River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-12-17

cost of new Court House suitable to
the needs of the County.
Said Committee to report at the next
annual or special meeting of the Board
Of Supervisors. Said Committee to be al
bowed compensation of three dollars per
lfay and expenses for such purpose shall
not exceed two hundred dollars.
Dated, Nov. 18th, 1903.
j. FREAS,
JOHN CARLSON,
J. L. MOODY,
Building Committee.
The following report from the spe-
cial committee was accepted and
adopted:
REPORT OF SPECIAL COMMITTEE.
To the Honorable Board of Supervisors
of Pierce County:
Your committee to Whom was Telerre,u
the resolution for the purchase on a DOCK
typewriter for the Office OF register OF
Deeds would respectfully report that they
have attended to that duty and Woulo
recommend that the BOARD 90 hoI pun
chase the same.
Further that the vault space can De
added by authorizing the purchase OF ao-
'1'i0''A' '''e- VIM. FOLEY,
S. MCDONALD,
ED MURPHY,
Committee
The County superintendent OF
Schools read his annual report and the
same was on motion accepted and
adopted.
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE COUNTY
SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
TO the Honorable. the County Board of
PIerce County:
Mr.. Chairman and Gentlemen:
nave Lue uonof On herewith SuOlu'LlIl
for your CONSIDERATION ny b4La ahiudi
report as county superintendent OF
4 q IA
demL great iatCmuoe dS 10 what ne snail
report. L shall DISCUSS only sucn matter
as are oil interest 10 your honorable pooy
ana TO the patrons OIL our sCnoolS III gen
eraI. [ couIu devote my WnoIe TINE 70
discussion OF the many soo0 qudlIt4eS o.
our schools, bIBL = eel tnHL the pui pose OF
this report is fra K and Ieafleoa ~4aN"s
SION Oh the Things WINCH, IA my op4HRoh,
are undermining our Scn0oIS. You WALL
PARDON me, therefore, III speak PLAINLY
on some matters, Tor leel ketlAy the re-
sponsLDilIty resting upon me. Your power
as a board to remeny some OF the condI-
tionS OF winch 1 Snah speak, Is MAUI ally
limited, but as you are representative
men from your Respective communities,
feel that a discussion of THESE questions
is timely.
SOME RECENT LEGISLATION.
Since may last annual report our great
state Of Wisconsin mas proven to her SIS
ter states that her motto is still tOR-
politics. At the Last general election
constitutional amendment was passed
which places the supervisory o1lcerS Oh
our schools upon the same plane as the
judiciary. The Superintendent of Public
instruction Is hereafter to De elected IN
the spring, for a term of four ) g.
ginning IN July instead OF in January.
Thanks to our last legislature, the Coun-
ty SuperintendentS are also to be elected
in the spring hereafter, for term OF
two years. beginning at the same time as
that of the State Superintendent
An important change was made in the
compulsory education law, which now
provides that children between the ages
of Z and IA years shall attend some pup
lie parochial or private School, Wnlch
the persons having control of such emil
dren shall designate, for period OF at
least five calendar months instead OF
three as was formerly the case.
SCHOOL. ATTENDANCE.
ON June 20. 1903, there were 1919 persons
of school age in the county. OF this num-
Der 6.W7, or about Y per cent, were en-
rolled IN our public schools. There were
4,213 persons between and IA years OF age
and therefore subject to the compulsory
education law, 3,578 of which attended
public school and lV7 pr1vate scnool sne
required II weeks. 1t will be seen tnat
q per cent, or one child of every eighII;;
failed OF comply with the law. L VIII
venture to say that there was not a single
prosecution for failure to comply =
made even to urge them to comply;
Why this apathy? Is 1t because SO many
people do not realize the need or an ecu
cation or do they feel that our courses 9 e
of study are not adapted to the needs OF
their children? 1t seems to me that the
former Is the principal cause togetneII
with the practice of keeping chlFdren OUT
of school for the little work tnat tney can
nv the people and for the people," and
therefore the state claims the right to
require that its citizens shall nave d.
least a common school educatlon SO thae
thew may wisely perform the duties on
citizenship. For this reason the STATE
authorizes the appointment or truant Of
lcers whose specinc d4 ab reG ~ length
IF time. Just so long as this duty is only
one of many to be performed by an o.
ficer, just SO long will many OF our , cnii
dreu he on the streets when they ShOuln
he in some school. I believe that gooo re-
suIts would come from the appointment
of a man of good Judgment as truant ~
ficer in every district. The averatg; e a. a.
tualIy enrolled was only aoou! TOUR anu anu
one-half months, so you Will see INA,
there is q waste of one-half or the scmoo MOO
funds through this channei alone. ~,
is q serious matter and concerns US all
Teachers, school officers and all otners
interested in the educational progress OF
our state should cooperate TO secure d
full attendance in our schools, TOT IL, IN ~ ~
strength Of our nation and the prosperity
and perpetuity of our free institutions.
FINANCIAL STATEMENT.
The total amount received from the va
TIous sources last year was SlISsSI no
The total expenditures were So;5zz gu
leaving a balance of s33 SIT IS on nano
az the amount expended SIT 653.62 was ror
building and repairing. S1.454. 05 for appa-
ratus SAFES 81 for services of male teacn-
ers ss5 OK Os for services Of female teach
srs - go 35 for old Indebtedness. 1913 81 for
school furniture $SeS 20 FOR services OF dis
trict clerks and $13O4s.52 for all other
purposes.
CHILDREN INCAPACrTATHD FOR AT
TENDING SCHOOL.
The town clerks annual reports show
Il persons of school age 'ncapacitated for
attending school. six deaf mutes. seven
feeble minded and one that has epHeptic
fits I personally know that there We're
a number of others in the COUNTY that
were not reported. District clerks should
be careful to report all such cases so the
parents NAV be induced to send those I'M
fortunate children TO the proner schools.
I have made several VISITS to the PARENTS
of some of the afflicted chnaren and have
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