Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1897-01-18

increase during the past lew years. IhlS
latter fact is particularly gratifying as in
dicating 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 l am sure will receive the con-
sideration 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 it's work is plainly to be seen in
improved methods greater diversifcation OF
crops and relatively larger profits in the
agricultural pursuits in our state. The i'm
pOrtance and value of the work being done
in this department is more directly notice
able, perhaps than the work OF any OF
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
peri0r gives the state seven normal schools
Of high character and excellent equipment.
The prosperity of these schools, judged by
the attendance, must be very gratifying to
every person interested in 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 the way of appropriations are well
known. and l am sure the high standard
and efficiency Of the schools will not be less
ened by q failure TO make the proper pro-
vision for their support.
The Historical Library.
The Legislature Of 1895 made an appropria-
alton for the erection Of an historical IL
brary building i'll which to preserve the
valuable collections of the State Historical
society. This appropriation was made in
view of the fact that the collections Of
the Historical society, many of which are
rare and could not be replaced if destroyed,
were in their present location in the capitol
huidiOO th0nObt tn IA lin hln a 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 q 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 COM
mittee, which will BE- laid before you calls
attention to the urgent need for more prison
room in the state. In this connection l de-
sire to call to your attention the necessity
for the establishment of some sort OF an in
termediate prison., to which first offenders
may be sent. In spite of the greatest care
which can be given by the prison authOri-
ties it is impossible, in n 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
er building an addition to the present pris-
on or the erection of new prison. The
situation, therefore, forces a consideration
and determination of this question of an in
termediate prison for first offenders and
young conyicts who are not yet beyond the
age when they can be reformed. Some di-
vision and classification of criminals is
urgently needed from a humanitarian point
of view. Our state can ill afford to allow
its penal institutions to become schools OF
crime rather than places of reformation.
In its report but recently published, the
state board of control says upon this sub
ject:
of previous reports for reformatory for
first offenders. In spite of the reforms
which have been wrought in prison dsci-
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 a 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 effectually prey upon the
honest Economic cOnSideratiOnS-fr0m the
narrowest monetary aspect OF the question
to the most advanced genealogical conclusion
call 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 Minded.
The new Home for the Predetermined 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.
hn comnaf;tiOn in sale nToductS
manufactured by convict labor in the state
prison with the same products manufactured
quarters to an increasing complaint This
is not peculiar to Wisconsin, but the subject
is receiving a great deal Of attention
throughout the country 1t IS not necessary
out Of compelling honest labor to compete
with the forced labor of convicts But the
Gus considerations of great Importance, and
deserves the utmost investigation and
thought.
Among the things to be considered as in
yolved in the question of prison labor are
the necessity for so directing the employ
ment of cOnvicts contied in the various penal
institutions as that each convict, when his
term of sentence expires, may have learned
some trade, otherwise have fitted himself
for earning an honorable living; the neces-
sity dictated by humane impulses for giving
employment to conyicts rather than allow
ing them to be idle: and the Importance to
the taxpayer of making criminals Self-sup-
porting rather imam perpetual DuFueu upon
the state. The first of these is the most inn
portant An attempt has been made in New
York to solve this difficult problem by con-
stitutional provision, and the laws of that
state may well be considered by your honor
able body when the subject comes before
you.
While considering the effect of convict
labor competition in our own state prison
with products manufactured in the state,
it may be not unWiSe to consider whether
legislation should not be enacted to protect
the manufacturers and labor of the state
against competition with similar products
made by the conyictS of other states
The Legislature of New York in 1894
passed an act upon the subject which re-
quired ''all goods, wares and merchandise
made by convict labor in any penitentiary,
prison, reformatory or other establishment
in which convict labor is employed, in any
state except the state of New York, shall,
before being exposed for sale, be branded,
labeled or marked as hereinafter provided,
and shall not be exposed for sale in any
place within this state without such brand.
label or mark" The remaining sections of
the act deal with details, and prescribe
severe penalty for violation of it's provis-
ions. AS the act deals with interstate com
merce, it goes as far, probably, as the Leg
islature can lawfully go in the exercise Of
the police power of the state
/ recommend the investigation by your