USA > Wisconsin > The Wisconsin blue book 1919 > Part 24
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54
252
WISCONSIN BLUE BOOK.
estimate to say that one million dollars has been saved in this time. Egg inspection and publicity, together with the ruling of the Food Administration requiring the candling of eggs by the first buyer, thus preventing the entry of bad eggs into the channels of trade, has ef- fected this saving. Egg dealers frequently comment on the improve- ment in the situation, and request that the good work be kept up and increased, if possible.
The cheese moisture law, limiting the amount of moisture allowable in American or Cheddar cheese to 40%, takes a forward place in a recital of recent activities. More than 1,400 cheese moisture tests have been made and 23 prosecutions were brought since July 1917, for the sale of high moisture cheese. The product now being shipped throughout the state is a better and more wholesome product than the moist, soggy article often seen formerly, and the law bids fair to again raise Wisconsin's reputation for good cheese to its accustomed place in the front ranks.
The whey butter law was another piece of constructive legislation enacted by the 1917 legislature, designed to protect the butter industry of the state, which had suffered considerably through the sale of whey butter as and for creamery butter. The whey cream was often im- properly cared for and when added to cream and made into butter, the fininshed product was of inferior grade. The whey butter law requires that no person shall sell any butter, manufactured in whole or in part of whey cream, unless such butter shall have the words "whey butter" conspicuously marked, stamped or labeled in plain Gothic letters on two sides of the tub, box or package. Whey butter, when made from well- cared for whey cream, is a good product, but it should be sold under its own flag and not under that of creamery butter.
Space does not permit of a full discussion of the varied interests of the department, and it must therefore suffice to say that the dairy, weights and measures, and drug work, sanitary inspections of groceries and meat markets, the elimination of the trading stamp evil, attendance of members of the department at various conventions and meetings, have been carried on with the utmost vigor, and the department invites the inquiry of all who are interested in this branch of the state government.
Following is a tabulation of dairy statistics for the year 1917:
DAIRY STATISTICS FOR THE YEAR 1917
Pounds
Received for or valued at
Cheese produced in factories.
277,267,444
$63,470,882.69
Other cheese factory products sold.
271,112.08
Cheese produced on farms.
1,433,702
90,118.00
Butter produced in factories.
101,325,285
39,583,037.96
Other butter factory products sold.
3,564,550.14
Farm-made butter
7,952,480
2,385,744.00
Milk delivered to condensories.
747,540,078
22,358,085.95
Milk produced other than that furnished cheese and butter factories or condenseries ..
22,815,693.75
Estimated value of milk and cream shipped to Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Dubuque and other points out- side of Wisconsin not including milk plants.
3,062,100.00
Skim milk
16,220,045.60
Whey
11,045,843.76
Value of milk and cream, not otherwise reported, used in the manufacture of ice cream.
1,395,065.20
Whey cream
1,294,572.15
Milk delivered to milk plants and shipped to Chicago ...
99,792,538
2,678,963.44
Total
$190,235,814.72
253
DEPARTMENTS OF STATE GOVERNMENT.
The data for cheese, butter, milk delivered to condenseries, whey cream, milk delivered to milk plants and shipped to Chicago, and other dairy products produced at the factories was obtained from blanks filled out by the operators of these plants.
The figures used for cheese and butter produced on farms were taken from the report of 1915.
The value of milk produced other than that furnished cheese and butter factories and condenseries was estimated as the amount used for family consumption by the total population of the state, which popula- tion is taken as 2,500,350 (figures reported by the U. S. Census Bureau, July 1, 1916). In estimating this amount, one pint per capita per day was used and the milk valued at 21% cents per pint.
In obtaining the estimate for the value of milk and cream shipped to Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis, Dubuque, and other points, the figures given in the 1915 report were used.
Skimmilk was valued at one-half as much per hundred pounds as shelled corn is per bushel; and the value of whey at one-half of skim milk. The value of shelled corn was placed at $1.63 per bushel (page 12, Bulletin No. 14, Agricultural Statistics for 1917 by W. F. Callander).
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
(By C. P. Cary, State Superintendent)
The biennium just passed has been a significant period for the history of education in Wisconsin. Educational reorganization was going on before the war with a rapidity that was very gratifying to progressives in education. The war slowed up temporarily the building program and intensified the shortage of teachers but in other respects its in- fluence has quickened efforts for improvement.
Americanization work has received a great impetus. The study of the war as well as the universal participation by the schools in war service has given a new effectiveness to the teaching of civics and citizenship. Increased interest in world events, history, etc. has stimu- lated the reading circle work. More intensive effort than in any previ- ous biennium has been given to active health work and propaganda. The State Department of Public Instruction working with all the school officers and teachers of the state has made persistent effort to secure adequate medical inspection, dental clinics, and city and county nurses. The community work for the "children's year" has greatly accelerated progress in health prevention. Nine new county nurses have been ap- pointed as a result of the campaign for weighing and measuring the children.
Gradually the State Department of Public Instruction has grown and improved so that it is rendering very valuable service to the state. Service, its only excuse for being, is of a kind, quality, and amount that is difficult to explain in detail. Suffice it to say that the growth in the direction of genuine service is a source of surprise and grati- fication.
The appointment of a clinical psychologist in September, 1917, and the organization of classes for exceptional children has made the work of the schools increasingly effective. During 1917-18 the organization of twenty-one classes for mental defectives was recommended. Fifteen of these are now in actual organization.
Since September, 1916, the department has been engaged in furthering the comparatively new work of educational tests and measurements. As a result school administrators and teachers are gradually obtaining
.
254
WISCONSIN BLUE BOOK.
a more definite knowledge than before possessed of what the schools are accomplishing and are better able to evaluate contributing factors. From 10,000 to 35,000 pupils have been tested in the fundamental school subjects.
A bulletin, "A Report on the Use of Some Standard Tests for 1916-17," has been issued, and one for 1917-18 is now in preparation.
The appointment of a supervisor of secondary education who will give especial attention to the development of the junior high school will increase the interest in this form of school organization.
.
The department in 1917 made a survey of the school system of Janes- ville and has published the report as "The Janesville Survey."
A considerable number of other bulletins and pamphlets of interest to teachers and administrators has been issued.
Our program for the future must include, in addition to much higher salaries for teachers, at least the following:
1. Far greater attention to the health and physical vigor of our people, especially in the schools.
2. Greatly increased attention to, and effectiveness in, the teaching of all that goes to make intelligent and right-minded citizens.
3. Greater and more intelligent attention to the problems of vocational guidance.
4. Greater attention to the fitting of the rank and file of our youth for the occupations their interests and natural aptitudes incline them to follow.
THE RURAL SCHOOLS.
In its broadest sense the rural schools include all the schools in which the country children get their education. In this sense the state graded schools also come in this classification, since practically all of them are located in small villages or in the open country. Many of the villages support not only schools for the grades but also supply high school facilities. Strictly speaking, these communities are also rural communities since many of the people live on farms and even if they live in the villages, they are interested primarily in the welfare of the country people and the development of the rural community. The union high schools may also be considered rural schools in that they furnish high school facilities to the children living in the country.
In the more restricted sense the term "rural school" means the one teacher school. During the year 1917-18 there were 6,648 schools of this class in the state with a total enrollment of 158,478 children. This number is thirty-five per cent of the total number of children enrolled in the whole state.
About one-third of the schools have an enrollment between 16 and 25 pupils and approximately another third of the schools enroll between 26 and 40 pupils. About one-fourth of these schools have fewer than 15 pupils on the roll and eleven per cent have an enrollment of more than 40.
The law provides that when a school has an enrollment of 60 or over for a period of twenty consecutive days, the district must provide an additional teacher for such school the next year or forfeit its share of the apportionment of the seven-tenths mill tax.
The 1917 legislature amended the compulsory attendance law so that children between the ages of nine and fourteen years of age must at- tend school at least three months during the year if they live more than two miles and less than three miles from school. Under the previous law compulsory attendance was not required of children living beyond two miles from school unless transportation was furnished.
During the year 1916-17, $107,382 was spent for transportation, of which about half, or $54,108 was expended by rural school districts. The expenditure was increased to $137,415 in 1917-18.
255
DEPARTMENTS OF STATE GOVERNMENT.
State supervision of these schools is given by two state rural school inspectors. Each county has a county superintendent and one or two supervising teachers. These teachers work jointly under the direction of the state and county superintendent. Their entire time is devoted to field work.
Each year there is held in the state a county superintendents' conven- tion and at another time, usually in the early fall, a conference for the supervising teachers. At these conventions not only are administrative matters with reference to the work of these officials discussed but demonstrative exercises of actual teaching, using the members of the convention for a class given by members of the state superintendent's office and others from outside Wisconsin.
SUMMARY OF SUPERVISING TEACHERS' REPORTS, 1916-17
Number supervising teachers.
93
Number counties having two supervising teachers.
21
Number different schools visited.
9,375
Number community gatherings attended.
1,628
Total salaries
$68,069.01
Total expenses
25,583.07
Grand ยท total.
$93,657.08
The shortage of teachers for the latter half of the biennial period just passed has been very marked due to general conditions. While the salaries of teachers in rural districts have been greatly increased dur- ing war times, they are not yet high enough to induce teachers to forego the advantages obtained elsewhere, many having gone into the graded schools and city grades, securing not only better salaries but in their opinion greater social advantages. The comparative table will give an idea of this advantage:
COMPARISON OF TEACHERS' SALARIES, 1917-18
No. receiving
Rural
Per cent
State
Per cent
Grades
Per cent
County H. S.
Per cent
City elem.
Per cent
City H. S. .
Per cent
Less than $50
2,663
40.0
78
4.6
32
2.4
3
.2
282
6.6
14
1.0
$50-$59
3,216
49.0
639
38.3
604
45.4
6
.7
1,148
27.0
7
.5
$60-$69
679
10.0
499
30.0
569
42.8
183
14.6
1,166
28.0
79
5.8
$70-$79
75
1.0
218
13.0
100
7.5
383
30.0
370
9.0
108
7.9
$80-$89
10
123
7.3
11
.8
209
16.6
870
21.0
308
22.7
$90-$99
4
65
4.0
8
.6
119
9.4
152
3.6
240
17.7
$100
1
48
2.8
8
.6
358
28.5
204
4.8
605
44.5
Total ...
6,648
100.0
1,670
100.0
1,332
100.0
1,261
100.0
4,192
100.0
1,361
100.0
THE STATE GRADED SCHOOLS.
The state graded schools were established by legislative enactment in 1901. There are two classes of state graded schools. A state graded school of the first class consists of three or more departments. A state graded school of the second class consists of two departments.
For the purpose of aiding state graded school boards to supply these schools with the equipment needed to carry on the work effectively, to
4
graded
below H. S.
256
WISCONSIN BLUE BOOK.
aid in maintaining hygienic conditions in the school, and to engage efficient teachers, special state aid is granted. A district that main- tains satisfactorily a school of the first class for at least nine months is granted aid of $300.00. A district that maintains satisfactorily a school of the second class for at least nine months is granted state aid of $200.00.
The legislature of 1913 enacted a law which provides special state aid of $100.00 to state graded schools of either class which do satisfactory work in manual training and domestic science in grades seven and eight, and satisfactory work in agriculture in eighth grade.
The legislature of 1915 enacted a law which entitles nonresident students to have their tuition paid by their respective towns when they pursue in state graded schools the ninth grade or tenth grade studies that have been designated in the graded school course of study, pro- vided that the school is properly equipped and the work has been approved by the state school inspector. Ninth grade work may be ap- proved in a school having three teachers. Ninth and tenth grade work may be approved in a school having four or more teachers.
Development of State Graded Schools in Ten Years.
The following table will show the development of the state graded schools and their relation to the development of high schools in the past decade.
1907-08
1917-18
Number 1st class schools
149
221
Number 2d class schools
235
402
Number graded school teachers ..
1,238
1,668
Number 1st class schools that have become high schools during the decade
107
Number 1st class schools offering 9th and 10th grade work.
109
127
Number of pupils taking 9th and 10th grade work.
642
Number of pupils graduated from state graded schools.
1,915
..
Number of state graded schools offering industrial work
0
357
Nearly all of the consolidation that has been effected in Wisconsin has been done in connection with the state graded schools. Every state graded school is the expression of a public attitude that is in favor of centralized school facilities and that is opposed to the decentralization that is expressed in the one-room rural school.
This favorable attitude toward consolidation is represented in two different ways among the 623 graded school districts in the state. The first, and the one most frequently found, is the district whose school population has become too great for a one-room school and one teacher to accommodate. This situation is usually met by the formation of a state graded school which if not a consolidation is a refusal to de- centralize. Many of these schools have grown to three and four rooms and finally into high schools.
A second and direct method of consolidation is found when people see the great advantage there is in the large graded school over either the large or the small one-room school, and two or more districts not consolidated.
HIGH SCHOOLS.
High schools are not infrequently organized through a union of ter- ritory containing not less than thirty-six square miles. These are union high schools and the grades below the ninth are state graded schools separate in administration from the high school.
Other schools are organized through the addition of four high school years to the state graded school course and the satisfaction of other state requirements. These are known as district free high schools.
257
DEPARTMENTS OF STATE GOVERNMENT
The supervising principal has charge of high school and grades below.
City high schools include those organized in cities maintaining city superintendents. There are at present 80 city systems under superin- tendents.
The phenomenal growth of these schools in Wisconsin has continued during the last biennium. Twenty-four new schools have been organ- ized in the two years.
While the number of high schools has been growing, the number of pupils in these schools has. increased with even greater rapidity. The total enrollment for 1917-18 was 25,328, which is an increase of 71 per cent during the last decade. The increase of 1917-18 over the preceding year is 3.6 per cent.
The ban on non-war construction during the last year has of course practically stopped all school building operations aside from the com- pletion of buildings well under way. During the year 1916-17, how- ever, about 43 new high school buildings were erected.
Many additions and changes have occurred in the laws relating to high schools during the last decade. These changes have been made on the patch work plan. Much confusion and some actual weakness have resulted. Therefore, the whole law was revised by the 1917 legis- lature. Only a few minor changes were made, however. Chief of these was the complete abolishing of the provision for the township high school, which had become practically obsolete due to the fact that the new union high school law covered all of the former provisions of the township law. Furthermore, the revision removed a technical uncer- tainty in the township law in the matter of raising funds. Another change relates to average attendance in all free high schools. The new law requires that no state aid shall be apportioned to any such district after it has been in operation four years unless the average daily attendance for the year is at least 15 pupils.
The winter term law was passed first in 1913 and was later amended in 1915, so as to provide state aid for a larger number of schools. The idea of this law was to stimulate the establishment in connection with the high schools of short winter term courses for pupils who could not attend school for the full year or who were not prepared to enter regular high school classes. Seven such courses were established the first year and eleven the second.
RURAL TEACHER TRAINING.
The county training schools train teachers with the exclusive aim of country school teaching in mind. Thirty of these schools are at present maintained at a cost in 1917-18 of $206,936. 1,708 pupils were enrolled and 832 were graduated in 1917-18.
Rural teacher training courses in high schools are maintained in 27 schools, enrolling 798 pupils and graduating 361 in 1917-18.
STATE NORMAL SCHOOLS.
The nine normal schools in the state of Wisconsin are maintained as follows:
Eau Claire, H. A. Schofield, President
La Crosse, F. A. Cotton, President
Milwaukee, C. G. Pearse, President
Oshkosh, H. A. Brown, President Platteville, Asa M. Royce, President River Falls, J. H. Ames, President
Stevens Point, John F. Sims, President
Superior, V. E. McCaskill, President
Whitewater, A. H. Yoder, President
17-B. B.
258
WISCONSIN BLUE BOOK.
Each normal school includes three basic departments.
1. Primary department for the training of teachers in grades 1 to 4 inclusive.
2. Grammar grade department for the training of teachers in grades 5 to 8 inclusive.
3. High school department for the training of high school teachers. In addition each of the schools maintain one or more special depart- ments for the training of teachers in special branches. These depart- ments are maintained in schools as follows:
La Crosse: Physical education; Rural school
Milwaukee: Kindergarten; Art school; Deaf school; Music school
Oshkosh: Industrial education
Platteville: Manual training; Agriculture; Rural school
River Falls: Rural school; Agriculture
Stevens Point: Rural school; Domestic Science
Superior: Kindergarten
Whitewater: Rural school; Commercial
The normal schools at Eau Claire, La Crosse, Oshkosh, and Milwaukee require graduation from a high school for admission to the several departmental courses. The normal schools at Platteville, River Falls, Stevens Point, Superior, and Whitewater have in the past offered five- year courses for non-high school graduates, but it is generally the policy to go to a high school basis for admission as soon as possible.
In all of the 44 departments, the length of the regular course is two years except that in the department for training high school teachers the course is three years in length. Unfortunately the law permits the holders of the two-year diplomas to teach in the high schools and this fact prevents the development of the high school departments.
1,655 students graduated from Wisconsin normal schools in June, 1918, the total enrollment being 4,342 for the year. Schools were maintained during that year at a cost of $1,427,958.78.
OTHER SCHOOLS
There are at present six county schools of agriculture and domestic science enrolling 386 pupils and graduating in 1918, 91 pupils. The total cost of maintaining these six schools was in 1917-18, $101,523.63.
The attendance as a whole has shown no very marked tendency either of increase or decrease during the last five years. The figures from reports indicate a small decrease during the last two years, but this is probably accounted for largely by the war conditions which are likely to affect these schools more directly than others. The total enroll- ment in all the six schools in operation last year for the years 1913-14 to 1917-18 is as follows: 498, 505, 527, 450, 386, successively.
On the other hand, it cannot be doubted by any fair observer that these schools have accomplished a large amount of valuable work, both among the students in regular attendance and among the farmers of the counties represented.
Two of the schools, at Marinette and Grand Rapids, have been devel- oped in connection with the county training schools for teachers of the respective counties.
The schools have realized valuable results through their short courses, through their extension work, and through the exhibits and community gatherings at the school. In a number of the schools valuable aid has also been given to many of the surrounding country schools in ef- fectively meeting problems of rural life.
Special schools for the deaf and blind have made steady progress during the past few years. 356 deaf children were enrolled in the day schools for the deaf. 149 defective speech children were enrolled for full-time instruction and 319 defective speech children were enrolled for part-time instruction.
259
DEPARTMENTS OF STATE GOVERNMENT
UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN.
The University of Wisconsin includes nine special schools as follows:
College of Letters and Science; College of Engineering; College of Agriculture; Law School; Medical School; School of Music; Library School; Graduate School; Extension Division.
The college of science, literature and the arts includes the school of commerce and the school of education in addition to a number of other special departments.
The total number of faculty members is 646, but in addition there are 44 to whom leave of absence has been granted.
The war has caused decided decrease in the enrollment for the past biennium. During 1917-18 the total enrollment for the regular year was 4,286; for the summer session 2,334; the dairy course 289, making a grand total (exclusive of the Extension Division) of 6,357. The Exten- sion Division enrolled 9,388 students.
VOCATIONAL SCHOOLS.
Thirty-two cities maintain continuation schools at present. These are: Appleton, Beaver Dam, Beloit, Chippewa Falls, Cudahy, Eau Claire, Fond du Lac, Grand Rapids, Green Bay, Janesville, Kenosha, La Crosse, Madison, Manitowoc, Marinette, Marshfield, Menasha, Menomonie, Mil- waukee, Neenah, North Milwaukee, Oshkosh, Racine, Rhinelander, She- boygan, South Milwaukee, Stevens Point, Superior, Two Rivers, Wausau, Waukesha, West Allis.
Cities of over 5,000 inhabitants required by law to establish voca- tional schools, but which have not yet done so are: Antigo, Ashland, Baraboo, Merrill, Oconto, Portage, Watertown. .
Comparison of Vocational School Attendance for Years 1916-17 and 1917-18
1916-17
1917-18
Increase
Total day school enrollment ..
23,045
25,298
2,253
Total evening school enrollment.
17,613
20,535
2,922
Total enrollment.
40,658
45,833
5,175
Enrollment 1917-18
Apprentices
777
Part-time day, 14 to 17, 8 hours or more per week
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.