MASSACHUSETTS. 



469 



cities, 132 towns a decrease; 3 cities, 38 towns 

 the same rate. The highest rate, viz., $35, 

 is assessed in the town of Monroe, county of 

 Franklin ; lowest rate, viz., $4.30, in the town 

 of Stow, county of Middlesex. Fifteen towns 

 report rates from $20 to $27; 17 cities, 86 

 towns, $15 to $19.60; 5 cities, 169 towns, $10 

 to $14.80; 53 towns, $4.40 to 9.80. An in- 

 crease in the number of polls of 13,079 is re- 

 ported. Nineteen cities, 197 towns report an 

 increase; 3 cities, 112 towns a decrease; 15 

 to was the same number. Rate of tax on polls : 



7 towns report an increase; 4 towns a de- 

 crease; 22 cities, 313 towns the same rate. 

 The lowest rate, viz., $1, is assessed in the 

 city of Chelsea, and the towns of Revere and 

 Winthrop, in the county of Suffolk. The 

 highest rate, viz., $2, is assessed in 21 cities 

 and 315 towns. Rates from $1.50 to $1.92 

 are assessed in 8 towns. An increase of 8,561 

 dwelling-houses is reported. Twenty-one cities, 

 222 towns report an increase ; 1 city (number 

 incorrectly reported in previous years), 54 

 towns a decrease; 48 towns the same num- 

 ber. An increase of 6,851 in t!he number of 

 acres assessed is reported. Five cities, 112 

 towns, report increase; 6 cities, 79 towns, de- 

 crease; 11 cities, 133 towns, the same number. 



"Money at interest," etc. An increase in 

 the amount "secured by mortgage" of $1,- 

 532,849 is reported. Nine cities, 84 towns re- 

 port an increase ; 5 cities, 105 towns a decrease ; 



8 cities, 135 towns the same report ; of the lat- 

 ter, 6 cities, 112 towns reported no figures in 

 1883 ; 8 cities, 144 towns report no figures in 

 1884. An increase in the amount " unse- 

 cured " of $1,588,667 is reported. Ten cities, 

 91 towns report an increase; 5 cities, 140 

 towns a decrease; 7 cities, 93 towns the same 

 report; of the latter, 2 cities, 70 towns re- 

 ported no figures in 1883; T cities, 77 towns 

 report no figures in 1884. An increase in the 

 "total" of $3,032,420 is reported. Fifteen 

 cities, 99 towns report an increase ; 5 cities, 

 152 towns a decrease ; 2 cities, 73 towns the 

 same report; of the latter, 1 city, 37 towns 

 reported no figures in 1883 ; 4 cities, 50 towns 

 report no figures in 1884. An increase in the 

 amount of "money on hand," etc., of $2,026,- 

 642 is reported. Eleven cities, 72 towns re- 

 port an increase; 6 cities, 66 towns a de- 

 crease; 5 cities, 186 towns the same report; 

 of the latter, 3 cities, 164 towns reported no 

 figures in 1883 ; 4 cities, 190 towns report no 

 figures in 1884. A decrease in the amount of 

 public stocks, etc., of $4,298,040 is reported. 

 Eight cities, 57 towns report an increase ; 9 

 cities, 53 towns a decrease; 5 cities, 214 towns 

 the same report; of the latter, 3 cities, 164 

 towns reported no figures in 1883 ; 4 cities, 194 

 towns report no figures in 1884. A decrease 

 in the amount of stocks in corporations, etc., 

 of $9,363,853 is reported. 



The following are the totals of assessment 

 May 1, 1884 : number of polls, 511,907 ; tax on 

 polls, $1,014,701 ; value of personal property, 



$498,427,066 ; of real estate, $1,258,452,712 ; 

 total valuation, $1,756,879,778; tax for State, 

 county, city, and town purposes, $28,653,549 ; 

 money at interest and other debts due the per- 

 sons assessed more than they are indebted or 

 pay interest for, $66,263,646, of which $15,- 

 303,068 is secured by mortgage and $50,085.- 

 683 is unsecured ; money on hand, including 

 taxable deposits, $24,471,220; public stocks 

 and securities, $61,975,562; stocks in corpora- 

 tions without the State, $62,304,940; number 

 of horses, 149,787; cows, 168,650; sheep, 61,- 

 947 ; dwelling-houses, 300,552 ; acres of land, 

 4,501,162. 



Troy and Greenfield Railroad and Hoosae Tunnel. 

 The Legislature of 1883 authorized the Gov- 

 ernor, with the consent of the Council, "to con- 

 clude a contract between the corporation es- 

 tablished as the Troy and Greenfield Railroad 

 Company, by which the entire right and inter- 

 est which said corporation may have or claim 

 in or to the property known as the Troy and 

 Greenfield Railroad and Hoosae Tunnel, includ- 

 ing the Southern Vermont Railroad, and the 

 franchises to operate such property, shall be 

 released to the Commonwealth. An adjust- 

 ment was effected in 1884 upon a basis of a 

 money payment in consideration of a release 

 to the Commonwealth of all the outstanding 

 adverse interests held by the company, and the 

 establishment of a full title in the Common- 

 wealth to a]jL the tunnel and railroad proper- 

 ties and franchises, subject to an incumbrance 

 in the form of a judgment, on which execution 

 had been levied; and $300,000 was agreed 

 upon in full payment for such release and trans- 

 fer, of which sura $100,000 was paid to the 

 corporation as consideration for its deed of 

 conveyance and release, and $8 for each of the 

 capital stock of the said corporation assigned 

 to the Commonwealth. The whole number of 

 shares of stock issued was 25,000, of which 

 21,066 had already been paid for and assigned 

 at the close of the year. The outstanding shares 

 number 3,934, of which 600 stand in the name 

 of the town of Adams, and 330 in the name of 

 Williamstown. 



Sayings-Banks. The conservative course that 

 has, in general, marked the management of the 

 savings-banks in the State since the passage in 

 1876 of the act in relation to these corpora- 

 tions, has placed them in good condition to 

 protect and maintain the interests of their de- 

 positors during the present industrial and finan- 

 cial depression. The commissioners submitted 

 the following statement to Oct. 31, 1884: 



Number of banks 

 Number of depositors 



168 



826,008 



pos 

 Total of deposits ......................... $262,720,146 9T 



Increase in number of depositors during the 

 year .................................... 19,998 



Increase in total deposits during the year . . . $10,112,563 95 



Militia. The authorized force of organized 

 militia is 336 officers and 4,486 enlisted men; 

 the real strength at present is 306 officers and 

 3,881 enlisted men. The Inspector-General 

 reports that the average attendance, exclusive 



