MASSACIirsKTTS. 



607 



The railroad system of the State now con- 

 f 1,887 miles of main track and branches, 

 Till miles of siding and 626 miles of double 

 track, nii'l represents a total perinaiient invest- 

 ment of $1 10,000,000. There is a mile of rail- 

 road to every 4.28 square miles of territory 

 and i>00 inhabitants. The net income from 

 the capital invested was 5.6 per cent, for 

 the year. The total earnings were 4.85 per 

 cent, less than in 1875, and 11 per cent, less 

 than in 1878. The railroad commissioners 

 have prepared a uniform system of keeping 

 accounts for all the corporations of the State. 

 The Hooaac Tunnel and the connecting road 

 are at last substantially completed. The total 

 cost of the work is as follows: 



Scrip issued to the Troy & Greenfield Rail- 

 road Company before possession wait taken 

 by the State $970,680 00 



Amount since paid to January 1, 1876, includ- 

 ing interest on scrip, less rents, materials 

 sold, etc. 14,128,280 61 



Net payments in 1876 2,106,169 12 



Total net cost paid to January 1, 1877 $17,200,079 78 



There was also due and not paid on the con- 

 tracts $121,939.84, making the total cost $17,- 

 322,019.57. The tunnel has been arched with 

 brick. The total length is 25,081 feet, and 

 20,000,000 bricks have been used in arching. 

 Timber shields have been erected in the cen- 

 tral shaft as a protection against falling rocks. 

 It has been found that not the slightest diffi- 

 culty arises from lack of ventilation. The tun- 

 nel line has been during the year under the 

 control of the Governor and Council, who em- 

 ploy a manager and subordinates to carry on 

 its business. 



The amount of insurance upon property in 

 the State is $800.000,000, of which $450,000,- 

 000 is held by home companies, and $350,- 

 000,000 by companies from other States and 

 countries. The annual cash premiums amount 

 to about $7,000,000, and the amount paid for 

 losses from fire has for three years averaged 

 45 per cent, of the gross premiums. There are 

 137 companies from other States and countries 

 doing business in the State, representing a capi- 

 tal of $50,000,000. The cash capital of home 

 companies is $8,824,200. 



The total amount deposited in savings-banks 

 during the year ending October 81st was $243,- 

 840,732.66, or $5,491,769.45 more than in the 

 preceding year. The total amount of new de- 

 posits was $49,776,771.08, while $52,120,524.02 

 was withdrawn, showing an excess of $2,348,- 

 752.94 of withdrawals over new deposits. 



The number of corporations making returns 

 under the general law was 734 ; total capital, 

 $148,880,985; total assets, $244,130,775 ; total 

 liabilities, including capital paid in, debts, re- 

 serves, etc., $243,814.781. 



The militia of the State has been reorganized, 

 and now consists of 350 commissioned officers 

 and 3,412 enlisted men. The organization in- 

 cludes four regiments of eight companies each, 

 three battalions of six companies, two bat- 

 talions of four companies, and one battalion of 



two companies, all infantry ; one battalion of 

 two companies and one unattached company of 

 cavalry ; nnd one battalion of two companion 

 and one unattached company of artillery. The 

 expenses of the military department were re- 

 duced from $868,630.90 in 1875 to $165,718.08 

 in 1876, a decrease- of $197,912.82. 



The public-school fund of the State amounts 

 to $2,066,866.48. The income from this, dis- 

 tributed among the various cities and towns 

 for the year 1875-76, was $83,350.99. The 

 total amount expended throughout the State 

 for educational purposes was nearly $6,000,000, 

 or $19.68 for each child between the ages of 

 five and fifteen. The number of children of 

 all ages in the public schools during the year 

 was 305,776. The rate of taxation for school 

 purposes varies in different localities from 

 half a mill to seven and a quarter mills to the 

 dollar, the average being three and a third mills. 



SEAL OT THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



There are 37 penal establishments in the 

 State, including the State-prison, State Work- 

 house, Houses of Industry, Boston House of 

 Correction, and the county jails. The total 

 number of commitments during the year was 

 22,550, including 16,700 different persons. The 

 number in confinement on the 1st of October 

 was 4,345. The total aggregate expenditure 

 for these establishments was $617,577. The 

 number of convicts in the State-prison at 

 Charlestown on the 80th of September was 

 744, an increase for the year of 55. The in- 

 come of the prison was $66,147.22 ; expenses, 

 $121,624.87 showing a deficit of $55,477.15. 



The prison for women at Sherborn is to be 

 completed about June, 1877. It will cost 

 $300,000 for construction, and accommodate 

 500 inmates. The number of women in the 

 penal institutions of the State on the 1st of 

 October was 821, of whom 81 were in county 

 jails, 281 in houses of correction, 885 in the 

 Boston City Prison, and 174 in the State Work- 

 house. 



The amount already expended on the con- 

 struction of the new Lunatic Asylum at Dan- 

 vers is $1,873,554.97, and it is probable that 



