River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1882-01-19

cheney OF the institutions
The amounts turned ofer to the board of super.
vision on their assuming control, for the several
institutions, were as follows:
For state hospital for irsane. ,099 II
For northern hospital br insane. -. 10 446 o.
For industrial school OR boys. 1922 SO
For institute for education of blind. 1872 76
For institute for desf and dumb. -. 120u "a
For detailed information relative to the man
agement and financial condition of each of the
institutions, you are respectfully referred to the
first report of the Board Of Supervision, which
will be before you in printedTorm. From state
ment furnished by the president of said board, it
is found that deficit exists in the current ex-
pense funds of the several institutions under their
control, aggregating $56,944.S2, divided among
different institutions Is follows:
State hospital for Iniane Jan. l. 1882 S22 COS 50
North'n Hospital for Insane. Jan. l, 49, ii 1853 4S
Institute for Deaf and Dumb, March
81, 1892. ....t............... ls5o9 81
State Prison, March 81, 1882 ........ 10000 90
Total ..........-. tSoo,9a4 q
In these items are included the amounts prob
ably necessary to meet demands to the close ct the
appropriation year, March 81, for the Institute
for Deaf and Dumb and State Prison, and to pay
for cargo of coal not yet delivered 10 the North
ern Hospital for Insane. / would recommend
that appropriations 70 cover these deficits be made
as early in your season as practicable.
The board makesa detailed statement of their
estimates for the current expenses of the several
institutions under their charge, for the next year,
and which shows that there is to be supplied by
appropriation for the several institutions, as fol-
lsws:
For State Hospital for Insane. $500. S43, 0l9 u
For Northern Hospital for Insane. 81 ,908 SO
For Industrial School for Boys. 49,. 32,9S7 81
For Institution of Education of Deaf
and Dumb. ...,.................. $4,000 %
N 50 ri
For State Prison. .....,............. lo,OOO w
STATE BOARD OF CHARITIES AND REFORM.
The powers of this board now embrace gene
raj supervision ove all the charitable, penal and
reiornatory institutions in Wisconsin, both public
and private, excep the six state Institutions Tia
legislature Of last winter took away from this
board their general supervision over the state In
situations, and gave them increased work IN some
other directions The chief of which is in relation
to the care of the chronic insane by counties I'M
der chapter 1913 If the Laws of 1881. Under this
law the board has power to control the treatment
by counties Of their chronic insane, by regulating
the distribution of the state appropriation, and
by their power to take the insane away from
counties where they are not properly cared for.
The report of the board will contain many de-
tails Of interest relating to the management OF
the institutions under their care. The board ask
that the general power OF visiting and reporting
upon the six state institutions be restored to them
CHRONIC INSANE.
l desire to call your attention to the large in
crease in the number of incurable insane. These
unfortunate beings shoull command our warmest
sympathy, and humanity demands that adequate
provision be made for their wants, Our insane
asyums have BEEN Obliged to return many of this
unfortunate class to the counties whence they
came to make room Tor other PATIENTS ana the
county authorities being unable to suitably pro-
vide for them, are obliged to keep them in the
poor houses and jais. The subject OF at once
providing for this class SO they can receive proper
care and treatment should engage your earliest
and most careful attention.
EDUCATION.
am pleased to be able to say to you that the
educational interests of the state are quietly but
steadily progressing, and although the percentage
of attendance is somewhat less than Tor the last
year, yet the public schools are in very salts
factory condition. The attendance has not been
so large for the past year on account OF the I'M
favorable weather ana the prevalency of contagi-
Gus diseases in very many localities. The per-
centage of attendance of children at all the
schools of the state for the year 1879 was 66.97i
for the year 1880, 1904; and for the year 1881
65.2. The number Of children Of school age in
the state In 1880 was 4S3, 229 and in 1881 was
4S9, 142, an increase of 9I3. The total valuation
of school property in the state, being the school
is S., 54S, 40961. The total amount expended fol-
school purposes in the state during the year was
81 1902 03S.34, or sow for each person attending
school. The amount expended for each pupil In
1880 was Sl.2i, and in 1879 was s7.44.
The number of appeals before the superintsnd-
ent have been less than last year and Is gratlfy-
ing indication of that humane and friendly spirit
of the people that ensures n good government.
The common schools of this state are surpassed
by the schools of but very few states in the MON,
and this good condition is in great measure, due
to the commendable and able manner IN winch
the superintendent of public instruction and
their assistants have for many years performed
their arduous and important duties. Every su-
psrintendent If pablo instruction for many
ears has reeemaended that the adoption Of tb'
ownship system Of school government be made
rmpulsory.
rISEs AND PENALTIES.
Section . Of article of our state constitution
provides among other things, that 1.-THE clear
toeee5s vf all fines collected in the several coup-
ties for any breach of the penal laws shall be set
apart as separate fund to be called school
fund.-" and section 7l5 Of the revised statutes
prescribes the manner of carrying this constitu-
tional provision into effect.
The county treasurers of many of the larger
and more populous counties, for period OF
nearly twenty years, had neglected to obey said
provision of The constitution and the laws en-
II.
ing the past year brought suit in the supreme
court against one of these delinquent county
treasures to recover the fines collected during the
year 1880. Tint court on the fourth of June last
filed 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 sttte treasurer the fines collected dur
ing the yer 1880. The amount so paid to Janu-
airy /, 1882, is Sl1 ,5S3.07, 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 tho
sum of 500 00e.
Your attention is invited to this subject with a
view to 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 eommendable 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 munifcence of Governor
Washburne, and the provident care and manage
ment of the presidents and faculty. The loca-
ton of the university Is more healthful and adj
vantugeous than that OF any other institution OF
the kind in the West, and by liberal and gener-
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 distinguished educational institu-
ton in the West.
/ suggest that you make yourselves familiar
with this institution, and know its wants and
heed them with such proyident lberality, that it
will soon advance to that meritorious rank so
justly coveted.
EXPERIMENTS IN AMBER CANE.
In accordance with chapter oil of the General
Laws of 1881, Prof. v. A. Henry has made exA
perments 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
gallons per acre ard when sugar is worked for,
it can be had at the rate of not less than ! 900
pounds per acre of raw sugar, besides so gallons
of molasses. The analysis of the chemist shows
that there is over 1000 pounds of sugar in an
acre of cane and that half is lost by the present
imperfect methods of working. The report Of
Prof Henry shows that he has expended So ,0S0.0l
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 stale, and in my judgment should
be encouraged: and in view of the satisfactory
results reached by the experiments made, and IN
view of their undeutted benefit to the many pro-
ducers of cane would recommend the contin-
uance of such an appropriation for this purpose
az 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 a very small beginning, il has grown
to be large institution Of peculiar interest to the
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