus which ii was expected would remain or
/ hand at the beginning of the year. The trus-
tees request special appropriations to the amount
OF Sl6, 800 for purposes specified III Their report
The Wisconsin state hospital has gwen treat
ment to 1853 patients during the year, with
/ daily average of $50, and $50 under treatment
/ at its close. The number discharged from this
! hospital recovered is reported at ~,
the number improved at IL, and the
! number unnlproyed at Is. The total ex-
pendItures were Sis, BIZ SO: of which SIS, 963