The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1881-01-22
TAXES.
tan increase. "A decrease.


tan increase. "A decrease
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 wear, nearly
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 in
considerable.
The state tax now being collected amounts to
1902 058.63, large increase over the tax OF
the preceding year, rendered necessary by ex-
traordlnary appropnatons-amO them those
for the building of the Milwaukee county in
sane asylum, and the rebuilding of the lnstitu-
ton for the education of the deaf and dumb.
ESTIMATES.
The secretary Of state estimates that the ex-
penditure for the calendar year 1882 Will be
1888, 00S. 49, and the receipts for the same per-
iod, under existing laws, S704. 1858, as fol-
lows:
Railway companies. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 400, 600 90
conpanles ao'0 o0 ~
This leaves 1898, $4,000 to be provided for
by the legislature. 1t 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.
have 20 frequently expressed my opinions
IN regard to expenditures and appropriations.
that 1t Is unnecessary to repeat them here.
The people demand that the public business
shall be carried on III an expeditions and order
ly manner, that the greatest efficiency shall be
given 10 al public institutions, and that moth
ing shall be left uDdone which may promote
the general welfare. But they are, at the same
tlme inquisitive and rightfully demanded to
know what it costs to accomplish these pur-
poses. Would 1t not be wise, therefore, abolish
ing ali clrcumlocutlOn, to let your appropriations
show the total amounts of public money de-
voted to any specific object? The present
system of maintaining the hospitals of the in
sane and the industrial schoC! for boys, where
by q portion Of the expense is charged to
COUNTESS and the sums thus collected treated
as a separate fund, not under legislative con-
troll, or appearing inthe annual appropriations,
appears to ne to be cumbersome, expensive
and misleading.
1t Is the duty of this giSlature, as l trust, il
IS its purpose, to exercise wise discrimination,
not only Ill the matter of specific appropria-
tons, but also in the consideration of all Ques-
tons involving the expenditure of the public
funds.
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 S2.166, 368.43, an increase of
nearly S14,0 900 over the preceding year; and
that OF this sum S1,567, S70.32 were paid for
teachers wages. The whole number of chill
dren within the state, of school age, is reported
at 433, 1913, slight decrease from last year, but
the attendance at school has increased nearly
5000, and Is now reported at 299, 1858. The
number Of teachers employed in the public
schools Of the state the past year was IL, no.
BY the terms of the compulsory education
law" which went into effect September l, 1879
all the children between the ages of seven and
/ fifteen years, not excused therefrom for good
reason, are required to attend public or pri-
vate school st least twelve weeks in each school
year. The number of children between these
ages, in this state, is found to be 229,076 and
10, 402, OF nearly three-fourths of them attend
ed 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 zeal and faithfuneSs will be felt for many
years to come.
There is healthy rivalry, but no unfriendly
jealousles, between the public and private
schools of Wisconsin. The friends and pro-
motors Of either recognize that the field is
broad enough for all who may come, and each
/ encourages and supplements the work of the
other. The report of the state superintendent
Will contain the most complete and reliable
statistics of the condition of all the schools in
the state, private as well as public, ever COM
piled, and in this and other respects will be of
unusual interest.
The expenditures for the four normal schools
we're STA, Ol5.33, for teachers Institutes, ST.
210.79, and for expenses of administration,
8, 709.41. The amount paid to teachers at the
schools was S57, 1863. and for repairs 6081. SO.
The whole number of pupils IN attendance was
1,S80, at an expense averaging S40.Sl per pupil.
The number attending institutes was 4, 800, q
gain of $40 over the attendance of the previous
year. and the expense Of conducting the insti-
tutes averaged less than 81. so for each member
enrolled. The management of this most i'm
portant trust by the board of regents is emf
nently satisfactory and merits high commenda-
ton.
The number of students enrolled at the
State university the different de-
partments, October 1, 1890, was 436
Tie total expenses for the fiscal year
were S97, 060.04, of which sum $40, 500. 20 were
paid to instructors, SO, 1922 As for completion
of assembly hall, Sc, 1888 for repairs and 9TH
er improvements, and S27, $685. for miscella-
neous purposes. The University has attained
conspicuous and we'll merited rank among the
/ higher institutions OF learning in the United
States. 1t Is in fact, as well as in name, State
university. and ii aims to meet all public de-
Inands. Its corps of instructors and its courses
of study, as exempffed in the character and
success of its graduates, are not i'll any respect
inferior to the best, however much its methods
and purposes may differ from those adopted in
institutions founded a century or more ago. |
am glad to know that its merits and advantages
are becoming better appreciated throughout
the state, and that, III consequence, very few
counties are unrepresented in its catalogue of
students.
INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS.
Tue 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 lie published
by the state. Much to my regret, the commits
sioners of public printing could find no authority
IN the law for complying with this otherwise
most reasonable request. The buildings and
grounds occupied by this institution are the
property of the state. and it Is doing q most
, noble work i'll a most excellent way; q work
which. but for the self-sacriticing philanthropy
Of the ladies connected with its management
the state would be obliged to undertake, at q
cost of several thousands of dollars annually
and it would seem that for this reason, and be
/ cause of the public interest in the methods and
results of this work, the state ought to make
provision for the publication of their annual re-
ports
The number of children received into this
school the past year WAS SO; the number dis
charged SO; the whole number in attendance
during the year 1i7, and the number present at
the close of the year 1895 of them being
girls and % boys, the latter too young to be
sent to the school at Waukesha. Iwenty-three
of the slxty-two counties in the state have rep
reSontatives III the school. The current eX-
penses for the past year were S8,300.32, of
which there was paid for salaries and wages
=, 946.01, and for subsistence q, 499. 80. Since
Its organization. in April, 1876, 241 children
have been received into the school, and 10
have been discharged or placed in families. or
this last number, 80 did not do well and have
been returned, leaving probably not less than
I25 now living who are doing well, either at
their original homes or i'll other families where
new homes have been found for them. This is
a most instructive and satisfactory record, not
only in that it shows great amount of positive