522 



MASSACHUSETTS. 



of this committee were reported to the House on 

 July 1. They showed that the company had 

 hired about 35 legislative counsel and lobbyists 

 (being nearly all of the lobby) and expected to 

 pay them about $22,280 for their services in car- 

 rying through the bill ; that it had invited the 

 individual members of the Legislature to inspect 

 its plant, and had thereafter entertained them at 

 dinner at one of the clubs, where the merits of 

 the bill were presented ; that these and other ex- 

 penses would bring the total outlay of the com- 

 pany up to about $33,000 ; that the company had 

 also paid a large sum to a rival company to pre- 

 vent it from petitioning for a similar franchise ; 

 and that all these expenditures were unjustifia- 

 ble. The committee, however, recognized the 

 fact that there had long been a body of men, 

 known as the lobby, which possessed influence 

 over members of the Legislature, and that peti- 

 tioners found it necessary to retain these men. 

 In the view of the committee, this state of 

 things could not be avoided, and it advised that 

 the lobby should be recognized, but should be so 

 regulated and defined that members of the Leg- 

 islature might easily know each member thereof 

 and the persons who employed him. To this 

 end a bill was proposed by the committee pro- 

 viding that the sergeant-at-arms should keep 

 two legislative dockets, one being a docket of 

 legislative counsel before committees and the 

 other a docket of legislative agents, or lobbyists ; 

 that in each docket should be entered, within 

 one week after the date of employment, the 

 name of any person, corporation, or association 

 employing persons in either of the above capaci- 

 ties, the names of the persons so employed, and a 

 specific description of the matters or bills to 

 which their employment relates, and also the 

 date of the beginning and end of such employ- 

 ment. No person except those docketed should 

 be allowed to act before the Legislature in these 

 capacities. Every person or corporation employ- 

 ing such persons should, within thirty days after 

 the close of each session, file with the Secretary 

 of State a sworn statement, showing in detail all 

 expenses growing out of such employment. 

 These statements and the dockets shall be open 

 to public inspection. A fine of not less than 

 $100 nor more than $1,000 may be imposed for 

 violation of these provisions. This bill found 

 favor with the legislators and was passed on the 

 closing day of the session. The West End bill 

 was also passed, in spite of the damaging devel- 

 opments of the investigation. It provides that 

 the company may, under certain limitations, 

 construct and maintain a system of elevated 

 railroads in Boston and other towns and cities 

 in which it is now authorized to run cars, and 

 may connect such system with its surface roads 

 at convenient places by inclined planes. For 

 the purpose of estimating the damages to abut- 

 ting property on the streets where the elevated 

 tracks may be located, the Governor is author- 

 ized to appoint a commission, which shall hear 

 the parties and assess the damages ; but any per- 

 son, if he prefers, may bring an action in the Su- 

 perior Court and have his damages assessed by a 

 jury. The railway company may use electricity 

 or any other motive power approved by the rail- 

 road commissioners. At least three miles of el- 

 evated track must be constructed within four 



years from the first day of July, in order that 

 the franchise shall be retained. The rates of 

 fare shall not exceed those now charged. The 

 company may issue its common stock to an 

 amount sufficient to pay all expenses connected 

 with the construction and equipment of the road. 

 An important act in the interest of labor makes 

 nine hours a day's work for laborers and me- 

 chanics employed by the State or by any town 

 or city. A revision and codification of all the 

 election laws was reported and passed. The 

 Australian ballot was also extended to towns by 

 a permissive bill. The city of Boston was au- 

 thorized to borrow $550,00'0 outside of its debt 

 limit, and to issue bonds therefor, the proceeds 

 to be used in building and furnishing school- 

 houses. The boundary line between the State 

 and New Hampshire, agreed upon by joint com- 

 missioners of the two States in 1888, was ratified 

 and adopted. Two amendments to the State 

 Constitution proposed by the Legislature of 1889 

 the first providing that soldiers and sailors 

 shall not be disqualified from voting on account 

 of having received aid from any city or town, or 

 because of non-payment of the poll tax ; the 

 second providing that no person shall be dis- 

 qualified from voting by reason of change of 

 residence within the Commonwealth were again 

 adopted this year, and provision was made for 

 their submission to the people at the November 

 election. A third amendment, proposed in 1889, 

 for the disfranchisement of certain criminals, 

 was not agreed to. Three new amendments 

 were proposed for the first time one abolishing 

 the poll tax as a prerequisite for voting; another 

 providing for biennial elections for Governor 

 and other executive officers and members of the 

 Legislature ; the third, providing that a major- 

 ity of the members of each branch of the Legis- 

 lature shall constitute a quorum for the trans- 

 action of business, but a less number may ad- 

 journ from day to day and compel the attend- 

 ance of absent members. Other acts of the ses- 

 sion were as follow : 



Exempting from taxation the capital stock, corpo- 

 rate franchises, and personal estate of co-operative 

 banks, but not exempting their real estate. 



To unite the city of Springfield and the town of 

 West Springfield. 



Prohibiting the employment of any person under 

 fifteen years of age in the care, custody, management, 

 or operation of any elevator, and of any person under 

 eighteen years of age on any elevator that runs at a 

 speed of over 200 feet a minute 



Providing that the Governor shall appoint a com- 

 mission of three persons with power to take measures 

 for checking the spread of the gypsy moth and for 

 its extermination, and appropriating $25,000 there- 

 for. 



To prohibit the counterfeiting of the labels, stamps, 

 and trade-marks of labor and trade associations. 



Eequiring that in all public schools the last regu- 

 lar session prior to Memorial Day, or a portion there- 

 of, shall be devoted to patriotic exercises. 



Creating an art commission for the city of Boston, 

 and providing that no statue, fountain, ornamental 

 arch or gateway, or memorial of any kind shall be 

 erected in public places in said city, unless the de- 

 sign and site are approved by commission. 



Authorizing persons aggrieved by the assessments 

 made by assessors of taxes to appeal either to the 

 county commissioners or to the Superior Courts, and 

 providing for the speedy trial of such cases in the 

 courts without a jury. 



