WISCONSIN. 



723 



"WISCONSIN. The public affairs of Wis- 

 consin during the past year have been managed 

 with such efficiency as to secure general pros- 

 perity to the people. The reports of the va- 

 rious educational, reformatory, and charitable 

 institutions show a successful and enlightened 

 management of the interests of the State in 

 these departments. The common schools have 

 been liberally sustained, and there has been a 

 marked improvement in the educational work 

 during the year just closed ; the standard of 

 instruction has been raised, and a wider range 

 of studies pursued. Although there has been 

 a gradual advance in the wages paid to teach- 

 ers, the total amount expended for public edu- 

 cational purposes does not exceed eight dollars 



for each pupil registered. 

 The numbe: 



>er of public schools in the State, 

 and the proportion of the children attending 

 them, are as follows : 



Number of school-districts in the State . . 4,735 



Number of children over four and under twenty . 



years of age 398,747 



Number attending public school during the past 



year 264.033 



Number of public school-houses 4,742 



Value of school-houses and sites $3,482,125 71 



Although the public-school facilities afford 

 ample accommodations for the whole school 

 population of the State, yet a very large pro- 

 portion of those between the ages of four and 

 twenty do not avail themselves of the advan- 

 tages afforded for education. 



To prevent this large number from growing 

 up in ignorance, the Executive has recom- 

 mended the enactment of " such a law as will 

 compel each child in the State of proper age, 

 under ordinary circumstances, to attend school 

 a given number of months in each year, for a 

 reasonable number of years." 



The productive School Fund at the end of 

 the fiscal year amounted to $2,387,414.37, 

 which shows an increase of $31,927.54 in the 

 fund during the year. The total receipts of 

 the school fund for the fiscal year were $178,- 

 896.75 ; while the disbursements apportioned 

 by -the Superintendent of Public Instruction 

 amounted to $177,118.49. 



The Normal Schools, at Whitewater and 

 Platteville, are in successful operation, and good 

 results have followed from raising the standard 

 of qualification for teachers. To accommodate 

 the increasing number of applicants for this 

 grade of instruction, a new school-building is 

 in process of erection at Oshkosh, and will be 

 ready for the reception of pupils during the 

 coming fall ; and the erection of another will 

 be commenced as soon as the condition of the 

 Normal School Fund will warrant the outlay. 



This fund arises from the proceeds of the 

 sale of lands set apart for the support of Nor- 

 mal schools by the laws of the State ; there 

 are now 792,342 acres of this land held by the 

 State. The amount of the productive Normal 

 School Fund on the 30th of September, 1869, 

 was $638,941.99, which represents an increase 

 during the year of $13,647.88. The receipts 



of the Normal School Fund income for the 

 fiscal year were $52,212.50. 



The prosperity of the State University during 

 the past year has given great satisfaction to its 

 friends and the general public. The whole 

 number of students in attendance during the 

 year was 495, while many other applicants 

 were rejected for want of adequate accommo- 

 dations in the university. The increasing' 

 number of the students of this institution has 

 proved the necessity of enlarging its facilities ; 

 in view of which, the Executive in his message 

 to the Legislature recommended an appropria- 

 tion of $50,000, to be expended in the erection 

 of a college-building for the use of females. 

 The prosperous financial condition of this in- 

 stitution is shown in the following statement : 



Total productive University Fund $202,698 14 



Total productive Agricultural College Fund.. 86,526 40 



Receipts of the University Fund income 30,013 03 



Disbursements of University Fund income. . . 28,086 83 

 Disbursements of Experimental Farm Fund.. 7,053 72 

 Number of acres of University lands remain- 

 ing unsold 11,733 



Number of acres of Agricultural College land 



remaining unsold 152,387 



The Institute for the education of the Deaf 

 and Dumb, at Delavan, and that for the edu- 

 cation of the Blind, at Janesville, are in a pros- 

 perous condition, and afford excellent advan- 

 tages for the unfortunate subjects for whose 

 benefit they are intended. During the past 

 year 112 students received instruction at the 

 former institution, at a total cost to the State, 

 for current expenses, of $29,319.14. The num- 

 ber receiving instruction at the Institute for 

 the Blind was 95, and the total cost of sup- 

 porting the school for the year was $21,437.98. 

 Improvements are now in progress, which, 

 when completed, will afford ample accommo- 

 dations for all who may wish to enter this 

 school for the next fifteen or twenty years. 

 The Soldiers' Orphans' Home, in Madison, has 

 been in a flourishing condition during the past 

 year, having given support and instruction to 

 278 children, at a total cost of $32,645.22 ; but 

 its accommodations are not sufficient for more 

 than one-third of those in the State needing 

 the advantages of such an institution, to which 

 fact the attention of the Legislature has been 

 called, as showing the urgent necessity for the 

 establishment of another home. 



The State Hospital for the Insane is under 

 the most efficient management, and will com- 

 pare favorably with any similar institution in 

 the United States. The present number of 

 inmates is 364, of whom 209 were admitted 

 during the year. The current expenses of the 

 Hospital for 1869 were $71,320.08. During 

 the year, 51 inmatts were discharged who had 

 entirely recovered, and 14 whose condition had 

 been much improved ; the deaths amounted to 

 less than three per cent, of the whole number 

 of patients. 



Although this institution has been filled to 

 its utmost capacity, there are still about 500 

 insane persons in the State without proper 

 care and treatment. To meet the wants of 



