Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-01-17

| state. Bureaus authorized by law, as
well as insurance companies and insur-
ance agents. should be subject to a
penalty for violations.
State Insurance.
The present condition OF the state
insurance fund after an experience Of
| ewelve years demonstrates, conclusive
| ly, that state insurance on the basis
on which it has been carried is fail
ure. l believe this TO be due to the
| fact that the values of units insured
bear too large proportion to the total
risk carried. Thf buildings belonging
to the state that are subject to destruc-
tion by fire should be insured with reg
ular insurance companies for precisely
| the same reason that private owners of
| property insure Their buildings.
| The state is carrying fire insurance
on property that is owned by counties.
| cities and school districts in 4 sum ex-
! ceeding s2.000,0 900 I question the
right of the state to engage in the in
surance business to the extent Of Gov
ering property that does not belong to
| the state. However, the law provides
that the properties of counties, cities
and school districts may be insured by
the state, using the state fire insurance
fund 10 pay any loss that may occur.
InSomuch as the amount that Is now
in the treasury is entirely inadequate
because it is not sufficient to pay a
total loss on any one of the large risks,
it seems to me that ii would be wise
TO refund the unearned premiums to
the owners of that class of property
and cancel our policies.
State Board of Control.
All state institutions have been sub
'ected to critical examination by the
State Board of Public Affairs. I am
pleased to state that our public insti-
buttons are now generally well man.
aged and that proper attention is given
to reasonable economies. l am able to
report to you that during the last fiscal
year the prison Irvine plant was con-
verted into a profitable institution,
having made profit Of $4,000, and
that the state prison was run at a
profit instead of a loss for the first
time in its history.
The business of the Board OF Con-
troll is growing rapidly and correspond
ing responsibilities are coming to it as
a natural consequence. AS the board
is now constituted it is composed of
FIVE members. However, only one
makes his home in the city of Madi-
son. The expenditures managed by
the board are necessarily large. The
institutions in their charge are of
great Importance to the state, as is the
proper and economical administration
of them. It would, in my Judgment.
be in the interest of the state to re-
duce this beard to three members, the
same to reside in the city of Madison,
and devote all of their time to the
business of the board The salaries
should be increased to an amount
large enough to attract and hold good
men because the public interest de
mands that the work assigned to the
board be ably done
National Guard.
On June 10, 1916, all recognized
units of the Wisconsin National Guard,
excepting one infantry company, were
called into active federal service by
the president of the United States. At
! the present writing about one-third of
these troops are still held on the Mex
| lean border for service under federal
authority. We have received the as
surance many times, through the press
and in statements of department COM
! manders and officers of high rank in
the regular army. that our people may
| we'll be proud of the soldierly qualities
| of the officers and men of our Guard.
| The National Defense Act, passed by
| the United States Congress. was made
/ effective June 3, 1916. At the time this
call went into effect the total strength
| of the Wisconsin National Guard, Off
| GERS and men, was approximately
/ $500 and their annual period of field
/ training was seven days. Under the
| new federal act the propOrtionate
| quota of troops required to be organ
| ICED and trained by the state of Wis
| consin is 10,400, the requirement to le
| fulfilled within approximately for-
/ years. and all such troops must annu-
| ally have not less than fifteen days of
/ ACAu OiilIC TIC at btNdAAC q
| law the strength of the Wisconsin Ma
| tional Guard has been increased to ap-
| proximatcly 1890. officers and men,
and must necessarily continue TO in
crease until the full quota is reached.
Under the old organization the an
nual appropriation necessary to main
| tain IL was 100000 per year. Owing
/ to the increased number of men, made
necessary by the new federal statute,
/ it will be necessary to appropriate
| 100000 per year. or 100000 for the
next bi-ennium. When we have mus
/ tered in our full quota of 10.400 men 1t
| is estimated that the expense will be
/ 100000 per year. II follows then, that
our military expenditures will event
ually increase $4O0. 900 per year over
and above the expenditures that we
have been in the habit of making I'm
der our former Guard organization.
1t will be observed that the new fed
| eTal statute throws a large financial
burden for military purposes upon the
/ state substantial increase in these
| expenditures is necessary to make 1t
possible for the state to provide its
quota of officers and men to enable the
general government to carry out its
| plan of greater military preparedness,
which is a national necessity for pure