NK\V YORK. 



523 



claimed for it that "the duties hitherto exercised 

 by almost :>.<IO<> excise oilicers arc, or will be. per- 

 formed by less than 150 persons, including county 

 treasurers, and probably si-j.f ><><>.< KM will be col- 

 lected for State and local purposes at an annual ex- 

 penditure of less than 250.<)u(). where heretofore 

 less than 5,000.000 was collected at an annual ex- 

 penditure exceeding 500,000." By diminishing the 

 number of saloons, it was claimed, the saloon would 

 be largely removed from political influence. 



The other measure of paramount importance was 

 the passage of the " Greater Xew York bill," entitled 

 ' An Act consolidating the local governments of the 

 territory within the city and county of Xew York. 

 the counties of Kings "and Richmond, and Long 

 Island City, and the towns of Xewtown, Flushing, 

 and Jamaica, and part of the town of Hempstead, 

 in the county of Queens, and providing for the 

 preparation of bills for enactment into laws for the 

 government thereof." 



Among the more important measures adopted are 

 the following : 



Concerning Xew York city : A bill providing for 

 an additional issue of Dock Department bonds to 

 the amount of $6,000,000. 



Authorizing new buildings and additions for the 

 Charities Department. 



Providing for the laying of additional water 

 mains from the Central Park reservoirs to Cham- 

 bers Street. 



Authorizing an expenditure of $5,000,000 for ad- 

 ditional public-school accommodations. 



Providing for an addition to the Museum of Xa- 

 tural History. 



Authorizing the rebuilding of the Tombs Prison 

 and an addition to the Blackwell's Island peniten- 

 tiary. 



Authorizing the erection of public baths. 



Increasing from $150.000 to $300,000 the sum 

 annually allowed the Fire Department for build- 

 ings and improvements. 



Incorporating a company to build a bridge over 

 the East river at Ward's Island. 



Authorizing the issue of bonds for $150,000 to 

 complete Riverside Drive. 



Providing for the addition to Riverside Park of 

 two city blocks in the immediate vicinity of Grant's 

 Tomb. " 



Authorizing the expenditure of $250,000 for a 

 new bridge at City Island. 



Providing $100.000 for a new bridge over the 

 Bronx at Westchester Avenue. 



Providing for a public park at 196th Street, on 

 the Kingsbridge road, in which the Poe cottage is 

 to be placed. 



The rapid-transit amendments, and the bill com- 

 pelling the elevated road to light its cars properly. 



Other bills of importance are included in the fol- 

 lowing list : 



Requiring public accountants and horseshoers to 

 be licensed. 



The antitrust bills. 



For the employment of convicts as required by 

 the new Constitution. 



For the more general study of the effects of alco- 

 hol and tobacco by public-school children. 



Declaring that a bicycle is personal baggage, and 

 must be carried free by railroads. 



To stop prize fighting. 



Prohibiting sparring exhibitions except by clubs 

 leasing buildings for a year. 



Making it a misdemeanor to deposit sharp sub- 

 stances on roads used by cyclers. 



Authorizing electioneering to within 100 feet of 

 a polling place, and prohibiting all posters except 

 those authorized by law. 



Providing that persons under twelve years of age 



convicted of a felony may be sent to a hou 

 refuge instead of a prison or penitentiary. 



.Making it a misdemeanor for a clerk or stenog^ 

 rapher or other employee of an attorney to disclose 

 any communication. 



Prohibiting the sale of liquor within half a mile 

 of county buildings other than a county jail. 



Allowing the sale of milk, fruit, and flowers on 

 Sunday. 



Prohibiting the confinement of self-committed 

 persons in the Xew York "Workhouse. 



Prohibiting foreign insurance companies whose 

 home country legislates against American com- 

 panies from doing business here. 



For placing an equestrian statue of Major-Gen. 

 Henry AY. Slocum on the battlefield of Gettysburg. 



To cede jurisdiction to the United States of 

 America over lands in the town of Southfield, 

 County of Richmond, to be occupied as sites for 

 fortifications and seacoast defenses. 



Judiciary. In accordance with the Constitution 

 framed by the convention of 1894. a new judicial 

 system went into effect on Jan. 1, 1896 (see " Annual 

 Cyclopaedia " for 1894, page 532). 



Banks. These are under the supervision of a 

 State superintendent, who is appointed for three 

 vears and receives a salary of 5,000. Charles M. 

 Preston was the incumbent until Jan. 24, when he 

 was succeeded by Frederick D. Kilburn. His re- 

 port for the year ending Sept. 30 showed that the 

 amount of capital employed by the State banks 

 was $33.295,700, a net decrease of 1.898.505 during 

 the fiscal year. The number of State banks doing 

 business was 213, a reduction of 2. Four banks 

 went into voluntary liquidation, and 3 new ones 

 were organized. There are 23 associations loaning 

 money on personal security, which were formed 

 under the law of 1895, 18 of which were formed be- 

 tween Jan. 1 and Sept. 30. 



The total resources of all the moneyed institu- 

 tions under the supervision of the department are 

 as follows : Banks of deposit and discount, $273,- 

 795.005: savings banks, $806.751.426; trust compa- 

 nies. s39G.917.238; safe-deposits companies. $4,576,- 

 770: foreign mortgage companies. 25.574.560: and 

 building and loan associations. $50.168.683: total. 

 $1,557,783,682. This is an increase of $19,440,788 

 over the resources of 1895. 



The following figures show the condition of the 

 savings banks for the year ending June 30 : Total 

 resources, $806.751.426: due depositors, $715.032.- 

 899; other liabilities, $41,157; surplus, $91.307.- 

 370 ; number of depositors. 1,732.382 ; number of 

 accounts opened. 346.147 ; number of accounts 

 closed, 268,189 ; amount of deposits received. $215,- 

 490,558; amount of deposits withdrawn. 194.652.- 

 393 ; amount of interest credited depositors. 24.- 

 !i5>\727 : current expenses of the banks. 2.397,696. 



The condition of the co-operative savings and 

 loan associations, of which 385 are operating in 

 this State, was said to be as follows : The total as- 

 sets of the 360 associations whose reports have been 

 tabulated are $50.168.683. of which $15.315.957 be- 

 longs to the " national " associations and 34>52.- 

 70.j to the " locals.'' Loans on bonds and mort- 

 gages by the " nationals '' are 12.284,400. and by 

 the " locals" $30.605.080. Seven new associations 

 were formed during the year. 



Civil Service. On Dec. 9 Gov. Morton approved 

 a reclassification of several thousand places which 

 had been submitted to him by the State Civil Serv- 

 ice Commission. This reclassification provided for 

 4 classes of office or employment instead of 4 

 schedules. Class 1 and Class 2 have to do with the 

 best in the service. Class 3 includes skilled laborers 

 and offices of a minor grade, which are subject to 

 a noncompetitive examination. Class 4 includes un- 



