Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-01-17


close Of the session, that there may
be no unnecessary delay in determin-
ing what should be done in the prem
ises
School For Feeble-Minded.
In most respects Wisconsin has been
generous and humane in the treatment
OF the unfortunate and criminal clas-
ses, but in its care Of the feeble-mind-
ed it IS far behind many other states.
majority Of the unfortunates named,
OF the poorer class, are kept in aims
houses; some are in insane asylums.
and others are cared for at their
homes. In the seventeen states in
which homes for the feeble minded
have been established, tie most be-
nign results have been attained. 1t
has been demonstrated that even the
,, lowest grades of imbeciles are capable
of some degree Of cultivation, while Il
large percentage have developed an
ability for self-support and become a
| blessing rather than a burden to their
fellows. The report of the state board
| of control says of this class Of I'M
| fortunateS: at is an absolute neces-
| sity that some provision be made for
| their care. as there is now no place
| in the state where they can be legally
| committed" It is not necessary that
a large appropriation be made for the
establishment of a school home for the
feeble minded. 1t would be the wiser
| l,o1; 70 10 he
cir ming; but for economical as well
as humane reasons, that beginning
should be made as soon as practicable
Agriculture.
The Importance to the people Of the
highest possible diversifcation and de
yelOpment Of agriculture cannot be
overeStimated. The growth Of Wis
consin in this respect during the pas
ten years has been more marked thar
in any other decade in our history
Many thousands of acres in the north
ern portion of the state have beer
cleared and developed into profitable
. farms; and in the older farming sec
tons progress has been marked b!
the adoption of the most improved
methods, and a wider diversity o
products.
Especially has the growth been no
table in the dairy industry. 1t is es
timated that there is now invested il
the dairy industry Of Wisconsin NOR
than S16O,0OO,0OO; and according t
the last report to the State Dairymen'
association the milk products of tn
=, state for 1894 aggregated $30,OOO,0OC
With this growth, however, Their
+ have appeared serious dangers to tn
future of the industry. The high req
ltation which the Wisconsin chees
product earned, and for a long perfo
maintained in the market, has bee
: injured by the manufacture With
L the state, and sale, of what is Gale
t filled cheese, greatly inferior In qua
t ity, but not distinguishable from tn
l better product by ordinary inspection
# While not favoring paternalistic legi:
e lation. 1 deem it to be the duty of th
n legislature to protect by adequat
h measures this great industry agains
i permanent injury by fraud. and
S protect the people against imposition
: 1 recommend, therefore, the enactme1
l. of some well-considered law whic
l. shall. under appropriate penalty, con
r pei the manufacturers and vendor
|. of such cheese to so brand, mark {
J. color it that it shall no longer be sol
e for what it is not.
o In this connection commend to yor
o a
l. which shall protect the butter-makel
Il of the state from unfair competitio
It with substances manufactured in til
III similitude of butter, and sold as bu
y ter, which are not made from milk
It cream If oleomargarine and Otht
It elements can be combined into an a
s. ticle which people are willing to us
as a substitute for butter, and nt
10 detrimental to public health, know (
- no principle of public policy whic
=, should prohibit it's manufacture an
w sale. To say, however, that no OF
~ can claim the right to manufactu1
tS and sell it as butter is simply to 50
;, that no one can claim the right to pc
= petrate a fraud Whether the Obje
,s of manufacturing it is to render it
color, taste and otherwise difficult
distinguish from genuine butter is n
ie for me to say; that such is it's effeo
IL however cannot be doubted.
'e Those who wish to buy butter ar
D. who suppose they are paying for Blu
H. ter the product of the dairy, are e
.. titled to what they buy and pay 70
Vi Those who wish to buy oleomargari1
se or other substitutes for butter are e.
y titled to what they pay for; but tt
vi farmer and other daiymen ought n
Is to be, in the manufacture and sale
III the genuine article, brought into cor
'e petition with any substitute not di
le tinguishable from butter.
There has been, until recently, son
question as to the power of the legi
Id lature to enact and enforce legislatiC
ly which will protect the people in tn
If respect against deception, and hone
to dairy products against fraudulent con
ID petition. All questions have been +
If Gently put at rest by the supren
IS court of the United States, in it's d
te cision in a case appealed from the 81
e preme court of Massachusetts,. Tt
e Massachusetts, statute upon which til
l. original suit was brought containe
lie provisions which seem to me to offe
h ample protection to the butter MANI
s. facturers and to the public. 1t wa
E. held by the supreme court of th