VERMONT. 



on their entire gross earnings. Insurance and 

 guarantee companies are to pay at the rate of 2 

 per cent, of the gross amount of premiums and 

 assessments on State business. Life-insurance 

 companies are to pay in addition a tax of 1 per 

 cent, of the surplus over the necessary reserve. 

 Savings banks are to pay seven tenths of 1 per 

 cent, on deposits and accumulations, deducting 

 the average amount of the assessed valuation of 

 real .estate owned and the amount of individual 

 deposits in excess of $1,500 each, listed to de- 

 positors. The same provisions are made for tax- 

 ing trust companies. The tax on building and 

 investment companies is at the rate of 1 per 

 cent, on the moneys received to be loaned with- 

 out the State, and bonds, mortgages, choses in 

 action, and securities of any kind that have been 

 sold. Corporations organized under the laws ef 

 the State having a capital stock, or deposits of 

 $50,000 or less, shall be assessed a tax of $10, 

 and for each $50,000, or fractional part in excess 

 of $50,000, an additional tax of $5. 



The ballot-reform law contains the following 

 provisions : 



The expense of printinor and distributing ballots to 

 be used in general elections shall be defrayed by the 

 counties ; that of ballots for local elections, by the 

 city, village, or town. Parties polling at least 1 

 per cent of the entire vote of the preceding election 

 may make nominations, acd additional nominations 

 may be made by any body of voters numbering at 

 least 1 per cent of the vote of the preceding election. 

 Space, is to be left on the ballots after each group of 

 candidates for the different offices to insert the name 

 of any person for whom it is desired to vote. At each 

 polling-place not less than, one booth for every 75 

 voters shall be erected. 



A guard rail shall be erected at least six feet from 

 the booths and ballot boxes. Voters shall mark a 

 cross opposite the name of each candidate to be voted 

 for, shall fold their ballots before leaving the booth, 

 and deliver them to the presiding officer. The pro- 

 visions of the act shall not apply to annual or special 

 meetings for choosing town, city, or village officers, 

 except in places of over 4,000 inhabitants. 



Another act of this session provides for the 

 levy of a State tax of 18 cents on each $100 for 

 the' year 1891. to defray State expenses. In order 

 to equalize the burdens of taxation for schools, 

 it is provided that a State tax of 5 cents on each 

 $100 shall be annually levied and the proceeds ap- 

 portioned to the towns and cities according to the 

 number of legal schools sustained during the pre- 

 ceding year. Heretofore the schools of each town 

 or school district have been supported by local 

 taxation. The act of 1888 creating the office of 

 Commissioner of Agriculture and Manufactures 

 was repealed. 



Other acts of the session were as follow : 



Establishing a simple form of indictment for perjury. 



Providing that no act of the General Assembly 

 shall affect any suit begun or pending at the time of 

 its passage ; but this shall not apply to acts regulating 

 court practice and relating to the competency of wit- 

 nesses or to the amendment of process or pleadings. 



Providing that the jurisdiction of the court of chan- 

 cery shall not be limited by the amount in dispute. 



Kegulating the discharge of mortgages. 



To provide for better drainage in. or near incorpo- 

 rated cities and villages. 



To increase 'the penalty for the adulteration of maple 

 svurar, maple sirup, and bees' honey. _ 



To prevent and punish deception in the sale of dairy 

 products, and to preserve the public health. 



To prohibit tho killing of deer prior to Nor. 1, 

 i you. 



To provide for the construction an.l malnf nance of 

 1891 aid W^' "^ ap P ro l )ritttiu * * 2 ' 400 U " 



Education. The following is H summary of 

 public-school statistics for t h. :,.' June 



30, 1889, and June 30, is-.w : 



The number of children in the State 1 

 the age of five and eighteen year.- i- 

 The attendance at the Castleton Normal School 

 for the year 1888-89 was 223, and for 1889-'90 

 230. At the Randolph Normal School the at tend- 

 ance was 117 for 1888-'89, and 1G5 for 1- 

 The attendance at the Johnson Normal 

 each year was over 100. 



Charities. The State Insane Asylum at Brat- 

 tleborough contained 455 patient.- at tin- 

 the present fiscal year, although intended to ac- 

 commodate only 400. The expenses for the year 

 were $200,649.10. The new asylum for which' tin- 

 Legislature of 1888 appropriated $100,000 has 

 been located at Waterbury, where buildings t<> 

 accommodate about 150 patients arc- in 

 of erection. The State supports at institutions 

 outside of its borders deaf, dumb, blind, and 

 feeble-minded youth, the cost for the last t\\o 

 years being $12,552.96, and the total number 

 supported being 29 in 1889 and 26 in 1890. 



Prisons. The average number of convicts in 

 the State Prison for the past two years 1, 

 86. The expense of maintenance during that 

 period was $33,276.28, and the earnings of con- 

 vict labor were $20,056.60, making the i 

 to the State $13,219.68. At the IIou^c of Cor- 

 rection the average number of inmates for the 

 period was 63, the total expenses sl<;.:;-J 4.0-,'. tho 

 earnings of prisoners $12,501.64. and the net cost 

 $3,822.38. 



Banks. The report of the Inspector or 1 

 nance for tho year ending June 30 shows that 

 the number of savings banks and trust compa- 

 nies remains the same as in 1889, there being ~ (l 

 of the former and 11 of the latter. The amount 

 loaned by them on mortgages of real estate in 

 Vermont is $4,378,710.19, an increase during the 

 year of $389,124.91. The amount loaned on mort- 

 gages of real estate elsewhere is |7,51,470.68. 

 an increase of $300,809.34. Loans on ]> 

 security are $2,106,180.48, an increase of $273.- 

 098.22. Loans to towns and villages are f 

 688.24, a decrease of $27,509.37, and loans OH 

 bank stock are $155,886.92, an increase of $4,- 

 175 92 The number of depositors is 65,759, an 

 increase of 4,000 since 1889. The average to 

 each depositor is $293.96, and the average per 

 capita of the population of the btato is $58.22. 



