780 



WISCONSIN. 



Population. In 1880 the State stood sixteenth 

 in population, and fourteenth in 1890; by this 

 census it is thirteenth. The percentage of in- 

 crease is 22.6. There are 1,657 Indians not taxed. 

 Statistics of some of the counties are not at hand, 

 but the following data arc given: There was an 

 increase in the population of every one of the coun- 

 ties. .Milwaukee led with an increase since 1890 

 of nearly 94,000, the present population of the 

 county being 330,000. Other counties reporting 

 an increase of more than 10,000 are Douglas, 

 29,000; Marathon. 13,000; Marinette, 10,500. Ra- 

 cine, including the city, gained over 9,000. Dane 

 ('unity gained nearly 10,000, the present popula- 

 tion of the county being Oil. 500. Ashland gained 

 113 only: (uecn County exactly the same. But 

 as a rule northern counties gained the most niark- 

 edh : Wood, 8,000 to her present population of 

 26,000; Shawano, 8,240 to 27,500; Chippewa, 8,000 

 to 33,000: Clark County, 8,140 to 26,000. 



The gains are large in the cities, some fanning 

 towns showing a large percentage of decrease. 

 Milwaukee has grown from 204,186 in 1890 to 

 i>:,.:il.-> in 1900; Superior City, from 11,983 to 

 31,091; Racine, from 21,014 to 29,102; La Crosse, 

 from 25,090 to 28,895; Oshkosh, from 22,836 to 

 28,284. Sheboygan has 22,962: Madison, 19,164; 

 Man Claire, 17.517. The capital city (Madison) 

 had 13,426 in 1890. 



Finances. In urging reform in the financial 

 management of the State, Gov. La Follette says in 

 his message to the Legislature: "Under the law 

 the fiscal year of the State ends Sept. 30, and all 

 regular official reports are for the term ending on 

 that day. This fact, with a few others closely re- 

 lated to it, I believe to be responsible for much of 

 the public misunderstanding of State finances and 

 for most of .the misleading information concern- 

 ing State affairs upon which legislators have been 

 obliged to rely for guidance. Reports for the 

 iNral year show balances upon a date within a 

 few weeks after the receipt of large amounts of 

 revenue as license fees from corporations, etc., 

 but months before the close of the administration 

 term months in which extraordinary disburse- 

 ments, including legislative expenses in each bi- 

 ennial term, must be made before considerable 

 revenues are again received. The usual and nat- 

 ural result of this system is found in misleading 

 oflieial reports, showing a handsome cash balance 

 at the close of the fiscal year, and four months 

 later a new administration finds itself confronted 

 at the beginning of its term with an alarming 

 <lelicit as the foundation for new appropriations 

 liy the Legislature and the natural and steady 

 growth in ordinary current expenses. At the close 

 of the fiscal year, Sept. 30, 1900, the balance in 

 the general fund of the State was $496,408.74. At 

 the end of the calendar year and administration 

 term. .Fan. 7. 1901, the general fund balance was 

 only *15I.833.77. Of this last balance, $50,000 is 

 derived from advance payment of railway licence 

 fees which do not become due until March. The 

 Stnte aid to free high schools, amounting to $97.- 

 1.07. s:{. due Dec. 1. l!t(M). is unpaid although the 

 warrants therefor arc in the Treasury Department 

 bec;tii-c available moneys in the 'general fund 

 are required to meet current expenses. Tlic-c 

 items, when properly deducted, leave a net balance 

 of $4,125.94 in the genera] fund. Legislative and 

 other expenses payable \\itliin the next few .lavs 

 will aggregate more than $100.000. and there is no 

 appreciable amount of receipts due to the ireneral 

 fund from any source before 1 he time for paymenl 

 rporation license fees and State taxes, which 

 W8 changed from February to March by the last 

 Legislature. Besides this inevitable deficit, there 



is an additional deficiency of $323,505.74, being 

 the amount of appropriations by the last Legisla- 

 ture the payment of which has been refused on 

 account of lack of means in the general fund, and 

 which continues as a charge to be paid out of that 

 fund as soon as sufficient moneys ' not otherwise 

 appropriated ' shall accumulate therein. In brief, 

 you have a legacy of over $300,000 excess appro- 

 priations from the last Legislature to take into 

 your considerations, and the administration begins 

 business with a considerable treasury deficit in 

 sight, in lieu of the balance which might be ex- 

 pected from the condition of the general fund at 

 the close of the fiscal year as shown by the annual 

 official reports available to the public for puip<>-e- 

 of information." 



A table is given showing receipts and disburse- 

 ments for the ten years ending in 1898, from 

 which it is seen that in four of the ten years 

 there was an excess of disbursements over receipts 

 even at the close of the fiscal year: and there 

 was a steady increase in the cost of State govern- 

 ment from $4,894,871 in the first biennial term to 

 $7,346,947 in the last. 



The valuation of property in the State was 

 somewhat higher than in 1899, and the tax levied 

 was $1,345,570. A 1-mill tax is levied for schools. 

 The university receives $268,000, the normal 

 schools $190,000, and the free high schools $100.00(1. 

 Interest on certificates of indebtedness takes $157,- 

 570. The cost of State printing for the past bien- 

 nium was $118,111.77. 



Education. Following are school statistics of 

 1900: School population, 731,063: enrollment in 

 public schools, 445,141 ; teachers, 13,063; graduates 

 of normal schools teaching under county super- 

 intendents, 745; number that have attended nor- 

 mal schools, not graduated, 1,399; holding State 

 certificates, 533 ; average monthly wages of women 

 teaching, $31.79; of men, $43.84; average wages of 

 women teaching in cities, $45.43; of men, $102.03; 

 expense for each pupil in the country, $10.81 ; in 

 cities, $18.09; expense for teachers' wages per pu- 

 pil, in country $7.08, in cities $11.86: total ex- 

 penditure for teachers' wages, $760,211.62: for 

 buildings and repairs, $585,247.44: for apparatus, 

 furniture, etc., $119,997.73; number free high 

 schools, 219; number pupils enrolled in free high 

 schools, 17,382; teachers in free high schools. 

 women 339, men 325 ; pupils in day schools for the 

 deaf, 198. 



The receipts for common schools, including free 

 high schools, were $7.20fl.f>7S.45 : the disburse- 

 ments, $5,735,724.45: the receipts for normal 

 schools were $358,132.23: the disbursements. 

 $284,759.73. The receipts for the university for 

 the year including a balance, Sept. 30, 1800. of 

 $23,808.44 were $698,944.13: the disbursements. 

 *592. 797.40. For day schools for the deaf the 

 State paid $23.930.89: for teachers' institutes. 

 $11,298.55; and for salaries and allowances to 

 county superintendents. $71,475. The total amount 

 expended was $0,721 .876.08. 



The number of diplomas and certificates issued 

 and countersigned by the State superintendent in 

 the school year was 1,048, of which 917 weir ot' 

 normal schools. The number of teachers in rural 

 schools receiving loss than $25 a month was 

 _!.!).'5S: those receiving $25 to $35 wa- 4.286: and 

 more than $35. was 1,693. 



The registration at the normal schools has not 

 increased in the past two years. At the university 

 nearly 1.000 were enrolled before the end of Sep- 

 tember. In March 87 were graduated from the 

 Agricultural College: the total attendance in this 

 department of the university was 252. The dairy 

 school had 113 students in November. 



