MASSACHUSETTS. 



To prevent the transfer of property by a debtor 

 pending poor debtor proceedings. 



Requiring more detailed reports of county treas- 

 urers, and providing for their publication and distri- 

 bution. 



Providing that the State Treasurer shall cease to be 

 tax commissioner, and that a tax commissioner shall 

 be appointed by the Governor for a term of three 

 years. 



Authorizing employe's of street railway companies 

 to unite with such companies in establishing relief so- 

 cieties. 



To prohibit the employment of women and minors 

 in manufacturing establishments between the hours 

 of ten at night and six in the morning. 



To provide for the incorporation of the cities ot 

 Chicopee and Marlborough. 



Imposing an excise tax of 2 per cent, on premi- 

 ums collected in the State by foreign accident, fidel- 

 ity, and guarantee insurance companies. 



Appropriating $50,000 to secure the proper repre- 

 sentation of the State at the national encampment of 

 the Grand Army in Boston during the year. 



Requiring all co-operative banks to become incor- 

 porated and permitting foreign co-operative banks to 

 do business in the State under certain restrictions. 



Providing that all convicts now or hereafter im- 

 prisoned for felony shall be registered and measured 

 and described according to the Bertillon method for 

 identification of criminals. 



To provide for registering with the city or town 

 clerk the pedigree of horses used for breeding. 



Creating a State board of library commissioners, 

 and authorizing it to advise with local library trustees 

 and to purchase for any town not having a'public li- 

 brary, which complies with this act, books to a value 

 of not over $100. 



Providing a penalty for writing, printing, posting, 

 or distributing anonymous circulars or posters de- 

 signed to injure or defeat a candidate for nomination 

 or election, by reflecting on his personal character or 

 political actions. 



Increasing the length of attendance required at pub- 

 lic schools from twenty to thirty weeks. 



Regulating assessment insurance. 



Revising and codifying the election laws of the State. 



Authorizing the extermination of English sparrows 

 by town and city authorities, provided that poison 

 shall not be used in such destruction. 



Authorizing commissioners to purchase land and 

 procure plans for an asylum for chronic insane in the 

 eastern part of the State. 



Prohibiting the employment of persons under 

 eighteen years of age in liquor saloons. 



To prevent and punish fraud in sales of goods, 

 wares, and merchandise by itinerant venders. 



Authorizing cities and towns to furnish relief to 

 soldiers and sailors and their widows and minor chil- 

 dreiij without requiring them to enter almshouses and 

 public institutions. 



Regulating the sales of goods taken into a city or 

 town to be sold by auction. 



Education. The following public-school sta- 

 tistics cover the school year 1889-'90 : Number 

 of children between five and fifteen years, 370,- 

 116; number of all ages in the schools during 

 the year, 371,492 ; average attendance, 273,910 ; 

 teachers employed men 1,017, women 9,307; 

 average monthly wages of male teachers, $126.- 

 58; female teachers, $44.79; number of public 

 schools, 7,147 ; average length of school year in 

 months, 8'85. During the year 241 high schools 

 were maintained, with 25,317 pupils in attend- 

 ance, an increase of 5 schools and 1,181 pupils. 

 Evening schools, to the number of 201, were sup- 

 ported in 52 cities and towns. The number of 

 teachers employed therein was 978, the total 

 number of pupils enrolled 24,820, and the aver- 



age attendance 13,972. The whole amount of 

 money raised by taxation for the support of pub- 

 lic schools, including only wages of teachers, 

 fuel, and care of fires and school rooms, was 

 $5,524,882.65, an increase of $158,277.36 for the 

 year. The amount expended for new school- 

 houses was $1,104,937.30. The expenditures for 

 the schools, exclusive of the sum paid for re- 

 pairing and erecting school-houses, was $6,415,- 

 444.51, or $17.33 for each child of school age. 

 The total expenditures, including repairs in new 

 school houses, aggregated $8,286,062.30, or $22.38 

 for each child of school age. 



During the year 511 private schools and acade- 

 mies, having in attendance 58,179 pupils, were 

 in operation. The ratio of gain in these private 

 schools and academies is much greater than in 

 the public schools. 



The attendance at the 6 State normal schools 

 for the year aggregated 1,291, a decrease of 61 

 -from last year. This decrease is not sufficient to 

 indicate a serious decline of interest in the 

 schools. The demand for normal graduates has 

 been greater than the supply. 



Charities. The following is a summarized 

 statement of the condition of the State charita- 

 ble institutions : Danvers Lunatic Hospital, pa- 

 tients on Oct. 1, 1889, 759 ; admitted during the 

 year ensuing, 386; discharged, 332; remaining 

 Sept. 30, 1890, 813 ; total expenses, $152,949.06. 

 Northampton Lunatic Hospital, patients on Oct. 

 1, 1889, 446; admitted, 170; discharged, 121; 

 remaining Sept. 30-, 1890, 495 ; total expenses, 

 $86,153.29. Westborough Insane Hospital, pa- 

 tients on Oct. 1, 1889, 503 ; admitted, 310 ; dis- 

 charged, 305 ; remaining on Sept. 30, 1890, 508 ; 

 total expenses, $101,554.36. Taunton Lunatic 

 Hospital, patients on Oct. 1, 1889, 617; admit- 

 ted, 331 ; discharged, 269 ; remaining on Sept. 

 30, 1890, 679 ; total expenses, $110,984.95. Wor- 

 cester Lunatic Hospital, patients on Oct. 1, 1889, 

 811; admitted, 436 ; discharged. 462 ; remaining 

 on Sept. 30, 1890, 785; total expenses, $175,811.- 

 65. Worcester Insane Asylum, patients on Oct. 

 1, 1889, 383 ; admitted,' 45 ; discharged, 129 ; re- 

 maining on Sept. 30, 1890, 299 ; total expenses, 

 $76,366.10. State Almshouse at Tewksbury, in- 

 sane department, patients on Oct. 1, 1889, 364; 

 admitted, 48 ; discharged, 48 ; remaining on Sept. 

 30, 1890, 364. Almshouse department proper, in- 

 mates on Oct. 1, 1890, 841 ; admitted, 2,436 ; dis- 

 charged, 2,470 ; remaining on Sept. 30, 1890, 807. 

 State Farm at Bridgewater, inmates on Oct. 1, 

 1889, 438 ; admitted, 694 ; discharged, 587 ; re- 

 maining Sept. 30, 1890, 545 (of the latter num- 

 ber 148 are insane persons) : total expenses, $62,- 

 577.66. 



At the Perkins Institution for the Blind there 

 were 201 pupils on Sept. 30. The total receipts 

 for the year, including a balance of $62,246.79, 

 were 193,471.51, and the expenditures and in- 

 vestments $133,056.16, leaving a new balance of 

 $60,415.35. A large number of deaf and dumb 

 and feeble-minded youth are supported by the 

 State at institutions within and without its bor- 

 ders. There are 218 almshouses in the State, 4 

 new ones having been established during the 

 year, while 2 have been burned and several dis- 

 continued. On April 1, 1890, these establish- 

 ments contained 4,582 inmates, of which number 

 733 were said to be insane. 



