Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-01-17
THE CHRONIC INSANE

Wisconsin has a system peculiar to itself for
the maintenance anu care of its insane This
sy stem includes hospitals second TO none, be-
lieve, in their appointments and management for
the reception aud treatment of all recent and
hopeful cases. Two of these are exclusively state
institutions, aud the other the Milwaukee county
asylum, is both governed and maintained IN part
by the state. These institutions have normal
capacity for the care of 1870 PATIENTS and at the
close of the fiscal year had LARS inmates
IN addition TO these hospitals proper There are
now Sixteenco aSylumS for the care of chron-
ic insane. with two Others ia process of erection
The combined capacity of these asylums will be
suffc emf TO accommodate 1906 inmates. The pc
cularity of these aSS luns Is that while they are
maintained and manag ID BY the counties eXclu-
sively in which they are situated, yet, when con-
Quoted in a manner satisfactory to the state
Board of Char ties and Reform, they become en-
ii led TO assistance from the State at the rate of
$3.50 weekly for each inmate. From personal
observation of a mIed degree, | am convinced
that these aSy lumS are furu Shlng practical So
/ luton of the veXed question, How shall we pro-
vide for the constantly accumulal1ng chrome IN
/ sane In a way economical, humane and Consistent
with the civilized spirit of the age? The per
/ capita weekly cost for the maintenance of these
aSylUms averaged for the year 1887, St63 and for
1883 SLIGO. The credit for 81 gge,tlng per Getting
and maintaining this system IN all Its excellence
is due TO the Wisconsin State Board of Charities
/ and Reform.
rms BUREAU OF LABOR AND INDUSTRIAL STATISTICS.
/ This bureau was created by the Legislature of
/ 1888 for the purpose implied II It's I'll e. Subse-
quent acts OF the Legislature have greatly en-
/ Iarged the scope anu character OF its work. and
/ in sense conferred upon it executive powers for
! the enforcement of the laws for the prevention
of accidents to employees and others in cases of
/ fire. and from unsafe machinery. uuguArded
elevators, hatchwayS, etc. The third biennial
/ report of this bureau contains much valuable
| information on great variety of topics. It is
1 here shown that the annual per cap ia earui lgS
/ OF 62,935 employees in manufacturing establish
ments in Wisconsin. including meH. women and
children, average S376.75. and this is reported to
/ be $50 more than the highest rate ever developed
| by the United States census The average annual
/ earnings of skilled mechanics is reported at
/ Ill. These statistics are very gratifying. but
1 they are not fully complete in their significance
without mention of the further fact that never
before in the history of the world did these
/ wages ha' 9 Ian ge purchasing power in tn4
necessarie ! life as Mr.. Ed ard Akin on,
| OF world-i.":c lame as StatiStician, has pub
| hshed tabl-s proving conclusvely that from 1876
to 1880 thf purchasing power in food. fuel and
| materials Tor clothing of the wages of specially
| killed workmen increased seventy per cent of
common mechanics fffty-nine per cent, and
ordinary laboraxs xoEty-three 0er cent