EHODE ISLAND. 



711 



cast for President was 18,994, of which 13,665 

 were for Grant and 5,329 for Greeley, giving 

 the former a majority of 8,336. 



The State debt amounts to $2,627,500, it 

 having heen reduced to that amount from 

 $4,000,000 since the close of the war. A part 

 of the State bonds are due in 1882 ; but more 

 of them are due in 1893 and 1894. The present 

 condition of the State finances is as follows: 



Balance in the Treasury April 30, 1872 $171,127 00 



Estimated receipts from the usual sources of 

 revenue for the fiscal year ending April 30, 

 1873 671,665 00 



$842,792 00 



Estimated payments to be made up to the 

 sainetime 725,158 00 



Balance in the Treasury $117,634 00 



The income of the State is derived from the 

 direct tax of |- of 1 per cent, on the valuation 

 of the different towns for 1866, the total 

 amount of which valuation for that year was 

 $189,687,591, -giving an income of $474,218. 

 The valuation of the towns for 1871 was $221,- 

 345,035, an increase in five years of $39,657,- 

 444. The increased valuation for 1872 over 

 that of 1866 cannot be much less than $50,000,- 

 000, which, with the increased revenue de- 

 rived from the deposits in the savings-banks, 

 the tax on which is to be of 1 per cent., in- 

 stead of T VV P er cent, as heretofore, will, if 

 the valuation of 1872 is adopted, swell the re- 

 ceipts of the General Treasurer over former 

 years to more than $150,000. 



The reformatory institutions of the State are 

 in a satisfactory condition. In the Work-house 

 and House of Correction on the State farm are 

 148 males and 50 females, and in the Insane 

 Asylum 70 males and 83 females. Sixty-five 

 convicts are confined in the State-prison, and 

 110 in the jail. The earnings of the prison 

 during the year amounted to about $5,000 

 above the expenses. 



According to the report of the Commission- 

 ers of Public Schools, the total expenditures for 

 school purposes for the year ending April 30, 

 1872, amounted to $465,623, and the receipts 

 to $496,906. There are in the State 423 

 school districts, the attendance in which aver- 

 ages 21,805 in summer and 23,052 in \vinter. 

 The per cent, of average attendance on total 

 school population is 53. In the summer 

 schools the number of male teachers is 93, and 

 of female teachers 612 ; in winter schools the 

 male teachers number 177, and the female 

 teachers 579. The average wages per month, 

 including board, is $34.85 in summer schools 

 and $39.72 in winter schools. The length of 

 gchool-year ranges from 30 to 39 weeks, being 

 shortest in Washington County, where it 

 amounts to 30 weeks and 3 days, and longest 

 in Bristol County, where it amounts to 39 

 weeks and 1 day. 



The Commissioners of Inland Fisheries con- 

 tinued their exertions during the year in pro- 

 moting the important work of fish-culture in 

 the inland waters, with encouraging results, 



The ova of salmon and trout have been pro- 

 cured, hatched, and placed in the waters natu- 

 ral to them. The ova of shad have been in- 

 troduced into the Blackstone, Pawtuxet, and 

 Pawcatuck Rivers, in which streams these fish 

 were formerly found. A pond in Newport and 

 another in Tiverton have been stocked with 

 black bass of the northern lakes, an excellent 

 fish, well adapted to such waters ; and arrange- 

 ments have been made for stocking other 

 ponds with the same fish. 



Important public improvements have been 

 in progress during the year by means of ap- 

 propriations made by the General Government. 

 Chief among these is the breakwater on Block 

 Island. For this work Congress has already 

 appropriated $155,000, including an appropria- 

 tion of $50,000 made in June, 1872. This sum 

 will enable the contractors to extend the pier 

 or breakwater so as to afford protection to ves- 

 sels seeking a refuge. Steam-dredges are em- 

 ployed in deepening the harbor within the pier. 



The appropriations for improving the navi- 

 gation of Pawtucket River, made by Congress 

 since the year 1867, amount in the aggregate 

 to $42,000, of which sum $10,000 was appro- 

 priated in June last. Formerly this river was 

 almost useless for navigation, but, by the re- 

 cent dredging, the water has been so deepened 

 that vessels drawing eleven feet of water can 

 ascend at high tide. When the dredging now 

 contemplated is completed, it is estimated that 

 there will be seven feet at low water. 



An appropriation of $10,000 was also made 

 for straightening and deepening the channel 

 of Providence River. The appropriations for 

 improvements within the borders of Rhode 

 Island made by the United States Government, 

 from 1866 to 1872, amount to more than 

 $500,000. 



" But these improvements in our navigable 

 waters," says Governor Padelford, "are not 

 all for which the United States Government 

 has made appropriations within our borders, 

 and for our particular benefit. Light-houses 

 have been built and repaired ; beacons, to 

 guide the mariner and keep him from danger- 

 ous shoals, have been constructed at a great 

 expense ; sea-walls have been built to protect 

 certain shores ; fog-signals have been put up, 

 and provisions made for keepiug them in oper- 

 ation, at Point Judith and Beaver-Tail ; and a 

 life-saving station has been established on Nar- 

 ragansett Beach, and one also on the south 

 side of Block Island." 



According to the census of 1870, of the total 

 population (173,751) ten years old and over, 

 there were engaged in all classes of occupa- 

 tions 88,574 persons, of whom 66,859 were 

 males and 21,715 females. There were en- 

 gaged in agriculture 11,780, including 11,767 

 males and 13 females; in professional and per- 

 sonal services, 19,679, including 12,349 males 

 and 7,330 females; in trade and transporta- 

 tion, 10,108, including 9,878 males and 230 

 females ; in manufactures and mechanical and 



