758 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. (RHODE ISLAND.) 



premises between the Governor and the Attorney- 

 General, the Governor being sustained by the 

 court. 



Industries. In October the Director of the 

 Census issued a bulletin of Rhode Island manu- 

 factures from which this appears to be the most 

 distinctively manufacturing State in the Union, 

 standing fourth in textiles and, although smallest 

 in area, fifteenth in general manufacturing. The 

 capital invested in manufacturing and mechanical 

 industries in 1900 was $183,784,587, exclusive of 

 the capital stock of incorporations. The gross 

 value of products is returned at $184,074,378, to 

 produce which involved an outlay of $5,552,189 

 for salaries of officials, clerks, etc., $41,114,084 for 

 wages, $12.199,283 for miscellaneous expenses, in- 

 cluding rent, taxes, etc., and $96,392,720 for mate- 

 rials used, mill supplies, freight, and fuel. 



In their latest report the Factory Inspectors 

 say: "We have during the year ending Dec. 31, 

 1901. inspected 617 establishments, a net increase 

 over the number reported last year of 22. The 

 number of employees found in the various estab- 

 lishments was divided as follows: Males of six- 

 teen years of age and over, 47,304; females of 

 sixteen years of age and over, 34,192; total, 81,- 

 496. Males under sixteen years of age, 2,732; 

 females under sixteen years of age, 2,336; whole 

 number of children, 5,068. Total number em- 

 ployed, 86,564." 



The value of the 5,498 farms in Rhode Island, 

 according to a bulletin of the Census Bureau, was 

 estimated to be $23,125,260 in 1900. Of this 

 amount $9,706,490 represents the value of build- 

 ings, and $13,421,770 the value of land and im- 

 provements. For the State the average value of 

 land was $29.46 an acre. 



The revenue to the State in rents from the 

 lands leased for the raising of oysters is $25,691.25 

 for the year. In 1901 additional lands to the 

 number of 1,858 acres were leased. 



The New State-House. In the new State- 

 House the Legislature convened on New Year's 

 Day, 1901, from which dates the public occu- 

 pancy of the " Marble Palace." Grand as it is in 

 design and beautiful in embellishment, to the 

 throngs that gathered for the opening ceremonies 

 there was no less to gratify the practical than 

 the esthetic sense, for the perfect adaptation of 

 the building to its uses was manifest. The formal 

 exercises were simple and impressive. 



Legislative Session. Among the enactments 

 of the Legislature in 1901 were these: 



An amendment to the caucus law. 



Providing that the trustees of the Rhode Island 

 Normal School may admit to the classes of said 

 school persons not intending to teach in the public 

 schools of the State, upon payment of tuition fees. 



Amending the laws relating to the State Li- 

 brary, and annually appropriating $800 for the 

 purchase of books. 



Changing the laws relating to registration of 

 voters. 



Designating June 6 as " Nathanael Greene Me- 

 morial Day,'' in response to the request of the 

 societies of the Sons and Daughters of the Ameri- 

 can Revolution. 



To protect the public morals by prohibiting 

 schemes and devices in the nature of lotteries. 



Providing for a police commission for Provi- 

 dence. 



Providing, in pursuance of a constitutional 

 amendment, that no person shall vote in the elec- 

 tion of the city council of any city, or on any 

 proposition to impose a tax, or for the expendi- 

 ture of money in any town or city, unless he shall, 

 within the year next preceding, have paid a tax 



upon his property therein valued at not less than 

 $134. 



Limiting the liability of stockholders and offi- 

 cers of manufacturing corporations, for the debts 

 or obligations of such companies, to the shares of 

 such members paid up to the par value thereof, 

 and repealing the law requiring the filing of an- 

 nual returns as to the value of property and the 

 amount of debts and liabilities. 



Revising the law relating to the use of voting- 

 machines, with a view to improve and extend this 

 method of voting. 



Making it a misdemeanor to distribute " trad- 

 ing-stamps," as in stores, to attract custom. 



Creating a commission, each member of which 

 must be a cyclist, for constructing and maintain- 

 ing side-paths. 



Providing that the United States flag shall be 

 displayed over the public schools during school 

 hours. 



March 29 the Legislature adjourned until after 

 the November election, when it reassembled and 

 held a short session. 



By the death of Gov. William Gregory, Dec. 16, 

 1901, an unusual sorrow was brought upon the 

 State, for no Governor had died in office since 

 1805. He had been Governor since May, 1900, 

 and had been elected to serve until January, 1903. 

 Lieut.-Gov. Kimball served as acting Governor 

 until January, when he qualified as Governor for 

 the new term. 



Providence. The bank clearings of this city 

 for 1901 were the largest in its history, reaching 

 a total of $354,384,000, as against $326,299,700 in 

 1900. All the great industries were in good con- 

 dition at the end of the year. The total amount 

 spent during the year for new buildings was $4,- 

 739,720. The number of building permits granted 

 was 1,302, or nearly 200 more than in 1900. The 

 annual report of the school committee shows that 

 the school census has recently increased more 

 rapidly than that of the general population, and 

 that the average attendance in the schools has 

 increased much more rapidly than even the school 

 population. For the last decade of the nineteenth 

 century the increase of school population was 

 36.1 per cent., while the increase of average at- 

 tendance was 54.6 per cent. 



Political. At the Democratic State Conven- 

 tion, at Providence, Oct. 15, these candidates were 

 nominated: For Governor, L. F. C. Garvin; Lieu- 

 tenant-Governor, A. R. Archambault; Secretary 

 of State, Frank E. Fitzsimmons; Treasurer, Clark 

 Potter; Attorney-General, D. J. Holland. 



The platform inveighed against the existing 

 State Government and the " pocket-borough sys- 

 tem " of representation in the General Assembly, 

 and denounced the purchase of favor " from the 

 boss who controls the State Legislature," by " in- 

 dividuals and corporations seeking public fran- 

 chises and privileges." It declared : " This con- 

 trol of the State Government has been made more 

 secure by the enactment of election and caucus 

 laws which have all but incorporated the mar- 

 chine as the legally authorized manager of the 

 State Government." It charged the existing State 

 Government with waste of public money. The 

 first step toward reform was declared to be the 

 adoption of a new Constitution, providing for a 

 new system of legislative representation, greater 

 powers for the Governor, limitation of the power 

 of the General Assembly, and amendment of the 

 Constitution by constitutional convention. 



The Republican State Convention met at Provi- 

 dence Oct. 16 and made these nominations: For 

 Governor, William Gregory; Lieutenant-Govern- 

 or, C. D. Kimball ; Secretary of State, C. P. Lin- 



