Year: 1875

an early appropriation for its reconstruction up
| on such plans and in such manner as will most
practically serve the wants and necessities of the
| institution Under the operation of time and
| law the home provided at Madison for the
orphans of soldiers has become vacant, and
| suggest your careful attention to the propnety
of devoting the building hereafter either to the
support of reformatory school for girls, similar
| to that now maintained at Waukesha for boys,
or to the care of the lncurable insane now occu-
| pying valuable room in our State hospitals or


enduring lives of lingering and unpitied suffering
| in our county jails and poor-houses The
progress already made in the construction of the
Northern Hospital for the Insane deserves the
highest commentator. The work has been
economically and substantially performed, upon
the most approved and meritorious plan of the
| times and recommend your special attention to
| the Importance of its Immediate completion.
LOCAL INSTITUTIONS OF CHARITY.


Among the approprlat'eHsa~ the past year was


the sum ~ me state &c
the city of Milwaukee, Too much cannot be said


in praise of the many noble charities literally be-


slowed through the active instrumentality of
| these and kindred organizations elsewhere.
Located in portions of the State which contrib
ute very largely and always punctually to the
support of the State Government, and which


have never been awarded any of the benefits in
cident to the location of any State institu-
ton of education or benevolence, they min
lister generously to the relief of the sick, the
friendless and the poor, and thus serve in an i'm
pOrtant degree to tighten the burdens of the pub
lie. l know of reason why any organized
effort of this kind, manifesty consistent with
the better feelings of the human heart should be
denied merely technical grounds, the bare
plttance hitherto granted by way of encourage
ment and support With due care to avoid re-


ligiOus or local partlality sincerely trust that
policy clearly dictated by the two-fold consid
erations of profit and humanity will not be has
| tily rejected.


The first annual report of the Directors of the
State Prison deserves and will undoubtedly COM
mand more than ordinary attention. 1t appears
hat fhn i11tnr 4nyv ne
prison the past year have been administered with
intelligence and fidelity, and that important i'm
prOvelnents have been made for the purpose of
ecOnomiZing labor and decreasing expenditure.
The recommendations of the Directors with
reference TO further reduction of the
| annual cost of the prison commend them
selves to your approval. / suggest the


propriety of further inquiry, in conjunction
with the Board of Directors and the Warden, as


to the possibility of more effectively utilizing the
labor of the prison by partial total change in
the character of the work to which the prisoners
are assigned. Evidently the great amount of raw


material required in the class of work now engaged
in at the prison materially diminishes the reve-


nue. which ought to be derived from the convict
labor of the State. Under the circumstances, 1t


seems to apparent that the most profitable prod
uct of prison labor would be that the value of
which mostly consists of the labor performed in its


production, rather than in the cost of transporta
ton and the material used.


RELIGIOUS PRIVILEGES.


Complaints are made that portion of the in
mates of the Industrial School at Waukesha are
denied the religious freedom accorded in other
~institutions of this and other States If such be
the fact, the present statutes should be promptly
amended in such manner to enforce in ali
our public institutions full and undoubted COM
pliance with the letter and spirit of those wise
provisions of our Constitution which assert that


the right to worship God according to the dictates
of conscience shall never be infringed. This
privilege is as dear to the inmates of our penal
institutions as to any other class of people, and
is entitled to special guardianship in the case of
children of tender age deprived of the whole
some influences of intelligent home intercourse
and parental protection.


THE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES.
The State of Wisconsin has never failed to


recognize agriculture as the foundation of all our
Industries and the prime source o. orr material
prosperity Without q rec saso orc. .stcsht. all the
interests of labor have been wisely promoted
through the agency of the State and county agri-
cultural societies, partially organized and sus-
tanned by means of legislative aid. Our me-
chanical and manufacturing interests largely
participate in the benefits SO conferred, and a
wholesome spirit of competition and enterprise
is promoted at triiing cost in comparison with
the advantages derived from the expenditure.


The annual report of the Secretary of the State


Agricultural Society furnishes abundant proof


of the continued efficiency and utility of this


benefcent organization, and cordially recon-
mend the usual appropriation for the encourage


ment of this and the county associations the en-


suing year.


The State Historical Society is steadily advanc-
ing in it's work of collecting the materials of


Northwestern history and forming great histor-
ical and general library. 1t has published several


volumes Of history and now numbers over 60 COO
thus early the third in importance among the
historical societies of the United States.


The Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and
Letters. also provided with rooms in the Capitol,
has, during the year, published second volume
of valuable scientific papers; and, embracing in
its membership many of the most learned men
of the State and country, it has already gained an
honorable rank among philosophical societies
and fairly entered upon career of great useful
ness


Both of these institutions well deserve a con-
tinuance of the fostering care of the State.


PRINTING AND PUBLISHING.


The total amount paid from the general fund
for printing and publishing during the fiscal
year ending Sept. 80, 1873, was S95,516.61. The
total amount paid for the same purposes for the
Of ths sum e the amount Of 55 was paid for
printing under contract which expired on the


1st of January inst, and S2S 621 30 for legislative
printing and the advertisement of laws in the
newspapers of the State. Under the legislation


of last winter a new contract has been made for
printing after the 1st inst and material reduc-
tion is anticipated 1t is believed that this reduc


tion for the ensuing year, under the terms of the
new contracts for printing and paper, will amount


to at least $3o, ,0OO


THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.


The faithful administration of the Department


of Public Instruction the past year furnishes


sufficient assurance of due progress IN our com


mon schools. Important facts and suggestions


are embodied in the annual report of the Super


intendent An impression prevails that con-


siderable number of our children of school age


are destitute of the benefits Of education Hap
PLY this assumption is not fully justified by any


statement of facts reliably ascertained. The


school census of each year shows the attendance
for the year only of all children between the ages


of four and twenty years. l suggest TO you such


an amendment to the existing law as to dispense


with all speculation as to the actual number OF


children growing up in ignorance by requiring at


each school census hereafter an enumeration of


the number of children of school age who have


never attended school or otherwise acquired a


knowledge of the rudimentary studies taught In


the public schools. Statistics thus cheapy OBJ


tanned would prove valuable data for future con-


sideration.


THE STATE UNIVERSITY.


The trainers of our Constltutlon wisely enacted
that g provision should be made by law for the
establishment of State university, at or near the
seat of the State Government, and for connect
ing with the same, from time to time, such col
leges in the different parts OF the State the in
terests of education may require ARD our Con-
stitution furthermore provided that s'the pro-
ceeds of all lands that have been or may hereafter


be granted by the United states to this State for
a permanent fund, the interest of which
shall be appropriated to the support of the State
University ----a---


It inst source of regret that the trust thus
imposed upon the State by Congress and the
trainers of our State Government has not been
more generously and faithfully executed. The
original endowment was munlficent and sufficient
for the noble objects sought to be accomplished.
While the State has been growing great in popu-


ulation and material wealth, the rightful proper
ty of the university mas Deeh IaVlshly ana 1mpr-
IDENTIFY disposed of, its appropriate revenues de-
pleted and our children measurably denied their
inherited right to the blessings Of free education
| in the highest departments OF knowledge.
Fortunately for the best interests of our people
! no moral obligation of the State is impaired by
| any imprudence in the execution of the original
| trust The duty imposed upon us is clearly in
| dependent of fortuitous circumstances and the
| obligation of the compact wisely permanent.
| Notwithstanding the adverse circumstances to


which have referred the university is rapidly be-
] on
| Tightening influences. Its organization Is COM
paratiyely perfect in plan, the administration
/ Of its affairs efficient and economical and
| ;.,arosS1ss.,r- addifinnal hrr:,diner Cor