River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1883-01-18

I TaEIUuIs
ceved treatment al the State hosnial for the insane
1 at Mendoza during the past fiscal year was COG
4 The number discharged recovered was AZ; I'M
| proved, SO, unmproved So The total cost Of this
| hospital for the year was S95.64S.37, being
weekly cost per capita Of $50. At the com
| Increment Of the past year the Northern hospi.a
| for the insane had under treatment ol2 patients;
admitted during the year, go: total !51. OF 'hese
| there discharged recovered, ia; improved,
20; unmproyed 30 The number present at Inc
close Of the year SCI; average for the year, 90
The cost Of maintaining this hospital was $751;
l60.02, which IS equal to weekly cost per capita
| Of 1887.
| lam constrained, by the great mportan;e there
Of 10 again cali your attention to the proper
| of the insane. The laws of the State now provide
a very mixed system for the care OF the insane;
portion are cared for under stats system; por-
/ ton under county system, and portion under
S9neinsd AID i.ra, county sy,,. system
operation at the same time throughout the State
work adyantageoQslg 10 the unfortunates and
/ to the State, or which one OF the systems IS the
most humane and economical, are subjects 10 which
you cannot give too much care and study. can
not believe that il is conducive to the webeing of
| society or properly disehareing the duty we owe
to the insane, TO care for them within the walls OF
county iails and almshouses The insane are cared
for that society may be protected from dangerous
| lunatics being at large, and humanity dictates
| that we secure the welfare and comfort Of those
who are thus unable to care for themselves. 1t is
not the full discharge Of this duty, however, that
| we keep the insane from doing HARM or even that
We make them happy; they have right to be cured
when possible, for they thereby returned to 30
4 ciety and take from the State lifelong charge.
That this care and attention, so much desired, can
/ best be secured in State institutions and under
/ State supervision, | ain firmly convinced, and i
ave thus urgently brought the subject YOUR at
eution for the thar. unless speedy hcton be
! AIKEN upon it. large loca. expenditures Under the
present system will hare to bA made, thereby pre-
| ]ud NJ a thsnge hereafter without serious loss
| THE INSTITUTE ron DEAF AND DUMB.
| The whole number of pupils enrolled at the insti-
/ tuton for the education Of the deaf and dumb at
| Delavan, during the past year. was 244: OF these
there were present Sept 80, lss2' IL:
average attendance during the year, l76: The
total cost Of supporting this nstitaton fer the year
| was $34,373.9i, which amount represents q
/ weekly cost per capita OF IS. &c.
At the institution for the education OF the blind at
/ GAINESVILLE. there have been enrolled during the
year total Of 81 pupils, of whom theirs were pres
attendance for the year, 63. The total cost of
supporting this institution was S16,72e.l7l equal
| TO a weekly cost per capita of 1911,
CHARITIES AND REFORMS.
! The State boaad Of Charities and Reform has the
power OF Inspection of all public and private char
table and correctional institutions in the State,
executing the sir Stale institutions Their report,
which Is now IN the hands Of the printer, shows the
semi State instituIionsthe Milwaukee county in
Sane Gsyum and the Milwaukee county house or
correcon-to be in excellent condition; that there
are sixty-two county tails, with 1896 prisoners
during the year, and 255 at the day of the report;
that the jails generally in good condition, but
| they report that there few in such wretcEed
condition and SO insecure that thep should be con-
demned if there were any power competent 10 90
| So VI the pOorhouSeS, thlrty-nlne IN nuinUeTs
with $3.50 inmates during the year, and l. 80 at
the date of the report, they say the condition is
good and that the class of dependent population is
as well cared for is considered desirable. The
increase of private benevolent Institutions both IN
number and resources, as reported, speaks well or
the benevolent disposition of the people of thsStafe
| The board make numerous recommendations, and
| they should be carefully considered They ask
that their power Of visitation be extended to q g
six State institutions, and this recommendation
! meets my approval.
THE NATIONAL GUARD i.
fully meets the constitutional standard in being IN
the srictest sense well regulated. and its energies
are being well directed to the attainment of thor
| ough knowledge of rife practice, guard and camp
| duty. The maximum fixed by the Legislature, IN
pursuance of its constitutional authority OF thirty
| i've companies with membership of $3.50, has
| been reduced, ia the interests of more compact
| i yganiZation and economy, to thirty-three COM
pauies, with membership Of 224E Under tue
! authority of chapter 1872 Laws 1882, tents and
! camp equipage sufficient to comfortably encamp
| 100 men have been purchased and about two
birds of the force ordered into camps Of iustruc-
ion for six days with results that amply justify the
! expense.
The results obtained in the administration Of the
force, in proportion to the expense incurred IN us
benalf, will favora5ly bear the most critical COM
For full details refer you to the reports OF the All
infant and quartermastet generals; and especially
ask your attention to the practical Suggestions OF
the adjutant general aud particularly with refer
| nce to the war records which should be cared Tor
! nd preserved at an early date.
| INSURANCE.
The valuable report of the insurance commits
! -ioner shows that for the year ending Dec. 81,
| lSSi, the fire insurance companies had: -
Risks written.
| Premiums received. ................. Ii99l.2d3
Tie lie Insurance companies doing business in
| he Safe reported for the year ending March Il
! 1892
Policies iii force, .......... S32, 705i9 36
Premiums received. Sl3, ~
! The commissioner recommends the passage of a
1 Inv prescrbug a Uniform policy contract. \ have
! no doubt that such law. properly guarded wot.d
simplify the liability Of the companies for losses
and avoid many misunderstanding upon the part OF
| she people, which now grow INFO expensive htiga-
ton; and is well worthy of your consideration.
The year closed has been one of more than usual
| activity in railroad enterprise, both IN volume OF
| business and in the building of new roads.
On June 80, 1881, the various companies doing
business in the State Of Wisconsin reported to the
railroad commissioner total mileage of 3,l42. 40
| miles; the milage reported June 80, 1882, was
3,475,73a az increase during what may be termed
| the railroad year, of 5s33 3 miles, From June, 30,
| 1892. to the end of the calendar year, Dec 81
! 1882, 35s.O1 miles of rail were laid, making a
total mileage Of g. S33 "A miles of railroad in the
state of Wisconsin Dec. 81, 1882 The number
Of miles built during the calendar year was 500. %.
| The prediction contained in my message to the leg
| stature one year ago, of increased amount Of
| railroad construction during the year 1857, has
been amply verified, and an almost trackless reglun
Of unbroken forests is now being transforme mo
| tlryiug villages and prosperous homes, adding to
the State needed railroad facilities, and vastly in
creasug its taxable values. II except the year
1871 and the year 1873 the great years OF railroad
uIlding in this country, the year $50 stands fore-
most in railroad construct ton.
The Wisconsin railroad earnings from june 80,
1881, to June 80, s. ,. SIS, 7G5, 42S. 30. an
Increase of So, 257, 255 y for the year; being an
average per mile of So, 639:I6 an increase of the
earnings per mile of SS24.25. The total cost Of
ouerating the railroads of the State was SlO.216,-
-t6.45, leaving as net earnings S4SS, 6SI 81 4;
! he operating expenses per mile were S3,Oss.24,
and the net earnings per mile of operated road were
| $2,550.9l. The total number of passengers car
A. .1r Ynfa xT1u
oual to 1872 231. 759 passengers carried ere mile
at an average cost per mile of trfe less than 2 SD
cents There were ), 400, 321 tons Of freight car
1ied an equal Of s134l4,402 tons carried one
mile: and the average rate per mile on each ton
carried was a little less than Lei cents. which is
decrease of OF of cent per mile on each ton of
| freight carried.
Tie regulation OF railroads by State authority, as
| power for good, is no longer matter OF expert
Intnt or doubt To be Of the highest good, how
ever, it does not need to be clothed with rigorous
| exactions and arbitrary authority The laws
should be fair and impartial to ALL and while guard
| ing and protecting with unerring certainty every
right and interest of the people, they should be ade-
quate to the just protection OF the real rights Of
| capital Tie railroad companies doing business IN
the 81 raid during the year $5s6,32S.5S toward
the revenue of the State; but sleeping cars arc
| running upgn all roads Of any considerable magni-
tude in the State, and upon most Of the lines they
are owned by foreign companies which make no
report of their cost or their earnings and while
they are wealthy and money making corporations
they pay no revenue to the State. This is wrong,
aud the error snoulu De corrected Dy appropriate
legislation.
The railroad commissioner system in Wisconsin
has been a success, and while the complaints have
not been numerous, they have always received
prompt attention. am informed that during a
long term of years not single case OF litigation has
grown out of a complaint lodged with the commits
sioner, but in every instance an amicable ADJUST
ment has been had, satisfactory to all parties con-
cerned. 1t has been found much easier and better
10 adjust than to ltigate, and in this way better
! spirit has been developed and maintained between
he people aud the railroad corporations. see no
reason to doubt that the harmony now existing mag
| continue uninterrupted for years to come.
AIR LINE LABORERS.
Under Chap. 10, Laws of 1882, the Chicago, ST
| Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway company d.
0sited with me the sum of 5000. and gave
| uch security was required of them to save
| harmless the State from any liability it may have
incurred in feedf the lahorers then thrown out OF
| employment ny the failure of the Chicago, Portage
IL Superior Railroad company. There have been
paid to the aborers direct S36.429. 95 to the pur-
chasers Of time checks 50, 1872. 80, and there was
pro-raied to the subcontractors, material and sup
Ply men the sum of S33. oS7O7 The work Ct
| finding the amounts due and disbursing the sums
has been very large; numerous claims have been
| 4 sallowed and many have been cut down. The
claims of the officers and engineer corps have been
| dISaliowed, aud the question litigated in the
| supreme court and the rejection OF such claims
fully sustained By the court. The security exacted
| from the company 10 which the grant was made by
! Chap. 10 has been found ample 10 protect The
State against all liability incurred IN feeding
| labOrers and otherwise.
FISHERIES.
The commissioners of fisheries, working witt OFT
pay, have meTited appreciation for the success n