The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1899-02-24
.SOLONS TO GREEN BAY
Three Sleeping Cars Full Of EN-
Visit New Refotmatory.
BURNETT" ON LEGISLATURE.

Than in '31-The Move to Abolish Cor
sets-Contract Prison Labor Must Go
Prayers for the Lobby" Uncle Hold
Taylor at McKin1eys Cabinet Table.
Madison, Wis, Feb. 21.-Many mem
bers of the legislature will celebrate
o-morrow-Wash ington's birthday-by
inspecting the constructions at the new
reformatory in Green Bay. as far as
advanced. They leave Madison to
night in three sleeping cars as the
guests of the Green Bay Business Mems
association. Superintend. mt Eeg of the
reformatory will Go all ne can to make
it pleasant for them, and no doubt the
minds of the visitors will be recon
ciled to any needed appropriations to
complete the work. 1t is a grand eff
fort to save bad boys and first offend
ers, now sent to Waupun.
Mr.. Heg, by the way, is brother
in-law of Professor Adams, the his
torian Of Yale, who is now the guest OF
the Historical society in Madison.
Henry Legler secretary of the board
of education in Milwaukee, and himself
a historian is related to the visit in
the same way.
No More New Bills.
Thus this week will be badly broken
up. Last Friday was the limit set for
the introduction of new business and
there was a flood of bills introduced.
The total, however, is not equal to that
of 1897. Hereafter it requires unani-
nous consent to introduce a bill; and
practically it is impossible to get
measure started, unless it be some city
charter change, forced by unexpected
circumstances, or other bills concerning
which there is no dispute. On Friday
there were no less than eighty-three
bills introduced in the senate alone, and
many more than that in the assembly.
Many of these bills are historic-claims
that have been put in year after year
without receiving a passage. Many
are ''fool' bills-the idea of eccentric
people, dreamers who think enactment
would correct the ills of the world. Not
few are injustices-sly, tricky eff
forts to effect a raise in salary, an
undermining Of authority, or the build
ing of bridge or the cheapened price
of a piece of land-things that never
should be granted, but which some over
reaching fellow conceives can be done
on the quiet in Madison-it's safer
from home. Some are the bills of
demagogues.
the large number of corporation-t taxing
measures.
Now for Some Good Talking.
The rest Of the session will be de-
voted to consideration of bills on the
floor, and there will be some good
talking. The senate has a score Of de-
baters, and in the house conspicuous
are Hall. McGrath, Wheeler, True,
Harvey, Mcdonald, Overlook, Buff1ng-
ton and Fogo of the old guard; and
Rusk, orion, Vandercook Sarau,
Keene, Mosher, Sturtevant, Bryant,
Catlin, Dodge and others of the new
men.
Every year there are some bills to
make fun tighten bit Of serious rou-
tine. Senator Withee has in a measure
to tax newspapers, and the bill to abol-
ish the corset has been sent from the
committee on health to the committee
on public improvements. Usually these
bills die unhonored and unsung after
they have served their mission of play
fulness, but sometimes like the bill
to suppress the high hat at theater and
church, they are passed. and sent to
the governor and even become laws.
Waupun Prisons Shortcomings.
Speaking of the trip to Green Bay,
there is feeling that Waupun prison
is not what it should be; in fact,
general feeling that Wisconsin is way
behind the times in carrying for the
yioin
kesha school for boys, headed by no.
bic man, Professor Merica, is an in
terrogation point. Boys of all kinds
are herded together there, some of them
uncongenial step-children, whose room
is more desired at home than their
company. An effort is made at Wau-
kesha to keep the comparatively limo
cent apart from the undoubtedly har-
dened rogues there but it can't be
wholly done.
AS for Waupun no one pretends that
any attempt at reformation is made
The prison is old and unsantary. The
cells are small-40 inches wide, and
some Of them occupied by two prison
ers. 1t is over-crowded
The commission to investigate the
prison labor system thinks that the
New York system should be adopted.
Mr.. David c. Green says:
Under the present arrangement
(making shoes), the labor is let. out
under contract to M. D. Wells & Co.
of Chicago, at so cents per day, 300
men requiring to be employed. The
state must furnish heat, power, light,
buildings, etc, SO that the net revenue
to the state is comparatively small.
The profit now goes to the contractor,
whereas it should go to the state"
This Chicago firm has made a pot of
money out of this unhappy contract.
In addition there are 100 "citizens'' at
work, men and boys of Waupun, and
the commission says this is contrary
to good prison discipline as the prison
ers are constantly posted as to what is
going on outside the walls, and then
it is not well to have young men and
boys in touch with hardened criminals.
Prisoners should be kept apart from
the free world. This is part Of the
punishment"
The proposed plan provides labor for
the convicts on work for the state,
semi-state and municipal institutions,
and whatever profit there may be goes