Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1895-01-17

| l recommend reduction in the number
W regents to, perhaps, five. A board
LIS hsisling OF only five members would be
muie, pelleye, to perform it's work with
siialer expedition than is possible with
tba hs SCI number. OF whatever number
Tue BOARD may consist. the clerk of the
ooafd should not be Il member.
State Superintendent.
.Ihe salary of the state superintendent
~ pupllc instruction as now provided for
ny the constitution is Inadequate 1t
sSnoulu De increased to a sum which shall
oear proper relation to the Importance
ana responsibility of the office. The last
Legislature, by the adoption of a resou-
tlon known as Joint resolution No. TO-"
LOOK the preliminary step toward increas-
ing the salary. [ recommend that your
honorable body supplement this with the
| proper measures
State Banks.
While the calamity which has befalen
number of the banks of our state has
Deen but the natural result of the general
lly disastrous condition of the country, It
mas been made clear, l believe, that a
proper supervision Of the financial institu-
Iions or the state might have averted the
disaster in many cases. This is a question
which affects profoundly all classes of cit-
Zens. Upon the integrity of the banks of
the country depends to a great extent the
industrial fabric. / am convinced that
tnere is pronounced sentiment through
out the state in favor of some sort of
bank supervision. Whether such super
VISION may be provided for without a re-
VISION Of the banking code is matter for
| you to determine, but that some measure
should be adopted looking to a supervision
| or the state banks in a manner similar to
the method employed by the general gov
| ernment in the examination of national
| 70 IS / hnln S1n orsxy dam In1 fnI
the protection of the public and for the
proper maintenance of the financial insh
| tutlonS themselves.
State Prison.
/ From the biennial report of the state
board of control, which is before you, you
will learn the condition in detail of the
charitable, reformatory and penal institu-
as former reports have, the needs of GER
tain of these institutions | desire to call
your attention to some of the most press
ing of these necessities.
Notwithstanding that, during the last BIZ
ennial period, there have been added to the
capacity of the state prison at Waupun
seventy-two cells, the prison is now great
| ly overcrowded. The following statement
| from the last report of the state board OF
| control explains the situation:
| large number of cells are now occupied
by two convicts This condition is both il
| legal and inhuman. The prison is too small
for the number confined therein. The pres
emit prison mast be enlarged or new one
| erected. The board will strongly recommend
| the latter remedy.
The remedy for such condition should
| be, and l have no doubt will be, prompt
| ly provided by your honorable body. Ii
a penal institution may not be to some
| degree reformatory, it should not at
least be made a means of cnltlvatlng
I vice. The opportunities afforded for the
latter in the state prison under the con
ditions named are appalling. In That
institution are many men who are suiier
| ing the penalty of their first criminal
offense. The close association OF these
| in cells with hardened criminals pre-
cludes the possibility of their being IN
spired to reform, and makes it extremely
probable that they will emerge at the
expiration of their term confirmed crlln-
| inals.
In this connection I desire to quote an
other recommendation made in its re-
| port by the state board OF control:
| Provisions should be made for a reforma-
tory for first offenders at the earliest pos pos
| condition of the prison and would be Il
long stride in the right direction toward at
tempting the reformation of criminals.
Retormatory for First Offenders.
This latter recommendation of the board
may contain Il solution of the problem
presented in the condition of the state
prison. BY providing reformato"y Tor
| first offenders. relieved of the most de-
grading features of the state prison dis
cipline, and where the primary duty of the
Wardenship would be the reform of the
| inmates the crowded condition of the
state prison might be relieved. and 4
more wise and humane treatment OF first
offenders be instituted.
7 recommend. in view of the urgency
of the needs recited that the Legislature
provide for the appointment, early IN the
session, of a committee which shall in
ycstigate the condition of the state prison
! and report before the close of the session.
that there may be no UNNECESSARY delay
in determining what should be done in
the premises.
! School for Feeble Minded.
Tn most respects Wisconsin has been
| generous and humane III the treatment
of the unfortunate and criminal classes,
| but in it's care for the fceble-minded it is
| far behind many other states. "A ma
iority of the unfortunates named, OF the
| ncorer class, are kept in almShouseS, some
are in insane asylums, and others are
cared for at their homes. In The seventeen
states in which homes for the feeble-mlnd'
| cd have been established, the most benign
results have been attained 1t mas been
| demonstrated that even the lowest grades
| Of imbeciles are capable of some degret
| Of cultivation, while n large percentage
have developed an ability for sef-support
and become a blessing rather than
| burden to their fellows.
THO report of the state board Of control
saws of This class of unfortUnates: 1T is
an absolute necessity that some provision
| he made for their care, as there IS now
no place in the state where they can be
legally committed" It is not necessary lless Try
| that large appropriation be made tor
tho establishment of school home for
the Predetermined. It would be the ths W; SP1
~ for economical as we'll as humane
reasons that beginning should be made
| as soon as practicable
| Agriculture.
The Importance to the people OF the
highest possible Investigation and deVel-
onment of agriculture cannot be over-es-
| timnted. The growth of Wisconsin III this
rcsDect during the past ten years has been
more marked than in any other decade ands N
our history. Many thousands OF aces III
tbn northern portion OF the state have been
cleared and developed into prohta;h!e
farms. and in the older farming sections
nroeress has been marked by, the adoption
Of Of the most improved methods and
wider diversity of products. !, 4
hn Growth bnpn nOta