WISCONSIN. 



M9 



have been for several years past as follows: 

 1872, $1,076,442.96; 1873, $1,191,966.01 ; 1874, 

 $1,038,703.34; 1875, $1,260,168.39 ; 1876,$!,- 

 187,788.05 ; 1877, $1,204,900.40 ; 1878, $1,047,- 

 790.23; 1879, $1,055,112.51. 



The aggregate indebtedness of the State re- 

 mained as at the close of the lust fiscal year, 

 and consists of 



War bonds outstanding f 11,000 



iVriitloates of Indebtedness to trust funds 2,241,000 



Currency certificates 67 



Total $2,262,057 



The indebtedness of the counties, cities, 

 towns, villages, and school districts in the 

 State amounts to $10,115,898, according to the 

 returns made to the Secretary of State. More 

 than usual efforts were made to secure accu- 

 racy in these returns. The total public in- 

 debtedness of the people of Wisconsin is there- 

 fore $12,367,955, or at the rate of about $8.50 

 per capita of estimated population, and 3 per 

 cent, of the assessed valuation. 



The value of all property in the State sub- 

 ject to taxation, as returned by the assessors 

 for the past two years, is as follows: 



This shows an apparent decrease in valua- 

 tion of $49,037,397.32, but is an indication of 

 the zeal with which communities seek to avoid 

 the payment of their just proportion of the pub- 

 lic expenditures. 



The total taxes levied in the State for the 

 year 1878 amounted to $7,969,859, which is 

 $61,769 less than for the previous year, and 

 was at the rate of $1.93 on each $100 of the 

 State assessment for that year. The purposes 

 for which these taxes were levied, and the re- 

 spective amounts and rates, are as follows : 



These figures represent only the direct taxes 

 levied upon property. Quite largo amounts 

 were collected by the State, and cities, villages, 

 and towns, in addition, by way of licenses and 

 otherwise. The total State tax, direct and in- 

 direct, is represented by the payments into 

 the general fund, and these amounted to $1,- 

 120,837.81 in the fiscal year ending September 

 30, 1878 and to $1,249,338.02 in the fiscal year 

 ending September 30, 1879. The State tax for 

 1879 was $455,871.89, which is $226,517.10 

 less than was apportioned for collection in 

 1878, and more than 23 per cent, less than the 

 least tax in many preceding years. 



The Secretary of State estimated that the 

 VOL. xix, 54 A 



expenditures for the calendar year 1880 would 

 be $908,305.54, and the receipts under existing 

 laws as follows: Taxes, $207,855.54; railway 

 companies, $395,000 ; insurance companies, 

 $45,000 ; miscellaneous sources, $29,600 ; to* 

 tal, $077,455.54. According to this estimate, 

 a tax levy of $290,850 would be ample for all 

 purposes. 



The total amount of money expended for the 

 support of the common schools during the year 

 was $2,152,783.15, 74 per cent, of which was 

 for teachers' wages. The number of pupils in 

 attendance was 293,286; of teachers, 9,875; 

 of schoolhouses, 5,626. The estimated value 

 of the schoolhouses is $4,319,445.81 ; of sites, 

 $738,520.95 ; of apparatus, $157,012.30 ; mak- 

 ing an aggregate investment for common-school 

 purposes of $5,214,979.06. The total number 

 of children over four and under twenty years 

 of age is reported at 484,353. The expendi- 

 tures for the four normal schools were $72,- 

 708.07, of which $57,498.40 were paid to in- 

 structors. The attendance during the year 

 aggregated 1,803 pupils. The catalogue of the 

 State University shows 481 different students 

 in attendance during the year. The Board of 

 Regents report $70,558.18 paid out during the 

 year for current expenses, of which $40,206.77 

 were received by instructors. 



The whole number of boys in attendance at 

 the Industrial School for Boys, in Waukesha, 

 during the fiscal year, was 435, and the aver- 

 age attendance 425. The number admitted 

 was 125, as against 151 in the last year, and 

 the number discharged 113. The current ex- 

 penses were $42,866.72, or at the rate of $100.- 

 86 per inmate, as against $114.52 in 1878. The 

 amount paid for salaries and wages was $13,- 

 810.36, and for subsistence $11,097.41. The 

 sum of $13,800 has been paid toward the erec- 

 tion of new buildings. An epidemic of typho- 

 malarial fever broke out in the institution in 

 the summer, which elicited much discussion; 

 the total number of cases was 30, of which 6 

 terminated fatally. 



The number of convicts confined in the State 

 Prison, September 80, 1879, was 309, 87 less 

 than at the same date in 1878. The average 

 number in confinement was 328, 9 less than the 

 average for the preceding year. There were 

 only 130 commitments during the year, as 

 against 218 for the year ending September 30, 

 1878. It does not follow, however, that there 

 has been a decrease in crime, as, under the 

 change in the law relating to larceny, many are 

 now sentenced to county jails who were for- 

 merly sent to State Prison. Of the 180 con- 

 victs committed during the year, only 20 had 

 theretofore been in prison, and 17 were with- 

 out the rudiments of an education. The total 

 cost to feed, warm, clothe, guard, instruct, and 

 discharge the prisoners was $40,270.08, or 

 $2.86 each per week. The principal items of 

 disbursements were: for salaries and wages, 

 $15,535.75, and for subsistence, $14,867.02. 

 The total receipts from all sources were $46,- 



