Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1882-01-19

| iional provision into eject
| The county treasurcrs Of many of the larger
and mora pcpuous counties, for period OF
rly twenty years, had neglected to obey said
! provision Of the constitution and the laws en-
acted TO carry il out. The attorney general dur
| ing the past year brought suit in the supreme
court against one of these delinquent county
treasurers TO recover the fines collected during the
year 1850. That court on the fourth Of June last
I flied its unanimous opinion sustaining the law
above cited, and required such treasurer to pay.
Since that decision most of the counties have
paid to the state treasurer the fines collected dsr-
| ing the year 1880. The amount SO paid to Janu-
| AIRY l. 1882, is Sll .5S307 being more than had
! been collected from the same source for the ten
! years preceding. 1t is estimated that there Is
| due from the several counties tor the years in
which they have neglected to obey the law the
sum of Sl00 900.
| Your attention is invited to this subject with a
view t, ascertain if any legislation is necessary
to insure an equitable legal adjustment thereof
| University OF WISCONSIN.
| The several reports of the president and secre-
! tary of the Board OF Regents, and the president
of the university show that the institution is in
thriving and conmendabe condition. 1t is now
an institution Of which the state should be proud
made so by generous donation of lands granted
by congress, BY occasional aid of the legislature
| by the philanthropic munihcence of Governor
| Washburne and the provident and manage
ment of the presidents and faculty. The loca-
| ton of the university is more healthful and adj
| vantageous than that of any other institution OF
! the kind in the West and by liberal and cener-
| GUS policy on the part OF the Legislature, such as
| the people of the state would be proud, in after
| times, to have bestowed it may be made the most
serviceable and distin yushed educational insttu-
| ton in the West.
/ suggest that you make yourselves familiar
With this institution, and know its wants and
/ wi n
will soon advance to that meritorous rank so
| justly coveted.
| EXPERIMENTS ~ AMBER CANE.
In accordance with chapter 2ll Of the General
Laws of 1881, Prof. W. A. Henry has made ex-
| periments in Amber cane and the ensilage of fod-
| ders, and has made full and complete report
thereof to me. In his report Prof. Henry esti-
! mates that syrup can be made AT the rate of $50
4 gallons per acre and when sugar is worked for.
! 1t can be had at the rate Of not less than 600
pounds per acre of raw sugar, besides so gallons
| OF molasses. The analysis Of the chemist shows
that there is over 2 600 pounds of sugar in an
acre of cane and that half is lost by the present
| imperfect methods of working. The report of
Pref. Henry shows that he has expended 50 0S0.0T
| of the appropriation, and that there remains the
| sum of S9l993 unexpended. The raising of cane
| is becoming one of the important agricultural
products of the state, and in my judgment should
| be encouraged and in view of the satisfactory
results reached by the experiments made, and in
view of their undouhted benefit to the many pro-
ducers of cane, would recommend the contin-
uance OF such an appropriation for this purpose
as in your wisdom would seem best and as there
| is no provision for printing his report, would
recommend that sufficient appropriation be
made for its proper printing and distribution.
STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
The state historical society has been ably msn-
| aged. From very small beginning, il has grown
to be large institution of peculiar interest to tho
people Of the state. 1t is regarded as one OF the
most complete collections of its class in the United
States and is worthy of the fostering care of the
| state. | would recommend to the legislature that
! they provide suitable building for the % the
society, separate from the capitol Its present
| quarters entirely inadequate to its wants, and
the rooms il now occupies are needed for the con-
yenience of the legislature. In such building
suitable room should be provided for the Wiseon-
sin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters.
STATE BOARD OF HEALTH.
The gentlemen composing the board are among
the most eminent i'll their profession in the state,
and would recommend that the legislature ex-
| tend to them generous encouragement. Their
labors have resulted in great benefit to the health
! of our people, and there can be no doubt that
| greater benefits may in the future be expected.
Their suggestions for the restriction and proven
tion of contagious diseases have been widely cir
|
adopted by large class OF our citizens, and their
| wisdom fully proven. The board has succeeded
in securing reports fro!A about nine hundred diff
ferent localities in the state, and have awakened
deep feeling among the people upon the subject
of the suppression of disease. Their suggestions
for securing for schools prisons and public build
| ings proper hygiene, have been adopted in many
| localities with good results. In my opinion, their
services to the state OF be dispensed with, and
| too much care cannot be taken to protect the
| lives and health of the people.
RAILROADS.
The total mileage Of the railroads of the staeo,
| as reported to the railroad commissioner on the
3Oth day Of June, 1881 was 3 li2.i3 miles, at
cost, including equipments, of Sl29,Gll, il9 81,
! being an average Of Al 2jS.0i per mile
The total earnings Of the railroads Of the state
for the year ending June 50 1891 ware Sljl7S.-
lt2.tl, being an ayer'~e OF : 81 VI p'7 mite ot
nnerated road. The operating expenses were
80 oS5 t31OS, being 81 S26.2S per mile the excess
earnings over operating expenses was Sc 1892
JOB or Sll9SS.B3 per mile. The passenger
":tuings on all of the roads in the state were
50 52I us 50, and the freight earnings $40 o79,-
li6Sl. The whole number of passengers carried
dunns the year in the state 2 1866 965. or an
equivalent of ll9, 399 $50 passengers carried one
| nile. The whole number OF tons OF freight car
ried was 5401 297, or an equivalent of the ear
| ,lage Of CO.. 499 | 50 tons one mile. The average
| year was ! IS cents per ton per mile.
The total number OF miles OF road built in the
STATE during the year ending December 81, 1881,
wa, 800, against 23S.22 miles for the year 1880.
! The total mileage of the railroads Of the state on
The first day of January, 1882, was ,f33sS miles.
| The present indications are that much larger
amount Of road will be built in 1882 than was
built in 1881, unless some unlocked for financial
revulsion shall cut short work already under con-
temptation.
The commissioner reports the gratifying fact
that not single passenger has been killed upon
the railroads of Wisconsin during the year, with
very few casualties OF any nature TO the travelling
public This shows commendabe care for the
protection of human life on the part of the man
agement, and of those having charge of the run
ming Of trains.
No brief summary of the report Of the com
missioner can do it justice present in proper
form the interesting statistics and the valuable in
formation therein given. The questions discussed
and the suggestions made in regard to changes in
the laws should be studied, and any defects ia the
existing law should be reinedied by appropriate
legislation. The report will be laid before you in
few days, and commend to your special con-
sderation those portions Of the report referring
To Reports to State Treasurer and Commits
sioner,n License Fees Of Railroads. and Dig
examinations" and trust that in your wisdom you