Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1912-01-10
STATE FARMERS
GET FREE BOOKS
travelling Libraries in Great De-
mand in Rural Sections.
700 STATIONS ESTABLISHED
Wisconsin Is the Third in the Union
to Recognize That Reading Is
Needed as Much on the
Farm asin the city.


Madison.--It is through the travel
Ing library department Of the Wiscon-
sin free library commission that the
citizenship of the state is reached at
the greatest number of points. Miss
Lutte f. Stearns. chief of the travelling
library department, has seen this
work grow from a small beginning
until it now embraces over 1000 tray-
cling library stations, including the 200
stations established by the state IL
brary commission, and over 800 sta
tons in the fourteen county travel
ing library systems.
Good roads, rural free delivery,
farmers telephone lines. and travel
ing libraries are the four great modern
agencies that are doing much to re-
lieve the old time isolation of farm
life.
Wisconsin was the third state in the
union to recognize the fact that read
ing matter is needed just as much on
the farm as in the city, and that it is
more appreciated in the rural commu-
mites than in cities, with all the cities
distractions.
In 1896 the Wisconsin state library
commission enlisted the interest of
Senator James H. Stout, Dunn county,
in the movement to secure reading
matter for his home district Mr..
Stout expended $500 for the purchase
of sixteen travelling libraries. These
libraries proved so popular that TWEEN
ty-one more We're purchased shortly
after. which with fresh additions to
each box from time to time, have
been in circulation in the county dur
ing the last fifteen years
In the beginning, other counties
were also obliged to depend upon the
private beneficence of individuals or
women's clubs for similar collections.
In 1903 the legislature made an APP
preparation TO the commission for
travelling Libraries. and it now has
over zoe travelling library stations
scattered all over the state. There
were over 200, 900 issues of the books
in these libraries during the last BIZ
ennial period, NJ y volumes being
literally worn out by the readers.
Since Sept 1. 1910, 400 boxes of
books have been shipped out into the
state.
These travelling Libraries are made
up of the best Of the most recent
books of fiction for old and young.
travel, biography, literature. useful
arts, fine arts and sociology. The
commission circulates three sizes of
travelling libraries. The twenty-five
volume. for. the small northern ham
lets; the fifty-fiye volume for the bet
ter populated districts, and the 100
volume for the largest villages. A
collection is sent to community for
the mere, payment of the freight upon
receipt and return. upon application of
ten people in the community. or of a
local school board where no postoffice
exists. This constant exchange-the
receipt of fresh reading matter at fire.
Quent intervals-is the best feature OF
the system, enabling the most isolated
community to be Kept alive mentally
by the influx of fresh ideas.
Few Auto Owners Apply for License
Only 5000 automobiles owned in
Wisconsin have been licensed by the
secretary OF state under the new law
which requires the owner of an auto
to take out an ami, III license at fee
CT SIS.
This number is about one-fourth OF
the total number of machines owned
in the state. Many machines are moi
used this time of the year and the
owners are in no hurry to take out
the required license. OF the 2,700 mo
torcycles owned in the state only 300
have so far been licensed under the
new law. The license fee for motor
cycle is So a year. The old law re
auired autos and motorcycles to be
registered only once instead OF an
nually and the old fee was So for an
auto and ST. for motorcycle.
The secretary of state fears that
many owners OF machines viii delay
applying for licenses until. March
when the rush for licenses will over
whelm his clerical force and result in
some Inconvenience TO the tardy ap
plicants. On Nov. the secretary oil
state sent 20 all owners of machines
registered in his department a circu
lar letter calling their attention to the
provisions of the new law and enclos
ing applications for licenses and sug
costing that the applications be filed
out and returned as soon as possible
TO avoid congestion of work in the
department and needless delay in the
issuing of licenses
Wants Commission Rule.
The formation of bureaucratic OF
commission form Of government, in
stead of democratic, to administer the
affairs of modern states is advocated
in an open letter of State Superintend
ent of Schools Charles p. Cary. ad
dressed to teachers and the genera
public. The letter is the second Of 9
series. the first one of which crit
cised the University az Wisconsin al
being too much entangled in politics
In this letter he says the impression