Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1913-01-21

allowance or this sort should sniy be ,nea'
- inothefs VINO in the Judgment ~
couIt are worthy of the custody OF thei
cniidren and ordinarily it should not b.
ln lasa uhiess found necessary to save IB'
ehiiuren from neglect This aid to NEEDY
but deserving mothers should not be re
Sarqea as charity, hut rather as the rec
ognltion OF an obligation actually due then
~ Iesurn Tor their service TO the stat
rs bearers or children.
PRISON LABOR.
One of the subjects investigated by tn.
Board OF Public Affairs during the pas
year IS the adyisability Of abolishing tn,
present system of prison contract labor
The objections to the present arrange
menL seem TO me to be serious enough t
aeserVe your earnest consideration In ths
nrst pace, the prison should be self sup
poEtins. Inefe is no good reason why
the abiding people Of wisconsin who
nave once suffered injury by infraction o.
tnelr criminal statutes should be furthei
Durdened by the maintenance Of thest
criminals after they have been caught and
sentsnceu- Under proper conditions ths
state prison should not only be lf-sup
porting, bur the convicts should be made
TO work hard enough and at employments
productive enough to enable the institu
tloh 10 realize a substantial profit ezcf
year.
law enacted at the last session Of the
legislature plant for the manufacture Of
oindeF IWIne was established at the stats
prison. inns Industry has been probably
conducted IN the penitentiary of Minnesota
ana elsewhere and there is no reason why
" should not also be a success here. If sc
4 portion az least of the prisoners al
w, wanpuH VIII be profitabiy employed a
Mofh at winch they may derive skiil and
training that win fl them later for use
lul employment In another part of this
message have recommended the employ
ment OF some OF the conyicts at WaupuT
in an experimental way in the work o1
road building. But better than the legis-
atiVe setectlon of any specific employ meni
or industry would be the enactment of :
statute which woulG confer upon the Board
OF control discretionary authority to EN-
pioy the conyicts in such manner as vii
conduce to the advantage OF the state, the
NelIare or the prisoners and their proper
training and equipment for honest employ
ment when their sentences have been sery-
ed lt IS not wise or prudent 70 attempt
60 remodel an institution OF this sort al
at once The change must be made grad
ually and the transition from the contract
labor system to manufacturing on state
account or for state use, according as one
or the other may be preferred by the leg
lslature or by the Board of Control. should
be effected gradually in order that all the
prisoners may be kept employed at some
useful work all of the time.
BOARD OF CONTROL.
When the State Board of Control was
created twenty two years ago there were
SIX institutions under supervision. Now
there are ten. Meanwhile the inmate pop.
ulatIon of these institutions has more thar
doubled. As a result the work of the
Board has greatly increased 1t spends
now over Il million dollars year. In ad
dltioH to the management of these insti
tutions it paroles inmates from the In.
dustrial School for Boys, the Wisconsin
State Reformatory, and the State Prison
It administers i'll part the probation law
It IS also charged with responsibility fol
the proper business management of the
new binder Irvine plant at Waupun Al
these duties new and old have crowded
upon the members of the Board untii they
are 0verworked
/ respectfully recommend that the Law
be so amended as TO authorize the Board
of Control to appoint such numbers OF
agents or deputies as may be needed al
uXed salaries, to make inspection of these
county and local institutions under its
direction.
SETTLEMENT OF FARM LANDS
The settlement of unoccupied farm lands
IN the northern part of the state is q
problem that has engaged the attention
than year. There are about 10000, 00C
acres of such land, once in forest but now
practically stripped of its timber. The
problem is how to bring idle men and
idle lands together for the betterment OF
both. We should not only invite settlers
to Wisconsin but should encourage and
protect them in every way possible after
they have come here in order that they
may become successful farmers and indie
pendent, self reliant citizens.
The prime need of new settlers is CAPT
tai. For the most part they are men OF
small means and the banks and other
lending agencies about them are either un-
willing or untitled to supply them with me-
cessary funds to enable them to farm their
lands IN proper manner. The state should
relieve this condition by encouraging the
development of agricultural credit insti-
tutIonS, whether private or cooperativ
especially organized for making long time
loans to farmers on the security of theiI
lands.
Farm Tenancy.
During the life of the present genera
ton there has been marked, almost an
alarming, increase in farm tenancy in all
the older states of the Middle West Hith-
erto it has been thought that Wisconsin
was not affected by this tendency but there
is reason now to believe that it has reach
ed some OF the older counties of the state
The last federal census shows that in IF
teen counties in southern Wisconsin from
twenty. to thirty four out of every hun
dred farms are operated by tenants OF
renters" as they Gre called. The evil
effects of a general system of tenant farm
ing ON the land. the tenant and the com
munfty in which he lives are too well
known to need discussion. The problem
is how to avoid them.
Undoubtedly one of the chief causes OF
an increase in the proportion of renters
W pGOpEIHtUTS 1HlOHS the. FARMERS OF Lne
southern part of the state is the steadily
increasing price of farm land. When the
value or an average country home reaches
$4,000 or more it becomes exceedingly
difficult for hired man or renter of small
means TO buy farm of his own on the
terms customariIy offered Some system
of long time loans should be developed tC
enable a capable farm laborer or renter
to borrow the money he needs to estab-
fish himself as q farm owner. Co-opera-
tive land mortgage societies organized t
lend money for long periods might help
loans suggested for use in settling the
wild lands of the northern part of the
state might also be used to supplement
cooperative credit. Whatever may be done
We should not fail to recognize that the
increase in the proportion of renters
among the farmers of our state is a Sc
rious menace not only to the prosperity
and welfare of cur rural communities but
also to the efficient use of the agriculture
resources upon which we are all depend
ent for our food supplied.
ABSENT VOTING.
The rapid increase of transportation ia
cilitleS in recent years the steadily grow
ing tendency to conduct business upon
large scale and hence over wide areas
lower railway fares and better accommo
datio2s have greatly increased the amount
of travelling done and the number of per
sons therefore who are necessarily absent
from home on election day. Travelling
statesmen, railway employees, mail clerks
and many others are now compelled tt
choose between sacrificing two days o.
election week from their employment OF
losing their votes. Many who are away
from home at the beginning of the weel
are required to travel hundreds of miles
or submit to disfranehsement. This con
dition of affairs has become more marked
each year and should not be permitted t.
continue. Numerous plans have been sag
gested for absent voting or balloting By
mail In Australia. Tasmania, Kansas anf
elsewhere some of these plans have beer
put in operation and have been found Il
work we'll | most respectfully recommend
the enactment of similar legislation fol
Wisconsin.
THE, INITIATIVE, REFENUNDUM AMI
RECALL.
The proposed initiative. referendum anC
recall amendments to the Constitution ar,
before you for final passage before sub
mission TO the people for their approval
The ideas embodied in them are no Longer
new In their present form they are
believe the best resolutions upon thes,
subjects adopted by any state legislature
All parties are pledged to the constftu
tionaI changes they propose. I therefor,
recommend that they be passed at this ses
sion without unneeessa delay.
TEE COUNTRY SCHOOL
Education is one Of the principal fune
tions of government That the people o
Wisconsin are not Indifferent TO the claims
ii has upon them is sfrikingly shown b.
the fact that more than half the expense,
of the state is incurred on this account