670 



NEW JERSEY. 



dictable offense ? The rates should be fixed for each 

 class of goods, the classification to be made by the 

 companies per hundred pounds per mile, and when 

 determined might be published as a tariff by which 

 all transportation on each line of railroad should be 

 regulated. These lists of rates should be accessible 

 to every person, and should not be permitted to be 

 changed without reasonable notice. The effect of 

 such provisions as to a fixed basis of rates, with a pro- 

 hibition for any railroad officer to charge less than the 

 public rates under a severe penalty, would do much 

 toward making the business of the country more sta- 

 ble, the traffic on the railroads more remunerative, 

 and lessen burdens now placed on the public through 

 the agency of secret discriminating rates. The great 

 cardinal principle which should pervade this question 

 of rates is, that the rate on the same class of goods for 

 the same quantity for the same distance should be the 

 same to every one. 



The public press, or the number of daily, 

 weekly, and monthly publications in the State, 

 is as follows: Daily, 22; tri-weekly, 1; semi- 

 weekly, 2 ; weekly, 146 ; bi-weekly, 1 ; month- 

 ly, 1 ; total, 178. These are classified politi- 

 cally, etc., as follows: Democratic daily, 7; 

 tri-weekly, 1 ; weekly, 41 ; total, 49. Repub- 

 lican daily, 9 ; weekly, 44 ; total, 53. Green- 

 back daily, 1 ; weekly, 3 ; total, 4. Indepen- 

 dent daily, 5 ; semi- weekly, 2 ; weekly, 66 ; 

 total, 63. Temperance weekly, 1 ; monthly, 

 1 ; total, 2. Mechanical weekly, 1. Liter- 

 ary monthly, 1. Law monthly, 1. College 

 bi-weekly, 1 ; monthly, 2 ; total, 3. Of the 

 above journals, 1 daily, 9 weekly, 2 semi-week- 

 ly, and 1 tri-weekly are published in the Ger- 

 man language all of the others in the English 



By the report of the Insurance Commissioner 

 it appears that there are fifty-seven insurance 

 companies authorized to do business in New 

 Jersey, other than accident and life insurance 

 companies. Twenty-six of these are joint- 

 stock fire and marine, thirty are purely mutual 

 companies, one is a plate-glass company ; and 

 eighteen are companies of foreign countries. 

 The total capital stock of all the stock companies 

 is as follows : New Jersey companies, $4,897,- 

 070 ; of other States, $28,317,979. Total assets: 

 New Jersey companies, $9,445,260.74; of oth- 

 er States, $74,432,160.87; foreign companies, 

 $20,560,484.04. Total liabilities: New Jersey 

 companies, $6,651,163.78; of other States, $53.- 

 386,905.02 ; foreign companies, $8,886,803.91. 

 Total net surplus: New Jersey stock compa- 

 nies, $2,795,406.23 ; of other States, $21,054,- 

 583.19 ; foreign companies, $11,673,680.13. 

 There are twenty-seven life companies operat- 

 ing in New Jersey, of which twenty-five are 

 from other States, and one is a friendly society. 

 The number of policies in force in New Jersey 

 increased from 28,545 at the close of 1877 to 

 39,512 at the close of 1878 ; but this increase 

 was entirely due to the numerous small con- 

 tracts of the friendly society, 10,627 in 1877 

 ' and 22,303 in 1878. 



The condition of the savings banks in the 

 early part of the year showed the following 

 results : Resources Real estate, total value, 

 $841,979.93 ; loans on bond and mortgage, 



$7,991,543.63 ; United States bonds, $3,622,- 

 221.33 ; other stocks and bonds, $1,840,632.79 ; 

 call loans on collaterals, $653,181.92 ; other as- 

 sets, $1,640,339.90. Total resources, $16,589,- 

 899.50. Liabilities Due depositors, $15,749,- 

 319.76; other liabilities, $62,098.80. Surplus 

 over liabilities, $778,480.94. Number of open 

 accounts January 1,^878, 53,254 ; number of 

 open accounts January 1, 1879, 62,990; num- 

 ber of accounts opened or reopened during the 

 year 1878, 29,127; number of accounts closed 

 during the year 1878, 19,391. 



Cranberries are an important product of the 

 State. The crop in 1878 was estimated at 300,- 

 000 bushels. 



The geological survey of the State has 

 brought into notice the oak and pine lands in 

 its southern part. The area of the district 

 southeast of the marl-belt is 1,580,000 acres, 

 or two fifths of the area of the State. The 

 survey has classified the soils of this district in 

 two great general divisions. One is the grav- 

 elly loams, upon which oak and pine grow ; the 

 other is the more sandy soils, whereon pine 

 alone thrives ; and from these trees the groups 

 are designated as oak-lands and pine-lands. 

 There is another division, but of limited ex- 

 tent, and generally found along the sea-border, 

 which is more loamy and supports a more mixed 

 growth of timber. The best of the oak-lands 

 are more commonly known as " white-oak 

 bottoms." All travelers through that part of 

 the State have observed these " bottom-lands." 

 The wastes of white sand, with their fire-scarred 

 and stunted yellow pine, are familiar. An ex- 

 tract from the report of the survey briefly sets 

 forth the advantages of this portion of the State : 



The climate is salubrious, and has been especially 

 noted for its entire freedom from malarial influences. 

 It is specially liked by those who suffer from asthmatic 

 and pulmonary diseases ; and many come here for the 

 relict they obtain for such ailments. The seaside re- 

 sorts are continually increasing in number and en- 

 larging in size, and throngs of visitors come to enjoy 

 the delightful air. 



The water of this country is pure and soft. It is 

 drained by many large rivers, which are chiefly re- 

 markable for their full and equable flow, being very 

 little affected by storms or by droughts. They furnish 

 excellent water-power for manufacturers' purposes. 

 Those at Mays Landing, Weymouth, Batsto, Atsion, 

 Millville, Bncksburg, Manchester, and Toms Eiver 

 are of this kind, and there are a great many other 

 good ones. 



The soil is light but easily cultivated, and when well 

 managed is productive. Mr. Hay's farm, at Winslow, 

 is a model of productiveness for all South Jersey. The 

 improved lands at Vineland, Hammonton, and Egg 

 Harbor City are yielding large crops and promise 

 well for the future. The staple productions are wheat, 

 rye, oats, Indian corn, hay, potatoes, and sweet pota- 

 toes. Melons are raised in abundance. Apples, pears, 

 peaches, grapes, blackberries, raspberries, strawber- 

 ries, and currants grow remarkably well. 



The means of communication are good. There is 

 an abundance of gravel for road-making, and the bene- 

 fits of good roads are highly appreciated. Cumberland 

 County claims to have more good roads than any other 

 county in the State. The West Jersey Railroad, the 

 Glassboro and Millville, the Millville and Cape May, 

 the New Jersey Southern, the Camden and Atlantic, 

 the Philadelphia and Atlantic City, the Mays Landing 



