NEW YORK. 



39 



from taxes upon corporations have been somewhat re- 

 duced by smaller revenues from insurance companies. 

 A new law, imposing a tax of 5 per cent, upon the 

 gross receipts for admission to race-tracks, brings about 

 $25.0110 into tlic treasury, which amount is disbursed 

 by the State Agricultural Society in the form of prizes 

 lor improving the breeds of cattle, sheep, and horses 

 at the various county fairs throughout the State. 

 The interest derived from State funds largely exceeds 

 $200,000. The prosperity indicated in State affairs and 

 the reduction of the indebtedness to so insignificant a 

 point have not been attained by any Bacrinoe of sub- 

 stantial interests, or by unduly withholding effort in 

 any direction. On the contrary the past four years 

 comprise a period of peculiar and wi.se liberality in 

 certain respects. The gross amount appropriated 

 from the general fund during those years for land pur- 

 chases and for construction of buildings exceeds 

 $8,500,000. This sum is the more notable as construc- 

 tion appropriations for the new capitol have been less 

 lately than in former years, the amount for the four 

 years in question being $2, 254, 000. Of the remainder 

 $1,500,000 were expended in the purchase of the Ni- 

 agara Park Reservation. There remain, therefore. 

 $4,500,000 appropriated in four years to purchase land 

 or for construction tor charitable, penal, military, edu- 

 cational and general purposes canal construction and 

 purchases not being included in this enumeration. 

 Among the more important recent appropriations are : 

 $:>OO.IHIO for a new asylum for insane criminals; 

 $190, 000 for the Hudson KiverState Hospital (popularly 

 known as thcTou.irhket ,-psie Asylum) ; $190,000 for the 

 asylum just projected at OL'deiisburg ; $120,000 to re- 

 build the female department of the State Industrial 

 School at Rochester ; $300,000 for State Prison repairs ; 

 and $173,000 for additions to the Buffalo Asylum. 

 Expenditures of this sort are used to better advantage 

 than was true twenty or uiore years ago. Certain 

 charitable in.-titutions then constructed represented an 

 outlay of from $2000 to $3500 for each inmate who 

 couU be properly accommodated in them. Recently 

 similar institutions and buildings have been projected 

 or erected at a cost of from $320 to $8KJ for each in- 

 uiatc. the provision made in these latter instances being 

 more than equal to that furnished by the earlier insti- 

 tutions or edifices. 



Aitfiument. Since 1883 the assessment of real estate 

 has increased from $2,567.218,240 to $3,025.229,788 in 

 1887, or $40.s.< 1 1 I . f, is. Since 1 883 the assessment of 

 personal estate lias increased from $315,039,085 to 

 $335,898,389 in 18.S7, or $20, 859, 304. The valuation of 

 taxable property in 1867 WM $1,664, 107,725 ; the gross 

 valuation in 1SS7 was $3.301,128,177 increase in 20 



s. $1,097,020,462. The valuation of taxable per- 

 sonal property in I si. 7 was $436.404, 633 ; the valuation 

 in 1887 was $335,898,389 decrease in 20 years. 

 $100,506,244. The valuation of taxablejeal property 

 in 1*07 was $1,237,703,092; the valuation in 1887 was 

 $3,025,229,788 inwMM in 20 years, $1,787,526,696. 

 The State tax levied for all purposes in 1807 was 

 113,647,218.71; in 1887 was $9,075,046.08 decrease 

 State tax in 20 years, $3,572, 1 72. 63. The total amount 

 of State taxes paid by the taxable property from 1867 

 to 1887, both inclusive, is about $224,000,000 ; the 

 total amount paid by personal property, $37,000,000 

 taxes paid bv real estate in 20 years, $187,000,000. 

 Average yearly State tax paid by the personal property 

 in 20 years 16.52 per cent. Average yearly State tax 

 paid by the real estate in 20 years 83.48 per cent. 



CanaJn. These important public works of the State 

 during the year Isx" had accommodated a tonnage over 

 :,. :.:,:;. so.->. For 1884 the tonnage was 5,009,488 ; 1885, 

 4.7:11.7X4; for 18S<; it was 5,2<i::.9S2. These figures 

 show that the canal system of the State still retains its 

 usefulness. The tonnage for 1X87 was composed as 

 follows: Forest products. 1.52'.i.so c .i ; agricultural prod- 

 ucts. 1.5'JO,50'. ; ni.miifacturps, 212,216 : incrcliaiiili.se, 

 t ; other articles, 1,842,537. Of this total, 



3,968,707 tons went east; and 1,585,038 tons went 

 west. The total tons carried by the several canals are 

 as follows: Erie, 3.840.513; Champlain, 1,229,335; 

 Black River, 111,847; Cayuga and Seneca, 195,933; 

 Oswego, 170,177. The Legislature of 1887 appropri- 

 ated $550,000 to double the capacity of the locks by 

 making each one as long again as it is at present. A 

 similar appropriation was passed in 1888. Six looks 

 on the Erie, near Syracuse, and two locks on the Os- 

 wego have been completed, and nearly all the rest are 

 under contract. The original Erie Canal was com- 

 pleted in 1825, with a capacity for boats carrying 100 

 tons. Between 1836 and 1802 the prism was deepened 

 so as to allow the passage of boats carrying 240 tons. 

 The following canals, lateral to the Erie, were com- 

 pleted at the respective dates given : Cayuga and 

 Seneca. 1828; Oswego, 1828; Cheniung, 1831; 

 Crooked Lake, 1833; Chenango, 1836; Black River, 

 1849; Oneida Lake, 1850; Genesee Valley, 1856. 

 Some of the lateral canals are now abandoned. 



RaSfoad*. The railroads of New York are under 

 the supervision of a board of Railroad Commissioners, 

 created by a law of 1882. The commissioners are ap- 

 pointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. 

 Much of the care and responsibility devolving upon 

 this board has been removed by the appointment of 

 U. S. Railroad Commissioners, under the Inter-State 

 Commerce law. The State board of New York has 

 paid particular attention to accidents. It finds that the 

 principal cause of death and injury to passengers was 

 getting on or off trains in motion, and was the result 

 of their own want of caution. Employe's most fre- 

 quently met death by walking on the track. Experi- 

 ments were made with patent couplers so as to ensure 

 the safety of brakemen. The Legislature has not seen 

 fit to pass the recommendations of the board in favor 

 of crossings either above or below grade. Bridges 

 have been closely inspected by the board ; and atten- 

 tion has been called to the desirability of a uniform 

 code of rules and signals. The elevated railroads of 

 New York have voluntarily reduced their fares to 5 

 cents. On and after Nov. 1, 1888, it is required that 

 all cars shall be heated with steam from the engine, 

 and that stoves shall be no longer allowed. 



The total number of miles of railroad track in New 

 York is 12,035; locomotives, 3972; passenger cars, 

 4486; freight cars, 148,120; passengers carried, 

 81,463,709; passengers carried, reduced to a one-mile 

 uniformity, 1,839,734,634. Total stock and debts, 

 $59,535,294; earnings, $17,801,464; net earnings, 

 $4,242.279. 



Bunks. The total amount on deposit Jan. 1, 1888, 

 was reported as follows : Savings banks, $590,458,751 ; 

 banks of discount and deposit, $193,324,267. ; 

 trust, companies, $200,087,230.17; safe deposit 

 companies, $4,214,504.97. Total, $988,084,753.14. 

 One hundred and twenty-five savings banks were in 

 existence Jan. 1 , 1 888, of which 7 were inactive. The 

 total amount of resources of the saving banks of the 

 State on the morning of Jan. 1, 1888, was $590,458,751 ; 

 Jan. 1, 1887, $508,286,867 ; showing a net increase for 

 the year of $22,171,884. The increase during the year 

 1886 was $33,750,234, and during the year 1885 it was 

 $28,609,137. On Jan. 1, 1878, the total amount of 

 resources of the savings banks of the State was 

 $346,720,202, showing a net increase in ten years of 

 $243.732,549. The total estimated value of real estate 

 held by savings banks of the State Jan. 1, 1888, was 

 $7,736,103. Of this amount $0,730,439 represented 

 the aggregate estimated value of bank buildings. The 

 remaining amount. 11,005,664, is thfi estimated value 

 of real estate which had been acquired under foreclos- 

 ure proceedings. On Jan. 1, 1888, the savings banks 

 held $5,776,048 in cash, and had $33,030.007 deposited 

 with State anil national banks and trust companies in- 

 corporated miller the laws of this State, making a total 

 of $39.400,050. On Jan. 1, 1887. it was $30,032,120, 

 indicating an increase of $2,774,530. The deposits 



