HALVE. 



$1,000,596 exclusive of the amount expended 

 for school-buildings and free high-schools. Of 

 this sum $625,018 were directly contributed 

 by towns, and $374,978 by the State. 



" If to this sum," says Governor Dingley, 

 " should be added the annual expenditures for 

 school-buildings, free high-schools, normal 

 schools, and College of Agriculture and Me- 

 chanic Arts, and the public and private ex- 

 penditures for those academies, seminaries, 

 and higher institutions of learning which sup- 

 plement our educational system and confer 

 such lasting benefits on the State, there can 

 be little doubt that the amount would reach a 

 million and a half dollars." 



The earnings of the convicts of the State- 

 prison during the year ending November 80, 

 1873, defrayed the expenses of the institution 

 during that period and yielded to the State a 

 net profit of $2,084. The trustees of the Re- 

 form School ask for an appropriation of $20,- 

 000 to make such changes in the building as 

 will enable them to separate the boys com- 

 mitted for offenses of different grades. Dur- 

 ing the year 593 persons, including 274 females, 

 were under treatment in the Insane Hospital. 

 Of the patients in the hospital at the close of 

 the year, 51 were supported by the State, 299 

 were receiving State aid of $1.50 per week, 

 and 61 were supported by their friends at the 

 rate of $3.75 or $7.00 per week-, according to 

 accommodations. Since the opening of the 

 hospital in October, 1840, 4,215 patients have 

 been admitted, of whom 3,804 have been dis- 

 charged ; 1,709 recovered ; 734 improved ; 614 

 unimproved, and 747 have died. Two of the 

 three commissioners of a proposed new In- 

 sane Hospital, appointed by the last Legisla- 

 ture have reported in favor of erecting on the 

 present hospital-grounds in Augusta a new 

 hospital at an estimated cost of $150,000, and 

 with accommodations for 100 patients. 



Daring the year the State has expended 

 about $14,000 in educating 55 deaf and dumb, 

 and 11 blind beneficiaries. The cost of sup- 

 porting insane State paupers has reached the 

 sum of $3,500, and of paupers in unincorpo- 

 rated places, $6,000. 



The enterprise of founding a Swedish colony 

 in Aroostook, which was begun in 1870,is re- 

 ported to have become successful. The spot 

 selected was called New Sweden, where in 

 1870, 50 Swedes, aided by the State, settled, 

 and where the colonists now number 600, and 

 occupy an area of 20,000 acres of land. In 

 September, 1878, all State aid to the Swedes 

 ceased, since which time the colony has been 

 elf-sustaining. There are at present no 

 American citizens, and consequently no muni- 

 cipal organization in New Sweden, and there 

 can be none for two years, at the expiration of 

 which time 183 Swedes, who have already 

 taken the necessary preliminary stops, will be- 

 come American citizens. A school is main- 

 tained, in which the chief study is the KtiL'lish 

 language. The Commissioner of Immigration 



is of opinion that the colony will prosper, and 

 will attract a still larger immigration from 

 Sweden. He recommends that the care of the 

 public property in New Sweden he transferred 

 to the Land Agent, and that the act establish- 

 ing the Commissioner of Immigration be re- 

 pealed. 



The number of savings-banks in Maine is 

 fifty-six, with deposits amounting to $2'.). 

 523. The whole number of depositors was 

 91,398, who had on deposit on average of | 

 The assets of the bank, as compared with the 

 preceding year, were as follows : 



The total length of railroads in the State is 

 given by the Railroad Commissioners at 900 

 miles. No new roads have been opened for 

 passenger-travel during the year, excepting 

 the Boston and Maine extension to Portland. 

 The Somerset road from West Wnterville has 

 been opened for freight thirteen miles, to the 

 north side of the river at Norridgewock. The 

 Lewiston & Auburn branch is nearly graded. 

 The Bucksport & Bangor Railroad is well 

 under way, and will bo completed during 1874. 

 It is to connect with the European & North 

 American road at B.-mpor. 



The hist few years have witnessed a won- 

 derful expansion in the manufacturing, com- 

 lu'-rrial, and mininf.' industries of the State. In 

 the manufacture of cotton goods there has 

 been an increase since 1870 in the capital in- 

 vested of $2,542,315, or more than 20 ]r 

 cent; the increase of product has exceeded 

 five per cent., and of operatives twelve per 

 cent. The total number of cotton-factories 

 in the States is 27, which produced during 1878 

 goods to the amount of $12,427,670. Five new 

 companies are about to go into operation. 

 Boots and shoes are produced by II'J . 

 lishments, with a capital of $1,863,964. E 

 1870 there has been an increase of over 180 

 per cent, in the value of the annual produc- 

 tion. The chief centres of this industry are 

 Auburn, Portland, and Bangor. There are 

 sixty-one establishments for tanning and cur- 

 rying leather, with a total capital of $l.. r )^!i,- 

 880, and an annual production valued at 

 $8,187,300. Returns from 329 saw-mills show 

 a total capital of $4,005,000 invested in the 

 lu m her interest, with an annual production of 

 $5,184,445. The total number of lumber-mills 

 in the State is 1,109, of which the. annual 

 production is estimated at $10,000,000. Twen- 



