MAIM:. 



511 



n port ion of the loans by the issue of 

 l.i-n.!- | a;, able in suras of $200,000, so that sink- 

 ing-funds could be done away with. 



A tux on the railroads incorporated under 

 tin- laws of the State, or doin^ business in the 

 . was assessed in accordance with an act 

 of tlio last Legislature, as follows : 



-t. Lawrence $80,07884 



H..M..II A Mnine 26,84325 



Maine Central 88,416 47 



ad, Baco & PorUmonth 82,428 oo 



r <fc Newport 1,189 60 



Portsmouth, Gruat K.ill- A runway... BIO 00 



ix A IViiolwt.t 21027 



Portland Horee-Kailroad 80400 



This tax, which is assessed on companies 

 whose stock has a market value, amounts, in 

 tin- aggregate, to $105,069.83. That which 

 represents stock held in the State, about two- 

 lit'ths of the whole, goes to municipalities, and 

 tin- remainder to the State Treasury. One-half 

 of this tax was payable July 1, and the rest 

 January 1, 1875. The St. Croix & Penob- 

 scot paid the whole before it was due, the 

 Boston & Maine paid the July installment 

 promptly, and the officers expressed their will- 

 ingness to pay the other as soon as assured 

 that the collection of the tax was to be en- 

 forced against other corporations. The Dexter 

 & Newton claims exemption by provisions in 

 its charter, and the Atlantic & St. Lawrence 

 and Maine Central claims exemption, except on 

 its net income over and above an income of 

 ten per cent, on the cost of the roads and their 

 appendages, and incidental expenses. The 

 Portland, Saco & Portsmouth, and Ports- 

 mouth, Great Falls & Corning, neglected to 

 pay the tax, without assigning any reason. 

 The only method as yet provided to enforce 

 payment is by civil process, which would prob- 

 ably involve an adjudication by the tribunal of 

 last resort on all disputed points. The Gov- 

 ernor recommends that provision be made for 

 restraining the companies from prosecuting 

 their business, after reasonable notice, until the 

 taxes are paid. Two new railroads have been 

 opened during the year, the Bucksport & Ban- 

 gor, and the Lewiston & Auburn ; and two 

 old railroads have extended their lines, the 

 Bangor & Piscataquis, from Guilford to Ab- 

 bott, and the Somerset from Norridgewock to 

 Madison. Ship-building has increased, but 

 other industrial interests have been more or 

 less depressed. On the 2d of November there 

 were 58 savings-banks in the State, with de- 

 posits amounting in the aggregate to $31,051,- 

 ni increase of $1,495,439 over the amount 

 of the previous year. The Fish-Commission- 

 ers of the State have expended $4,458 in their 

 efforts to restock the waters of the State with 

 fish. At the salmon-breeding works at Bucks- 

 port, 5,039,000 eggs were obtained from 590 

 breeders, at an expense of $2 per thousand. 

 They are used mainly in restocking the Penob- 

 scot and Kennebeo Rivers. Several ponds 

 have also been stocked with black bass. 



The educational interests of the State are 



gradually improving. I hiring the lat-t ten yean 

 the amount of money appropriated for school 

 purposes per scholar has bo-en doubled ; tliu 

 compensation of male touchers has increased 

 fifty per rent, and that of f. -mak teach. TS one 

 hundred per cent., and the Urm of the schools 

 has increased ten per cent. Within that time 

 two normal schools have been put in success- 

 ful operation. The permanent school-fund h.-o 

 more than doubled, and is now $501,893; the 

 amount of money distributed by the State to 

 municipalities for common-school purposes has 

 increased from less than $50,000 to more than 

 $375,000, and, including the amount contrib- 

 uted to the free high-schools and normal schools, 

 to more than $425,000. Of the aggregate ex- 

 penditures for public schools two-fifths are 

 now paid by the State, and three- fifths by 

 municipalities. The free high-school system, 

 inaugurated in 1873, has been very successful. 

 During the year 161 towns have maintained 

 540 terms of free high-schools, affording in- 

 struction to 14,000 pupils, at a cost of about 

 $100,000. The College of Agriculture and the 

 Mechanic Arts is in a flourishing condition. 

 It has 121 students, representing every county 

 in the State, among them five ladies. One 

 lady graduated at the last commencement with 

 a rank in scholarship equal to that of any 

 member of her class. No disadvantage of any 

 kind has been experienced from the presence 

 of lady students. Many interesting and valu- 

 able experiments are conducted on the farm, 

 and practical application is continually made 

 of the knowledge acquired. 



The Insane Hospital at Augusta is in a 

 crowded condition, and the need is felt of more 

 ample accommodations. The number of pa- 

 tients at the beginning of the year was 411, of 

 whom 205 were men and 206 women, and 

 during the year 96 men and 93 women were 

 admitted, and 109 men and 98 women dis- 

 charged, making the number on the 30th of 

 November 393. Of those discharged 61 were 

 recovered, 33 improved, and 61 unimproved; 

 52 died during the year. The assigned causes 

 of insanity in those admitted during the year 

 are as follows : Ill-health, 39 ; intemperance, 

 17; domestic affliction, 16; over-exertion, 14; 

 critical period of life, 13; puerperal, 8; mastur- 

 bation, 6; disappointed affection, 6; general 

 paralysis, 5 ; injury of head, 4 ; epilepsy, 4 ; 

 loss of property, 3 ; paralysis, 2 ; decay of old 

 age, 2 ; exposure to cold, 2 ; spiritualism, 2 ; 

 religious excitement, 2 ; loss of friends, 2 ; 

 fright, 1 ; suppressed discharge from ear, 1 ; 

 healing of an ulcer, 1 ; venery, 1 ; sunstroke, 

 1 ; embarrassment in business, 1 ; excessive 

 use of opium, 1 ; unknown, 85. The receipts 

 of the institution for the year, including $84,- 

 002.43 appropriated by the State, were $105,- 

 192.17; the expenses, $103,917.81. 



The expenses of the State-prison during the 

 year were $30,904, which was $2,885 in excess 

 of the earnings of the convicts. A new car- 

 riage-shop has been built during the year, at a 



