524 



MASSACHUSETTS. 



State, which is now the largest stockholder, 

 was the subject of the most earnest debate of 

 the session. A majority of the Railway Com- 

 mittee favored it, and a majority of the Com- 

 mittee on Finance opposed it ; and it was de- 

 feated in the House, as was a subsequent prop- 

 osition to provide for the consolidation of this 

 road with the Boston and Providence. 



The most important action relative to the 

 Hoosac Tunnel was the passage of the bill look- 

 ing to a surrender of the lease which the Troy 

 and Boston road holds of the Southern Ver- 

 mont road, the only existing approach to the 

 tunnel from the west. The object of this is to 

 give the Erie road access to the tunnel. The 

 debate on a constitutional amendment relative 

 to retaining the interest of the State in the 

 Hoosac Tunnel, brought out the following state- 

 ment from one of the members of the House 

 (Burrage, of Suffolk) : " If it is necessary to 

 protect by constitutional amendment the prop- 



erty of the Commonwealth in the Hoosac Tun- 

 nel and the Troy and Greenfield Eailroad, why 

 is it not equally necessary so to protect the 

 State's interest in the Boston and Albany Rail- 

 road and other enterprises ? If anything re- 

 specting railroads is to be put into the Consti- 

 tution at all, it should be an article prohibiting 

 the Legislature from loaning the credit of the 

 Commonwealth to any railroad corporation or 

 in aid of any railroad enterprise. Measures 

 ought to be commenced now looking to an ul- 

 timate release of the Commonwealth from all 

 ownership in or connection with railroads. 

 We are paying annually $706,998 for interest 

 on money borrowed for the Hoosac Tunnel and 

 Troy and Greenfield Railroad, and $180,000 

 for interest on the loan to the New York and 

 New England Railroad, or $887,000 in round 

 numbers in all. This is no slight burden upon 

 the industry of the Commonwealth. But for 

 this item there would be no necessity for levy- 



w 



NEW BEDFORD. 



ing a State tax this year. The appropriation, 

 exclusive of ordinary expenses, asked for this 

 year is $73,500. This is three fourths as much 

 as the entire net earnings of last year. Besides, 

 the manager recommends that an appropriation 

 be made tor laying another track through the 

 tunnel and for arching under the central shaft, 

 the cost of which is estimated at $76,000. The 

 inevitable result of State ownership seems to 

 be a continual outlay without a corresponding 

 increase in the income from the investment." 



A bill was passed which provides that " no 

 child under fourteen years of age shall be 

 employed in any manufacturing, mechanical, 

 or mercantile establishment, while the public 

 schools in the city or town where such child 

 lives are in session, unless such child can read 

 and write. Every owner, superintendent, or 

 overseer in any such establishment who em- 

 ploys or permits to be employed any child in 

 violation of this section, and every parent or 

 guardian who permits such employment, shall 



for every offense forfeit a sum of not less than 

 twenty nor more than fifty dollars, for the use 

 of the public schools of such city or town." 



A bill was also passed providing for a Police 

 Commission in the city of Boston. It creates 

 a Board of Police Commissioners, in which are 

 to be vested all the powers and duties held by 

 the Board of Aldermen in relation to the Po- 

 lice Department, and those of the Board of Li- 

 cense Commissioners in relation to theatrical 

 exhibitions, public amusements, innholders, -etc. 



An effort was made to abolish the use of the 

 gag in the penal institutions of the. State, but 

 it failed by a close vote in the House. 



Early in the session several of the towns 

 sought some measure for relief from the tramp 

 nuisance. Numerous public hearings were 

 given and largely attended, Jhe matter was 

 considered and discussed for a long time by the 

 Committee on Public Charitable Institutions, 

 and the result was a lengthy report which 

 urged the duty of the towns to enforce the ex- 



