Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1907-08-08
UNIVERSITY IN PUBLIC LIFE.
Participation of Professors in move
nnents for State Advancement.


The many directions in which mem
bers of the faculty of the University or
Wisconsin have entered the public life
Of the state and thrown their weight
toward the accomplishment of desired
reforms are outlined in an interesting
article by William Hard, entitled "A
University in Public Life in the last
number of the Outlook. In the WIS
consin state railroad commission, the
state legislative reference department.
the state tax commission, state CIVIL
service commission, state dairy and
food commission, state hygienic labor
atory, state live stock sanitary board
and in many other positions OF public
service. Mr.. Hard points out, the pro-
fessors of the university have taken a
most important part in promoting the
best interests of the people OF Wiscon-
sin. Instead of devoting themselves
exclusively to books, delving among;
dead languages and ancient manu-
script lore, they have correlated AGA
demic learning with the solution or
present-day economic problems. He
mentions man after man who has made
himself useful in practical ways to the
public.
'1t is clear" Mr.. Hard says, that
the state of Wisconsin does not main
tain it's university simply for show or
simply for the improvement OF the
minds of it's young boys and girls.
Here for instance, are eight professors
and instructors whom it has impressed
| into service for the one purpose or
establishing it's taxation system on
scientific basis. The kind of service
rendered to the State of Wisconsin by
the scholars of it's university is well IL
| Illustrated by the history OF the work
of the tax commission. large part
of the skill required for making COM
plete valuation of railway properties
was furnished in Wisconsin by Prof.
William Dana Taylor, Prof. w. d.
Pence, Prof. J. G. D. Mack, Prof H. J.
B. Thorkelson, Mr.. L. D. Williams and
! Mr.. J. D. Van Zandt, all of the Uni
yersity of Wisconsin. All of them are
now employed in giving technical as
sistance to the state tax commission
in the ascertainment of railway values.
Meanwhile, in branch OF taxation
distinct from the railway question.
Prof. E. B. Skinner of the mathematics
department has long been a part of
the tax commission, and Thomas Sew
all Adams, assistant professor of po-
! litical economy, is continuously at
work on the real as distinguished
| from the assessed value of Wisconsin
property 1t is largely owing to the
labor of these gentlemen that taxation
| in Wisconsin has almost ceased to be
a guessing contest complicated by
campaign contributions and the cleo
ton returns), and has almost become
a department of the science of mathe-
mates. During the summer time some
twenty or thirty members of the de-
partment of political economy Gin
structors, graduates, special students
and so ON are busy making labOrious
and intricate Investigations for the
same tax commission. The idea is
that they would make Investigations
any way in order to become political
economists, and they might as well do
it in the service and for the benefit of
the state.
Prof. S. E. Sparkling, assistant pro
fessor of political science, acts as
chairman of the civil service commits
sion DR.. Charles Mccarthy, lecturer
in political science, is head of the leg,
| S-.I1 NoyatJ1 1n,of rryft,
Dr. Margaret Schaffner of the same de.
partment in the university as assist
ant In the department of geology
there is a young instructor named w.
o. Hotchkiss who has acquired deep
concern about good roads. He read
about good roads; travelled all over the
state observing and experimenting,
with an eye to the practical construc-
ton of good roads; came back to the
university and wrote bulletin on
good roads; offered correspondence
courses on good roads, and appeared
before the legislature in behalf of good
roads. The improvement of the coun-
try ways of communication will al
ways bear the mark of his work. The
university lecturer on forestry, E. r.
Griffith, is the official forester of the
state government; Prof. Richard
Fischer is the official chemist of the
state dairy and food commission;
! Prof F. E. Turneaure and Prof. L. S.
Smith of the college of engineering,
are aldermen in the city council of
Madison; F. w. Huels, instructor in
engineering, is gas and electric light
expert of the city, and other professors
act as experts in other lines"