NEW YORK (STATE). 



547 



To provide for the formation 01 co-operating sav- 

 ings and loan associations. 



To promote and protect the cultivation of shell-fish 

 within the waters of this State ; for the appointment 

 of an additional commissioner of fisheries ; to author- 

 ize the grant of franchises for the use of certain lands 

 under water belonging to the State and to make appro- 

 priations therefor. 



To define pure wines, half wines, made wines, and 

 adulterated wines, and to regulate the -manufacture 

 and sale of half wines and made wines, and to prohibit 

 the manufacture or sale of adulterated wines within 

 the State of New York. 



To regulate the heating of steam passenger cars and 

 to provide for the placing of guards and guard-posts 

 on railroad bridges and trestles and approaches thereto. 



To regulate the licensing and registration of physi- 

 cians and surgeons, and to codify the medical laws of 

 the State. 



In relation to the use of bicycles and tricycles. 



An act to provide fire-escapes in hotels. 



On January 20 Frank Hiscock, Republican, 

 was chosen United States Senator. 



Governor's Message. The Governor, in his 

 message to the Legislature of 1888, enumerates 

 the following measures, already adopted, as 

 having been previously recommended by him : 



General laws have been passed by which much 

 special legislation can be avoided. "A general act 

 for the incorporation of trust companies has been en- 

 acted. 



The powers of the local authorities of villages and 

 towns in the matter of local improvements and ex- 

 penditures have been enlarged and increased. 



Appeals in capital cases have been authorized to be 

 taken from the Court of Oyer and Terminer direct to 

 the Court of Appeals. 



Preferences in assignments of insolvent debtors 

 have been regulated and restricted, insuring hereafter 

 a more equitable distribution of the debtor's estate 

 among the creditors. 



A State Board of Mediation and Arbitration has 

 been created for the amicable adjustment of labor 

 disputes arising between employers and employe's, 

 which board is now in fairly successful operation, 

 and reasonably meeting the expectations of the peo- 

 ple. 



Additional holidays, including the Saturday half- 

 holiday, have been established by law. 



Private bankers, not already engaged in banking- 

 business, have been prohibited from making use 01 

 any artificial or corporate name, or other words indi- 

 cating that their business is that of a bank. 



An act has been adopted providing for the preser- 

 vation of the forests belonging to the State, regulating 

 the control and management thereof, and creating a 

 forest commission for such purpose. 



Substantial progress has been made in establishing 

 a complete system for the prevention of adulteration 

 of articles of food and drink. The sale of canned 

 goods has been regulated to a limited extent ; the use 

 of certain improper substances in the manufacture of 

 confectionery has been prohibited, as well as the use 

 of any substitute for hops or pure extract of hops in 

 the manufacture of ale or beer ; and acts have oeen 

 passed to prevent the adulteration of vinegar and 

 wines. 



The employment of children in various laborious 

 industries has been regulated and beneficially re- 

 stricted. 



The Mechanics' Lien Law has been revised and 

 imjjjroved. 



The following are the principal recommen- 

 dations of the message : 



The regulation, modification, and restriction of the 

 public account system of prison labor ; spring mu- 

 nicipal elections in New York City ; a special coun- 



sel to the Legislature ; tax-law revision to place real 

 and personal property on the same footing ; a com- 

 mission to revise the charter of New York City ; the 

 abolition of the Board of Regents, most of its duties 

 being transferred to the Department of Public In- 

 struction : abolition of the State Board of Charities 

 and the State Board of Health, the duties of each to 

 be concentrated in one person ; specific provision for 

 the free exercise of religion with special reference to 

 penal institutions ; further restriction of corporations 

 in the issue of bonds and stocks; taxation of the in- 

 debtedness of corporations ; creation of a State Gas 

 Commission ; increase of damages from a person or 

 corporation for negligence causing death from $5.000 

 to $10,000 ; making railroads liable for damages from 

 fires caused by them, without explicit proof of neg- 

 ligence ; abolition of the office of State Agent for Dis- 

 charged Convicts ; appointment of a special labor 

 commission ; manual training in schools ; provision 

 by law for a Constitutional Convention ; restrictions 

 upon committals for insanity ; that the Court of Ap- 

 peals be empowered to confirm criminal judgments in 

 spite of the improper admission of unessential evi- 

 dence ; abolition of the power of confirmation by the 

 Senate except where the Constitution requires ; a sim- 

 ple enumeration of the inhabitants of the State. To 

 the statement of and argument upon these last two 

 propositions the Governor devotes much space. 



He also says : 



The Legislature last year passed a concurrent 

 resolution proposing an amendment to section 6 of 

 Article VI of tne Constitution, providing for facilitat- 

 ing the determination of causes on the calendar of the 

 Court of Appeals. I recommend the passage of this 

 resolution asrain at the present session, and the sub- 

 mission of tne question of the adoption of this amei.d- 

 ment to the electors of the State. The propriety of 

 the adoption of this measure, or some other appropri- 

 ate plan for the relief of the Court of Appeals in the 

 prompt disposition of its calendar, seems to be very 

 clear. 



Financial. Valuing investments at par, the 

 capital of the more important trust funds upon 

 Sept. 30, 1887, was: 



The capital of the same funds upon Sept. 30, 



1886, was: Securities, $8,514,784.33; money 

 in the treasury, $154,483.65; total, $8,669,- 

 267.98. 



The Canal Debt Sinking fund upon Sept. 30, 



1887, contained securities and cash to the 

 amount of $4,061,188.84. The total amount, 

 therefore, of cash and securities held by the 

 Comptroller in trust for the principal funds 

 upon Sept. 30, 1887, was $12,767,677.36. 



In the report of last year it was estimated 

 that the surplus upon Sept. 30, 1887, would be 

 $2,572,666.39: the actual surplus is $3,714,- 

 907.55, exceeding the estimate by $1,142,241.16. 

 The chief causes of this excess are the prison 

 receipts, the tax upon collateral inheritances, 

 and the tax upon the organization of corpora- 

 tions. 



For the current year the State tax is $9,075,- 



