expenditures for the year, prepared in such form as shall be prescribed by the state board of charities and reform.

SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and and after its passage.

Chapter 188-General Laws of 1874.

INCREASING THE POWERS OF THE BOARD.

The people of the State of Wisconsin, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

AUTHORIZED TO CONDUCT INVESTIGATIONS.

SECTION 1. Section 8 of chapter 136 of the general laws of 1871, is hereby amended so as to read as follows: Section 8. The board shall have full power at times to look into and examine the condition of the institutions and establishments referred to in this act, to inquire into and examine their methods of treatment, instruction, government and management of their inmates, the official conduct. of trustees, managers, directors, superintendents and other officers and employés of the same, the conditions of the building, grounds and other property connected therewith, and into all other matters. pertaining to their usefulness and good management; and for these purposes they shall have free access to all parts of the grounds and buildings, and to all books and papers of said institutions and establishments; and all persons now or hereafter connected with the same are hereby directed and required to give either verbally or in writing as the board may direct, such information, and to afford such facilities for inspection as the board may require. And the several members of the board and the secretary thereof are each hereby authorized to administer oaths in examining any person or persons, relative to any matters connected with the inquiries or investigations authorized by this act. And if any person so examined shall knowingly swear falsely on his or her examination, they or he shall be deemed guilty of perjury, and shall be punished in the manner provided in section two of chapter 167 of the revised statutes, entitled "of offenses against public justice."

HOW TESTIMONY SHALL BE TAKEN.

SECTION 2. In case the said board shall desire to avail themselves of of the provisions of chapter 25 of the general laws of 1868,

"an act to provide for taking the deposition of witnesses in certain cases," they shall place a vote to that effect upon their records and directing their secretary to make an application to some court commissioner, justice of the peace or other officer authorized by the laws of this state to take depositions, to be used and read in the circuit courts of this state, and upon such application it shall be the duty of such court commissioner or other officer to proceed in all respects as though the application had been made by the officers of state institutions as provided in said chapter 25; and all the provisions of said chapter 25 shall apply to the taking of depositions of witnesses on the application of the state board of charities and reform, the same as though application was made by trustees, managers or regents of state institutions.

FEES FOR SERVING PAPERS.

SECTION 3. Any officer serving papers under the provisions of this act or the act to which this is amendatory, shall be entitled to the fees now allowed by law for similar services, to be audited and paid in the manner provided in said chapter 25, for the payment of the fees of the commissioner or other officer and the fees of witnesses.

DUTIES, COMPENSATION, ETC.

SECTION 4. It shall be the duty of the state board of charities and reform, when directed by the governor so to do, to investigate into the past or present management of any or either of the penal, correctional, reformatory or charitable state institutions, and they shall keep the governor advised of the progress being made in such investigations, and such reports shall from time to time be made as the governor may require; and upon the completion of such investigations they shall report, to the governor the facts of the case in full. For services thus rendered under direction of the governor, each member of the board shall receive the sum of five dollars per day for the time actually devoted to such investigations, and accounts therefor, when approved by the governor, shall be audited by the secretary of state and paid from the state treasury.

SECTION 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.

Approved March 10, 1874.

PROCEEDINGS OF THE BOARD.

MEETING AT MADISON.

JANUARY 5, 1874. Pursuant to a call duly issued, a regular meetof the State Board of Charities and Reform was held at the office of the board in Madison, on Monday evening, January 5, 1874.

After transacting the usual business, the board took a recess till the following day.

JANUARY 6. The board reassembled at 9 o'clock A. M. The day was spent in considering the question of appropriations to the various state institutions.

JANUARY 7. The board met at 8 o'clock A. M. A number of bills were laid before the board and audited.

RESIGNATION OF MRS. LYNDE, MESSRS. MERRILL AND ALLEN.

During the month of February, 1874, Mary E. B. Lynde, Williard Merrill and Wm. C. Allen sent their resignations to the governor. On the 8th of April, 1874, the vacancies caused by these resignations were filled by appointment of the governor, as follows, viz.: Mary E. B. Lynde, of Milwaukee, vice Mary E. B. Lynde; term expires April 1, 1876.

W. W. Reed, of Jefferson, vice Williard Merrill, term expires April 1, 1877.

E. E. Chapin, of Columbus, vice Wm. C. Allen; term expires April 1, 1878.

The term of office of H. H. Giles, of Madison, having expired April 1, 1874, he was reappointed for the term of five years, ending April 1, 1879.

MEETING OF THE BOARD AT MADISON.

APRIL 16, 1874. A meeting of the board was held at its office in Madison, Thursday evening, April 16, 1874.

The four members of the board present, viz: H. H. Giles, A. E. Elmore, E. E. Chapin and W. W. Reed, took and subscribed the oath of office.

Mr. Giles' term of office having expired, and Judge Allen having resigned as a member of the board, it was decided that the board was without a president or vice president, whereupon Mr. Giles was called to the chair.

The board then took a recess to the following day.

APRIL 17. The board re-assembled at 8 o'clock A. M. Mr. Giles in the chair.

SECRETARY HASTINGS' RESIGNATION.

The Secretary laid before the board a communication, of which the following is a copy:

"MADISON, April 17, 1874.

"To the State Board of Charities and Reform:

"Having found the duties of my position much more laborious, and the time required for their performance much greater than I anticipated when I accepted it, and having for a long time had it in contemplation to resign, as the board has been just now, in a measure, reconstructed, and quite likely as at present organized the board would prefer some other person in my place, I regard this as an appropriate time to withdraw, and hence would respectfully request you to accept this as my resignation of the office of Secretary of your board.

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Respectfully yours, etc.,

"SAM'L D. HASTINGS."

The resignation of Mr. Hastings was accepted, and on motion the board proceeded to the election of officers, which resulted as follows, viz:

President, H. H. Giles-Madison.

Vice President, E. E. Chapin-Columbus.
Secretary, A. C. Parkinson-Madison.

The Secretary was elected for the period of three years, the term to commence May 1, 1874.

INVITATIONS ACCEPTED.

The Secretary then laid before the board, invitations to attend the session of the Prison Reform Congress, to be held in the city of

St. Louis, commencing May 13; and to attend the session of the American Social Science Asssociation, to be held in the city of New York, commencing May 19. In connection with the latter, a conference of the Boards of Public Charity of the United States was to be held. On motion, these invitations were accepted, and the Secretary instructed to furnish the several members of the board with proper credentials.

A. C. PARKINSON ACCEPTS THE SECRETARYSHIP.

A communication, of which the following is a correct copy, was filed in the office of the board, April 24, 1874.

To the State Board of Charities and Reform:

I have been officially notified of your action in electing me to the position of Secretary of the State Board of Charities and Reform, for the term of three years, commencing May 1, 1874.

In accepting the position, allow me to return you my sincere thanks for this expression of your confidence. In the discharge of the duties of the office I shall earnestly endeavor to do what will most redound to the benefit of the state and to the credit and good name of the Board.

Yours with kind regard,

A. C. PARKINSON.

MEETING AT MILWAUKEE.

MAY 4, 1874. Pursuant to adjournment, the board met at Milwaukee, Monday evening, May 4, 1874. All the members were present. President Giles in the chair.

Mrs. Lynde, as a member, and A. C. Parkinson, as secretary of the board, took and subscribed the oath of office.

The importance of requiring a more detailed system of bookkeeping from the various state institutions, was discussed at some length by the several members of the board. In this connection, it was

VOTED, That the Secretary be instructed to prepare blanks for detailed statements from the several state institutions; such blanks to be of the form provided for by the action of this board on the 16th of April, 1873-the same to be submitted at the next meeting of the board.