Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-01-19

State tax. .-,.............. 4ot,4oZ OIL SulO
County tax.................. 1,722, O33 IS SO 1t
Town city and village tax. 2,314,eJ9 Sc SAT-
School tax. ,S24, 10y 90 40 y
Road TAX. I,loS,loz ~ 20 At
Total. 81 SIT, 1877 81 sta St
tan Increase. "a Decrease. - --..-.-g ~ F..
These figures represent only the direct taxes
levied upon property. The total taxes paid by
the people, directly and indirectly. into the
state treasury, were for the last fiscal year,
nearly 100000 in excess of the amount here
stated. Nothing like this proportion obtains in
county, town and other taxes, but the sums
collected by way of licenses and fees are by no
means inconsiderable.
The state tax now being collected amounts to
$685., O5S.63. large increase over the tax of the
preceding year, rendered necessary by extra
ordinary appropriations, among them those
for the building of the Milwaukee county in
sane asylum, and the rebuilding of the institu-
ton for the education of the deaf and dumb:
ESTIMATES.
The secretary OF state estimates that the ex-
penditures for the calendar year 1882 will be
$685. O08.13, and the receipts for the same
period, under existing laws, $704, 1858, as
follows:
Railway companies .......... 4O0, 900 on
Insurance companies ............ 1900 40 coo GO
Miscellaneous sources. SO, 700 10
by the legislature. It is my opinion that both
the expenditures and receipts will be somewhat
IN excess of these estimates. The demand for
current expenses and for special appropriations,
at many of the state institutions, will in all
probability considerably overrun the figures
given by the secretary of state.
l have so frequently expressed my opinions
IN regard to expenditures and appropriations,
that it is unnecessary to repeat them here.
The people demand that the public business
shall be carried on in an expeditions and or
derby manner, that the greatest efficiency shall
be given to all public Institutions, and that
nothing shall be left undOne which may promote
the general welfare. But they are, at the same
time, inqUisitive, and rightfully demand to know
what it costs to accomplish these purposes.
Would it not be wise, therefore, abolishing all
clrcumlocutIon, to let your appropriations show
the total amounts of public money devoted to
any specific object? The present system Of
maintaining the hospitals 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 control, or appearing In
the annual appropriations, appears to me to be
cumbersome, expensive and misleading.
1t is the duty of this legislature, as, I trust
It Is Its purpose, to exercise wise discrimination.
not only in the matter Of specific appropria-
tons, but also in the consideration of all ques-
lons involving the expenditure of tho public
funos.
EDUCATION.
The report of the state superintendent will
show that the total amount of money expended
for the support of common schools during the
past year was g, 166, 368. 43, an increase Of
nearly $14, 900 over the preceding year, and
that of this sum 81, 567, 870.32 were paid for
teachers wages. The whole number of chill
dren within the state, of schools age, is reported
at 483, 1913, slight decrease from last wear. but
the attendance at school has increased nearly
5000, and is now reported at 299, 1853. The
number of teachers employed In the public
schools OF the state the past year was 10, Ito.
By the terms of the Compulsory education
law, which went into effect September l. 1879
al children between the ages Of seven and fif-
teen years, not excused therefrom for good rea-
son, are required to attend public or private
school at least twelve weeks In each school Year.
The number of children between these ages in
this state, is found to be $780, 76, and 17O, 400,
or nearly three-fourths of them attended the
public school during the year.
The state superintendent has been most &C
tive In the discharge of the varied duties of his
office during the past year, and the impress of
his zeal and falthfulness viii be felt for many
years to come.
THERE'S healthy rivalry, but no unfriendly
jealousies, between the public and private
schools of Wisconsin. The friends and promo
tiers Of either recognize that the field is broad
enough for all who may come, and each en-
courages and supplements the work of the
ObAACAs LILO ACpO1I VI IAO 6ldUc
viii contain the most complete and reliable
STATISTICS OF the condition of all the schools in
state, private as well as public, ever compiled
and In this and other respects will be of un-
usual interest
The expenditures forthe normal schools we're
$74 015.93, for teachers Institutes, $7,21O. 70.
and for expenses of administration 50. 7O9. Al
The amount paid to teachers at the schools was
$57, $500, and for repairs $6,081.88. The
whole number of pupils in attendance was 1880,
Il o.
number attending institutes was 4,9G5. a gain
of $40 over the attendance for the previous
year, and the expense of conducting the nsti-
tutes averaged less than 81, so for each member
enrolled. The management eff this most impor-
tant tlust bv the board of regents is eminentIy
satisfactory and merits Aigh commendat1on
The number of students enrolled at the state
university In the different departments. Oc-
tober LIST, 1880, was 1885, The total expenses
for the fiscal year were S97,060.04, of which
sum $40, 502.40 were paid to instructors $13,-
1926 for completion of assembly bali,
$6,779.33 for ropairs and other imp ovements.
and 1927, $685. for miscellaneous purposes
The university has attained conspicuous and
well merited rank among the higher institu-
tons of learning In the United States. 1t is in
FAC, as well as In name state university, and
IT aims to meet all legitimate public demands.
Its corps of instructors and its courses of study,
as exempIhed In the character and success of
lis graduates, are not in any respect inferior to
The best, however much its methods and pur-
poses may differ from those adopted in institu-
tons founded century or more ago. am
glad TO know that its merits and advantages are
becoming better appreciated throughout the
state, and that, IN consequence, very few coun-
ties are unrepresented in its catalogue of stu
dents.
INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS
The fiscal year of the industrial school for
girls, in Milwaukee, closes October 31st. THE
managers forwarded me their report for the
past year, requesting that it might be published
BY the state. Much TO my regret, the commits
sioners of public printing could find no author
hy in the law for complying with this otherwise
most reasonable request The buildings aId