NEW HAMPSHIRE. 



605 



Mutual," has been started. The New Hamp- 

 shire Fire Insurance Company, at Manchester, 

 is the only one in the State reported to be in 

 a remarkably flourishing condition. Both its 

 assets and net surplus have been increased as 

 the result of the year's transactions. The 65 

 tire and fire-marine insurance companies of 

 other States and countries have about fifty mil- 

 lions of dollars at risk in New Hampshire. 

 The aggregate amount of premiums received by 

 them in 1877 was $463,808.28 ; of the losses 

 paid, $267,595.23, or 57 per cent, of the pre- 

 miums. The rates of insurance continue to 

 decline. The Insurance Commissioner says 

 they are now so low " that many companies 

 are doing business at an actual loss." He warns 

 the business public that it is unsafe for them 

 to invite weak and unstable insurance for the 

 temporary advantage of low rates. There are 

 24 life-insurance companies doing business in 

 the State, which have in it 6,668 policies, 

 amounting in the aggregate to $10,508,155. 

 In 1877 they issued 842 policies, and collected 

 on new and old policies $312,823.87 ; paid for 

 death losses and claims $209, 938.93. Their busi- 

 ness transactions in the State show a decline. 

 The life-insurance companies are well spoken 

 of in regard to soundness, reliability, and pro- 

 spective success. 



Public instruction in New Hampshire con- 

 tinues in successful operation under the well- 

 contrived educational system. Although its 

 stringent laws requiring all children of the 

 proper age to attend school are not in all cases 

 rigidly enforced, the number of children who 

 attended school last year was 1,500 larger than 

 in the preceding. In his message to the Legis- 

 lature, the Governor requires that the officers 

 who have this matter in charge should be more' 

 diligent, and not allow any children to be absent 

 from school except for good reasons. To en- 

 hance the efficiency of the system, he recom- 

 mends that the literary fund, instead of being, 

 as it now is, distributed on the basis of the 

 number of children of school age in the several 

 towns, should be distributed on the basis of 

 the largest average attendance, so that the par- 

 ties concerned might be prompted by self- 

 interest to exert themselves more effectually 

 to keep children at school. The number of 

 graduates of the Normal School actually em- 

 ployed as teachers in 1877 was 295 ; in 1878, 

 396. The Legislature passed an act making an 

 annual appropriation of $3,000 " for the sup- 

 port and maintenance of the Normal School at 

 Plymouth." In the State College of Agricul- 

 ture and the Mechanic Arts, a new course of 

 studies has been put in operation, including a 

 thorough and practical English education, in 

 addition to a knowledge of the science of agri- 

 culture. Three full years are required to finish 

 this course. The degree of " Bachelor of Agri- 

 culture" will be conferred on those who suc- 

 cessfully complete it. Dartmouth College is 

 embarrassed by the depreciation of some of its 

 investments, and asks for temporary assistance 



from the State. Though this college is not 

 strictly a State institution, Governor Prescott 

 warmly urges the Legislature to grant its pe- 

 tition, as all the citizens are greatly interested 

 in the continuance of that work unimpaired 

 which, since the time of its charter in 1769, 

 has steadily and in so many respects benefited 

 New Hampshire. The State Keform School 

 for boys and girls is well managed, and realizes 

 the purpose intended. The aggregate number 

 of inmates received in the school since its 

 opening is 922 ; number during the year, 145. 

 In April, 1878, they numbered 116 boys 100, 

 girls 16. Connected with it are a farm, a chair- 

 nianufactory, a shoe-shop, and a printing-office. 



The number of convicts in the State Prison 

 has remarkably increased during the year. At 

 the end of May, 1878, it was 201, which ex- 

 ceeds by 32 their highest number before the 

 adjournment of the previous Legislature ; and 

 it was found necessary to convert the chapel 

 into a dormitory. The Legislature of 1877 ap- 

 propriated $200,000 for the erection in a suit- 

 able location of a new State Prison, with ac- 

 commodations for 200 convicts. This was con- 

 sidered amply sufficient for many years to 

 come, as the largest number of convicts prior 

 to the passage of the act had been 169. The 

 Commissioners appointed to take charge of this 

 work have selected the site, and taken the pre- 

 liminary steps toward the erection of the build- 

 ing ; and the Legislature has authorized them 

 to enlarge the plan by 64 additional cells, etc. 

 The earnings of the convicts' labor have cov- 

 ered all expenses, and left a net surplus of $5,- 

 189.09. The interest accrued on previous earn- 

 ings was $2,255.28, making a total of $7,444.37 

 as the net earnings of the State Prison for the 

 year ended April 30, 1878. The aggregate 

 amount standing to the credit of the prison on 

 May 1, 1878, as earned by the convicts, was 

 $53,607.67. 



Besides the numerous insane patients treated 

 at the State asylum, there are nearly 300 

 insane paupers in New Hampshire, who are 

 kept in county farms destined for that purpose, 

 and supported at the charge of the respective 

 counties. This method is considered prefera- 

 ble, especially for such as are incurable ; their 

 maintenance in these farms costing much less 

 than at the asylum. The deaf-mutes, the blind, 

 and the feeble-minded of New Hampshire are 

 kept at the expense of the State in the institu- 

 tions of Connecticut and Massachusetts. The 

 Legislature of 1878 appropriated for these 

 classes respectively $5,000, $3,000, and $1,000. 



The method of keeping the poor is to collect 

 all belonging to a county and take care of them 

 together at a farm established for that purpose. 

 Every town or city, instead of maintaining its 

 own poor in some place within its limits, or 

 farming them out to the lowest bidder, as the 

 practice was before, sends them to the county 

 farm, and pays its proportional share of the 

 expense. From an account of the workings of 

 the Hillsborough County farm and its results 



