Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1899-01-18

the minimum late authorized by statute.
| Rather than have the state fall to meet its
| current bills, l requested the state treas
| urer. as before stated, to transfer to the
general fund sufficient amount TO meet
| fcient money will be received In payment
| of taxes to reimburse the trust funds.
IL 1t had not been for these extraordinary
4 expenditures the general fund would have
! contained an ample sum to meet all ex-
| penses and leave good working balance
| with which to begin the new biennial pc
| riod.
Governors Contingent Fund
On December 81, 1898, there was d bal.
ance In the governors contingent fund In
| the hands OF the state treasurer of $347 IA.
Educational.
The Common Schools
"A reference to the exhaustive report Of
the state superintendent of public instruc-
tl9n' which will be placed In your hands.
| VIII show You that the past few years have
been time of unprecedented prosperity
| loi our public schools. The statistics show
that the total expenditures for public edu-
cation In Wisconsin for the year 1898 were
S622O,10OO2; but these figures, large as
they are, do not express the full measure
OF prosperity. There has been wonder
fui growth in public school attendance. no
ticeaDiy In the country districts; greater
activity and interest in teachers institutes
| and educational associations, and crafty
ing growth In the free high schools includ-
| Ing the establishment of manual training
| departments; extraordinary expansion of
| the normal schools and the university and
| rapid development of the township school
library system This general prosperity is
| very gratifying, and especially when viewed
In connection with the future possibilities
OF our excellent system of public educa-
| ton
In his report the state superintendent of
public instruction makes some recommends
| lions to which | shall briefly call your at
| tention. He believes that the weakest fea-
lures or our common school system are
mott 80
| ers; ~ the comparative failure of the sys-
TEN to make adequate provision for suit
| able professional training of teachers for
| the common district schools; and IN the
lack of close. careful, professional super
| vision. feel confident that the recommen-
| dattons of the state superintendent suggest
ing remedies for these evils will receive
| your earnest consideration.
Township Library System.-
| The township school library system main
| talned by the superintendent Of public in
| struction has come to be recognized as one
| OF the most Important factors In our edu-
| catlonal system. The Increase in the num-
| Der OF these libraries and their patronage IL
| very gratifying. SO long as this system Is
maintained and the selection of books kept
In the efficient hands of the superintendent,
! the township library system will continue
| to be a great educational factor This Is
reading age-books bad and good are
| within the reach Of every child In the state.
It becomes absolutely necessary. therefore,
| dren be guided, and the township library
system Is doing this by furnishing to the
| school children of the townships away from
the cities as well as in the cities, books
| of helpful and uplifting character.
The Normal Schools
Inc eighth biennial report of the board
| OF regents or the normal schools of Wiscon-
sin has been laid before you. This report
shows very pleasing growth in the normal
schools and in their capacity for turning
| out teachers. The normal school system
| or the state has grown in attendance In
two years nearly 30 per cent. and In four
years nearly ~ per cent In two years
| the ability of the schools to furnish trained
teachers has Increased nearly IS per cent.
and more than 2oS per cent In four years.
| This rate of progress Indicates that the nor
NAL schools are rapidly coming to fulfill
| their true mission In the state, that of
| preparing competent teachers. The current
expenses OF tire normal schools for the
| present biennial period as estimated by the
board of regents Is already provided for by
| fund Incomes, from appropriations and tax
| levies. The board asks for special an
| preparation of $4,000 for necessary build
| ings and repairs, which request should re-
| ceive your earnest attention.
The State University
| The board of regents of the State uni
| versity report an Increase in the enrolment
| of students for the present year of about
| two hundred over any previous year. This
| Is but one Indication of the increasing use,
| fulness of this great institution. The uni
| NefSltE at present STANDS well uD to the
| front among the great universities of this
| country, and the citizens generally, as well
| as the regents, have pride in maintaining
| its present high standard. In their bien-
| NAL report, which will be placed before
| you, the board of regents asks for spe-
| cial appropriation OF $40, 900 for additions
| to the dairy department Of the Agricultural
| college, and 100000 for the erection of a
suitable building for the College of Engi-
peering, The current expenses of the In
| stitution are already provide for by tax
| levies, permanent appropriations and other
| wise, and these amounts asked are exclu-
| sively for the purposes named. / am sure
| that these requests will receive your care
| full consideration The members of the
| board of regents, after carefully studying
| the needs of the university believe these
| appropriations asked for to be necessary
| II the institution is to maintain Its pres
| ent rate OF progress and keep pace with
| the advances made by the other great uni
| versies of the country.
| Historical Library Building
| You will be asked to make a special an
| preparation sufficient to complete the con
struction and furnishing of the building of
| the State Historical society on the univer-
| sity grounds. The cost Of this building
| greatly exceeds what was at first contem-
| plated or acted for. In the future l be-
| iieve that " ,en appropriations are asked
| for the erection Of public buildings, the
| Legislature should require definite esti.
| mate as to the cost of the buildings and
| limit its app 1priations to the amount OF
| the estimates The new building of the
| state Historical society is to be one of the
| best library structures in the country when
| completed, and will be an honor to the
| state as we'll as to the society. To fail to
| provide for its completion and proper equip
| ment at this time would be to deprive the
| public of the advantages which should nc.
| crue from the amount already expended
| thereon. I recommend. therefore, that the
| needs of this building be given your care
| full consideration.
| Free Library Commission
| Two years ago the Legislature gave the
| means and provided a room for 1t In the
| capitol building Since that time the In
| telligent activity in library work which
| has won Wisconsin welldeserved fame has
| steadily increased. The gifts and requests
| to free public libraries have, within the
| past two years, amounted 10 more than
| S250000. The free travelling libraries, all
| furnished by private beneficence, but gen.
orally directed by the commission, have in
| creased In number from 80 to 200. Twenty
four new free public libraries have been
| established upon permanent foundations by
| cities and villages. The older public IL
| brarles are becoming more accessible and
| more servlceabe to the children and the
masses of the people. These great gifts,
| the new libraries, the sending of the best
books to isolated communities, the costly
| and beautiful library buildings recent
| ly erected in Milwaukee, Madison and
other cities, all attest the belief of the
! The commission asks for an appropriation
| of $500 to carry on its work during the
| next two years, and, in view of the excel
| lent work being accomplished by the com
| mission, / recommend that such appropria-
ton be made.
| The Tax Com ission.
| Two years ago the Legislature passed a
| law providing for Il tax commission to be
| made up of the governor and the secretary
| of state, as ex-oiiicio members, and three
| members to be appointed by the governor.
The work of the commission as laid out by
| the law creating 1t was to collect and col
| late material relating to the assessment and
| levy of taxes, and to make such recon-
| mendations for legislation on the subject
| as the conditions would seem to require.
| No provision was made for payment of the
| expenses of the commission, but notwith
| standing this the work has been very sue
| cessfully carried on up to this time. The
| ex officto members have not been able 10
| participate to any great extent in the work
| On take part In the deliberations of the
| commission; Its report. therefore, Is eX
| clusively the work of the three members
| appointed by the governor. This report
| will be laid before you, and you will learn
| that a great deal of work has been done.
| Much valuable and necessary data for In
| telligent action on the subject has been
| collected and some important recommends
| lions made, and yet the work can be re-
| garded only a step In the right direc.
| ton and far from complete. The report
| contains q statement of the origin and
| growth of our present system of taxation
| and n carefully prepared synopsis or analy'
| sis Of the requirements OF the present laws
| as they stand upon the statute books. The
| defects in the laws are fully disclosed and
| the work OF tax commissions in other states
| Is described, and some suggestions and rec
| concentrations for changes in the present