9 o2 RHODE ISLAND 



Providence river and harbour (Act of 1910), the dredging of an i8-ft. anchorage area in 

 Newport harbour, and the widening and deepening of the Pawtucket (Seekonk) river. 



Legislation. The legislature of Rhode Island held its regular sessions in January 

 1911 and in January 1912. An amendment to the constitution providing for biennial 

 terms and biennial elections of the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, 

 attorney-general, general treasurer and state senators and representatives was approved 

 by popular vote on November 7, 1911. A statute of 1912 regulates lobbying and re- 

 quires the registration on a legislative docket of agents and counsel appearing in 

 behalf of measures before the legislature; and there were created a board of control and 

 supply to control all state institutions a board of state charities has advisory powers 

 and is a visiting body only and a public utilities commission of three members ap- 

 pointed by the governor and holding office for six years. The commission is to regu- 

 late public utility rates, to require a reasonable service and to insure public safety 

 and safe equipment of common carriers and for public utilities. An appeal lies to 

 the supreme court. Rebating and unjust discrimination are forbidden. 



Physicians are required (1911) to report to the secretary of state all cases of tuberculosis, 

 cerebro-spinal meningitis and infantile paralysis. The state board of health is directed to 

 investigate conditions connected with such cases and to aid in the suppression of the disease. 

 An annual appropriation was made (191 1) for medical inspection of schools. Cities with 20,- 

 ooo or more inhabitants accepting provisions of an act of 191 1 for the abatement of the smoke 

 nuisance are to elect a smoke inspector as a regular officer. On curfew streets, to be designat- 

 ed by the police commissioner or by the chief of police, no child unaccompanied by an adult 

 may loiter after 9 P.M. Providence was authorised to issue $150,000 in bonds for public 

 playgrounds and to choose its city officers biennially instead of annually. A state board of 

 examiners of trained nurses was created and the act provides for the registration of all trained 

 nurses. The sale of wood alcohol and all other poisons was regulated by statute in 1912. 



A workmen's compensation act of 1912 (in effect Oct. l) resembles the Michigan law, 

 except that it contains no provision for the administration of the fund by a state commissioner 

 of insurance. The law does not apply to domestic service, casual labour or agriculture, but 

 applies to all other employers of five or more workmen. The acceptance of the act is filed 

 by the employer with the commissioner of industrial statistics and the defense of negligence, 

 of fellow employee's fault and of assumption of risk are abrogated. Night messenger work 

 between 5 P.M. and 10 A.M. may not be clone by those under 21. A usury law makes 30 % the 

 maximum for an actual loan greater than $50 and on a loan less than 850, 5 % for six months 

 and thereafter 2% per month. Laws were passed (1911) forbidding rebating by insurance 

 companies, and the misrepresentation of terms of an insurance policy. 



Finance. An elaborate tax act was passed in 1912 creating a board of three tax commis- 

 sioners to have general charge of the assessment of taxes. Every manufacturing, mercantile 

 and miscellaneous corporation must report annually to the tax commissioners, and must pay 

 an annual tax of 4 mills on its "corporate excess" i.e. a portion of its intangible property as 

 determined by the commissioners. Bank stock, less the value of real estate and United 

 States or state bonds owned by the bank, must pay a tax of 4 mills. Public service corpora- 

 tions must pay I %, but telegraph, cable and telephone corporations 2 %, and express corpora- 

 tions 3 %, on annual gross earnings. Shares of stock in the hands of owners are exempt from 

 tax if the corporations pay a tax on their gross earnings. Towns are to pay to the state treasurer 

 9 of a mill on all ratable property. Mutual insurance companies must pay I % on their gross 

 premiums; other insurance companies 2 . On November 7, 1911, the people approved the 

 issue of 8600,000 in 4%, thirty year bonds, the third state highway construction loan. 



The annual report of the treasurer for the year 1912 shows cash on hand January I, 

 $152,401; receipts, 83,250,632; expenditures, 83,335,013; leaving a balance in the treasury 

 December 31 of 868,020. The bonded debt was 84,906,507, and the floating debt, $150,000. 



Education. Any city or town may build open air schools. Towns providing manual 

 training and instruction in household arts are to receive from the state one-half of the cost of 

 apparatus. The state board of education is to arrange for post-graduate courses in education 

 in Brown University and to appoint persons to take such courses each year. 



In 1910 of the population 10 years of age and over 7.7 % was illiterate (8.4 in 1900). For 

 the school year 1912 the school population (5 to 18 years) was 122,671; total enrollment, 

 81,799; average daily attendance, 64,878; average school year, 9 mos. 13 days; school revenue 

 for the year, $2,576,106, and expenditures, $2,404,652. 



In 1912 a fund of $1,000,000, the third in the administration of President Faunce, 

 was collected for Brown University. 



Charitable and Penal Institutions. A law of 1911 provided for paying working prisoners 

 committed for non-payment of fine and costs fifty cents a day for the first thirty days of their 

 work and then 1.00 a clay. In 1912 the president of the metal trades department of the 



