The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1897-01-19

of 5000. l cannot believe the DeopIe IT
this state desire continuance of the Dres
ent situation
In his report. which will be laid before
you, the state superintendent of public in
structlon has made a number of important
recommendations. and suggestions with
view TO promoting the efficiency of the
schools: These recommendations should be
carefully considered.
The State University.
1t is a cause for congratulation that our
State university stands today iii the front
rank of the higher educational institutions
of the country, and that each year it has
been enabled, through the liberal proyis
ions made by the Legislature. to keep pace
IN its progress with the rapid development
ana improvement in the higher educational
methods. Each succeeding year shows Il
larger attendance in the various depart
nents, and the percentage of attendance
from our own state shows very marked
Increase during the past few years. This
latter fact is particularly gratifying as in
dlcatlng that the advantages offered are
coming to be better appreciated by those
who are the chief contributors to the sup
port OF the institution. The needs of the
university am sure will receive the con-
slderatlOn which they merit.
The agricultural college of the university
In its development has kept up with the
progress of the other departments and the
effect of its work is plainly to be seen in
improved methods, greater Investigation of
crops and relatively larger profits in the
agricultural pursuits in our state. The i'm
In this department is more directly notice
able, perhaps, than the work of any of
the other departments. The special needs
of the agricultural college should be care
fully considered.
The Normal Schools.
The completion of the building and the
opening of the new normal school at SUI
periOr gives the state seven normal schools
ct nigh character and excellent equipment.
The prosperity Of these schools, judged by
the attendance, must be very gratifying to
every person Interested i'll educational mat
ters. No state in the Union offers better
advantages to those who desire TO equip
themselves for the honorable profession of
teaching than does our own state and this
IS shown by the fact that in each one of our
normal schools there are many students
from other states. The needs of these schools
IN In the way of appropriations are wei
Known and | am sure the high standard
and efficiency of the schools will not be less
ened by failure to make the proper pro-
vision for their support.
The Historical Library.
The Legislature of 1895 made an appcopria-
alton for the erection of an historical IL
valuable collections of the State Historical
society. This appropriation was made in
Kew of the fact that the collections of
rare and could not be replaced if destroyed,
were in their present location in the capitol
building, thought to be Liable at any time
to be destroyed by fire and because it
was feared that the enormous weight of
the society's library and collections upon
the upper floors of the south wing might
endanger the walls of the building. An
additional appropriation is necessary to
complete this structure. To leave it as it
is would entail loss upon the state. [
recommend, therefore, that an appropriation
sufficient to complete the historical library
building be made.
Charitable and Penal Institutions.
The report of the legislative visiting cons
mittee. which will be laid before YOU calls
II for nriC
room in the state. In this connection / de-
sire to call to your attention the necessity
termediate prison, to which first offenders
may be sent. In spite of the greatest care
which can be given by the prison authors
ties, it is impossible. in a state prison like
ours, where no distinction is made between
inmates who are first offenders and those
who are known to be hardened criminals,
to reach reformatory results which should
be one of the chief objects of Imprisonment.
The crowded condition of the prison at
Waupun makes clear the necessity for eth.
ter building an addition to the present priS-
on or the erection of a new prison. The
situation. therefore, forces a consideration
and determination of this question of an in
termediate prison for first offenders and
young convicts who are not yet beyond the
age when they can be reformed Some di-
vision and classification of criminals is
urgently needed from humanitarian point
of view. Our state can ill afford to allow
its penal institutions to become schools Of
crime rather than places of reformation
state board of control says upon this sub
ject:
Of previous reports for refOrmatOfy for
first offenders. In spite of the reforms
which have been wrought in prison dlsc-
pline, the criminal who has been apprehend-
ed by the officers of justice for the first time
is thrown into contact more or less closely
with offenders to whom the practice of
crime has become a life profession. His
term of Imprisonment is usually a sort one,
but it is long enough to permit of school
ing in which he shall learn new methods of
depreciation and new articles. of conceal
ment. Society seems to be educating him
at its own expense to acquire skill where
by he can more effectua1y prey upon the
honest. Economic consideratons-from the
narroweSt monetary aspect of the question
to the most advanced genealogical conclusion
-cal for a separation of first offenders from
habitual criminals, and this can be accom-
pliShed only when an institution is provided
for the less burdened class"
Home for the Feeble-M Minded.
The new Home for the Feeble minded at
Chippewa Falls, for the erection of which
the last Legislature provided, is about COM
pleted. No provision has been made for the
furnishing of the buildings, and in order
that this new charity shall be made avail
able at once, / recommend that an appro-
priation be made for this purpose.
Prison Labor.
The competition in the sale of products
manufactured by convict labor in the state
prison with the same products manufactured
throughout the state gives rise In some
quarters to an increasing complaint. This
is not peculiar to Wisconsin, but the subject
is receiving great deal of attention
throughout the country. 1t is not necessary
for me to point out the injustice growing
out of compelling honest labor to compete
with the forced labor of convicts. But the
subject is complicated one, involving vari-
Gus considerations of great Importance, and
deserves the utmost investigation and
thought.
Among the things to be considered as in
volved in the question of prison labor are
the necessity for so directing the employ
ment of convicts ccnfied in the various penal
institutions as that each convict, when his
fern of sentence eyDireS NAV have learned