CONXKI'TICUT. 



By an expenditure of 87,200 the prison has secured 

 a permanent and greatly improved system of heat- 

 ing and ventilation: anew and enlarged kit (.-lion 

 ha- also been arranged, and three large wire i 

 in whieh incorrigible convicts may secure outdoor 

 exercise in suitable weather, have been erected in 

 the prison yard. The warden's report says: 



" The continued and persistent efforts toward im- 

 provement in heating and ventilation, the destruc- 

 tion of disease germs by disinfectants, and the 

 sterili/ing by steam of all clothing, the greater 

 variety, better quality, and larger quantity of food 

 allowed, together with the compulsory outdoor ex- 

 ercise of the men. begin to show their beneficial 

 effects. With the improvement in the general 

 health there is shown also a marked improvement 

 in the disposition of the inmates as a whole." 



During 1896 the Bertillon system for identifica- 

 tion of prisoners was applied at the State Prison. 

 In October a new department in the prison, for the 

 encouragement of prisoners to reform their con- 

 duct, was opened, and 21 prisoners were selected to 

 occupy it. According to their conduct, the prison- 

 ers are divided into three classes, and it is those of 

 the first grade who are eligible for this department. 

 These are given a uniform different from the other 

 prisoners, of cadet-blue cloth, with steel buttons: 

 their food, which is better than the others receive, 

 is served to them in crockery, and they are given 

 many privileges. The construction of this new de- 

 partment was authorized by the last Legislature. 

 There are 32 cells, and they are all made of bur- 

 glar-proof steel, each being 5 feet by 7 feet, and 8 

 feet in height. The interior of the cells is painted 

 a light buff. The cell is furnished with a bed that 

 han ITS by strong chains from the side of the cell 

 and can be folded close to the steel wall when not 

 in use. The bed is furnished with fine-fiber mat- 

 tress and comfortable clothing for covering. The 

 floor is covered with ingrain carpet. There is a 

 sink in the cell and a faucet for running water. 

 The sanitary arrangements are excellent. A com- 

 fortable chair, a mirror, lamp and rack, and shelf 

 complete the furnishing of the cell. Each cell is 

 furnished with a radiator that enables the occupant 

 to regulate the heat. 



State Institutions. The State institutions are: 

 The Xormal Training Schools, at New Britain. 

 Willimantic. and Xew Haven : Storrs Agricultural 

 College : Fitch's Home for the Soldiers and Sol- 

 diers' Hospital : Hospital for the Insane ; State 

 Prison ; School for Boys : and Industrial School for 

 Girls. The last Legislature authorized the estab- 

 lishment of a reformatory for wayward men and 

 women, and a site in Hartford was purchased, 

 plans accepted, and work begun. But on Nov. 17 

 an injunction was served upon the board of direc- 

 tors, restraining them from continuing the work 

 until the city of Hartford has withdrawn its objec- 

 tions and given its consent to the erection of the 

 buildings in the place selected. 



Highways. In December, 1895, the new State 

 Highway Commission made the appropriation of 

 money to be paid at once to towns for work done 

 on roads during that year to the amount of s:]0.- 

 64:i. .'."). The balances due towns for work begun in 

 l^.i.") but not completed, which must be finished 

 July 1, 1896. aggregated $44,280.39. The Commis- 

 sion also made allotments to towns that have taken 

 preliminary steps to improve their highways, 

 amounting in the aggregate to $74.923.64. The 

 maximum amount allotted to any town was S980. 



Labor Bureau. The report for 1895 of the 

 Bureau of Labor Statistics says that on July 1. 

 1895, in the 1.000 manufacturing establishments 

 from which the figures were obtained, there were 

 112,002 employees on the pay rolls, a gain of 13,385, 



or 13'57 per cent, over the number employed in 

 IMM. and a deereasp of 4'04 per cent, from the 

 number in 1S92. Of the KIT establishment-; mak- 

 ing general changes in \\agf-rates. ''>'> incna-ed 

 lll'i made partial or full restoration to former 

 wages, and 2* reduced wages. The number of em- 



floyees atl'ected by reduction in wages rates was 

 .2*7. or 1'15 per cent, of the whole number re- 

 porting: the number affected by change in the 

 other direction being 22.814. or 20-37 per cent, of 

 the whole. The average weekly hours of labor in 

 the whole number of establishments reporting was 

 54'46. The report estimates the loss in wages to 

 those involved in "strikes" which have been ail- 

 justed during the year at $934,500, and the loss to 

 the employers at $92,800. 



In the matter of town and State aid to the poor 

 it is stated that the number of persons assisted in 

 all institutions and outside of them at the expense 

 of the towns and State in 1894 was 17.729. at an 

 average cost per person of $ 56.10, or a total of 

 $994,615.18. 



The State Board of Mediation and Arbitration 

 was organized Sept. 18, 1895. 



Factory Inspection. The report of the Factory 

 Inspector for the ten months ending Sept. 30. 

 shows that during the period there were inspected 

 1.091 factories, employing 93.467 persons. Of this 

 number of factories. 600 were found in good con- 

 dition, and in 491 changes were ordered, a total of 

 943 orders being given, of which 190 were intended 

 to protect the health of the operators and 753 to 

 insure greater security against accidents. There 

 were 25 factories with insufficient means of egress. 

 The report states that Connecticut stands ninth 

 among the States of the Union in the value of its 

 manufactured products. 



Local Option. Out of the 168 towns in the 

 State. 97 voted in 1896 to have no license and 71 in 

 favor of license. There are in the State 51 towns 

 of more than 3.000 inhabitants, and of these only 

 11 are no-license towns. The license list includes 

 all the 18 cities, all but 3 of the 20 borough towns, 

 and almost every factory town in the State. The 

 statistics indicate that notwithstanding the large 

 majority of no-license towns, with almost corre- 

 sponding strength in the Legislature, about four 

 fifths of the State have adopted the license system. 



Militia. The latest report of the Adjutant 

 General was for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 

 1895. The annual muster shows 192 commissioned 

 officers and 2.573 enlisted men. The expenses dur- 

 ing the year amounted to $150.878.99. In the dis- 

 bursements of the quartermaster general's depart- 

 ment $45.857.36 was expended between Oct. 1, 

 1894, and Jan. 9, 1895; $40,660.93 from Jan. 9. 

 to Oct. 1. 1895. A six days' encampment was held 

 from Aug. 12 to 17. inclusive. 



Fisheries. In October. 1895. 4.300.000 young 

 shad were turned from the State's retaining ponds 

 into the Farmington and Connecticut rivers. The 

 shad fry were hatched in May and June preceding 

 in the State hatcheries, and all fish indigenous to 

 the waters were netted from the retaining ponds 

 before the shad fry were placed in them. In the 

 spring of 1896 several million smelt and pike- 

 perch" fry were distributed, and 1.2-10.000 trout fry. 

 The engi'neer of the Fish Commission in 1896 re- 

 turned his report in the fresh-water area of the 

 State and the mileage of the rivers and steamers of 

 Connecticut. The total acreage of waters is 43.637 ; 

 the total mileage of rivers. 7.<>19. 



The Shellfish Commission was more then self- 

 supporting last year. The receipts were $6.862. 

 and there was a balance of over $1.000. The num- 

 ber of oyster steamers is 144. and the oyster lands 

 held by private owners aggregate 69,610 acres, or 



