Page iv

iv                      FOREWORD
and their plans for the future. Tremendous improvements in
the media of communication in the past few decades have
increased the opportunity to provide such information, but
the ever-increasing complexity of government has made it
increasingly difficult to convey the story of public business
to the expanding population in a meaningful way.
   The Wisconsin Blue Book is one of the oldest continuous
devices to keep the people informed about the activities of
one segment of our government, the state. Conservative in
format, it has consistently provided accurate data on the
basic organizational pattern and operations of the state. Dis-
tributed almost entirely without charge, it is not only avail-
able to schools and libraries, but many individuals possess
copies. We commend it to you as a reliable source of infor-
mation about the most broadly-owned business in Wisconsin
- your state government.
                         GAYLORD A. NELSON,
                         Governor