MASSACHUSETTS. 



437 



construction, maintenance, and inspection of 



buildings in ISostoti was adopted. 



Tlir towns of Medl'ord uiul Kvcrctt were incorpo- 

 rated under special cliurtiTs. A general law wn.s also 

 l, under which any town of 12,000 inhabitants 

 'mi- incorporated as a city. 

 niciidment to the State Constitution, abolish - 

 M_' tin- property qualification for the ottice of(!ov- 

 rnor, w hieli w as proposed by the Legislature of 1891, 

 _.iin approved, >md provision was made for its 

 submission to the people at tin- November election. 

 Another amendment was proposed for "the first time, 

 htrikinir out the provision that members of the I 

 lature shall be paid the expense of traveling to and 

 returning home from its meetings once in every ses- 

 MII and no more. 



A stute tax of $1,750,000 for the year was appor- 

 tioiieil among the towns. 



The sum of $500,000 was appropriated to build an 

 .v-ylum for the chronic insane at Medfleld, and the 

 sum of" $75,000 to continue the work of exterminating 

 the gypsy moth. 



In anl <>f the State exhibit for the World's Colum- 

 bian Kxpositiou, u further sum of $75,000 was grunt- 

 ed. making the total appropriation for this purpose 

 $150,000. 



Near the close of the session sensational charges of 

 attempted bribery were made by Representatives 

 and Simonds airainst one Horace K. Osborn, 

 alleged to be a lobbyist. An investigation was or- 

 dered and a committee appointed front the House. 

 M r. ( Isborn refused to testify before this committee, 

 as he hud already been arrested on a criminal charge 

 of bribery, and the committee therefore heard only 

 one side of the case. It rendered a report unfavor- 

 able to Osborn, and the latter was debarred from act- 

 legislative counsel or agent for a limited period. 

 Later in the year, on a trial in the State court and a 

 full hearing, Osborn was acquitted of the charges of 

 bribery. 



Other acts of the session were as follow : 



Allowing fraternal beneficiary associations of other 

 States paying only disability and death benefits to 

 do business in the State under certain restrictions. 



Relating to the packing and branding of nails. 



In. Teasing the salary of the Governor from $5,000 



Authorizing steam railroads to use electricity as a 

 motive power. 



Making the marriage of any person act as a revoca- 

 tion of anv will theretofore made by such person. 



To punish the fraudulent conversion or money or 

 securities deposited with any broker or other person 

 for a specific purpose. 



Appropriating $10,000 annually to the Massachu- 

 setts State Fireman's Association, for relief of firemen 

 and their widows and families. 



To prevent the spread of tuberculosis. 



Setting off the town of West Tisbury from the 

 town of Tisbury. 



Increasing tlie bounty for the destruction of seals 

 from $1 to $3. 



Authorizing the furnishing of books to the value of 

 flOO to the free libraries of towns whose valuation 

 does not exceed $600,000. 



Making the record of instruments affecting the 

 title to land conclusive evidence of delivery. 



Ann ndiiiL' the employers' liability law. 



Toprovide for the licensing and regulating of board- 

 ing houses for infants. 



Establishing a commission to improve the high- 

 wa\sof the Commonwealth. 



To establish a naval brigade to be added to the 

 volunteer militia, 



To prevent the fraudulent marking of ballots dur- 

 ing and subsequent to elections. 



To provide tor the removal of obstructions in build- 

 ings resorted to for the purpose of unlawful gaming. 



Acquiring lailroad corporations to provide milei.ge 



tickets which shall he accepted for paecage upon all 



lines iii the Commonwealth. 

 Dissolving the Rapid Transit Commission. 



Education. The following public-school sta- 

 tistics cover the school year 1891-'92: Number 

 of children between five and fifteen years, 882,- 

 956; number of all ages in the schools during 

 the year, 383,217; average attendance, 283,648; 

 teachers employed men 992, women 9,978; 

 average monthly wages of male teachers, f 134.22, 

 female teachers, $46.52 ; number of public schools, 

 7,336 ; average length of school year in months, 

 8'11. During the year 245 high schools were 

 maintained, with 27,482 pupils in attendance, an 

 increase of 1 school and 1,188 pupils. Evening 

 schools to the number of 255 were supported in 

 55 cities and towns. The number of teachers 

 employed therein were 1,048 ; the total number of 

 pupils enrolled, 29,221 ; and the average attend- 

 ance, 15,287. The whole amount of money 

 raised by taxation for the support of public 

 schools, including only wages of teachers, fuel, 

 and care of fires and schoolrooms, was $5,578,- 

 950.29, a decrease of $128,564.08 for the year. 

 The amount expended for new school houses was 

 $1,916,064.99. The expenditures for schools, ex- 

 clusive of the sum paid for repairing and erect- 

 ing schoolhouses, was $6,668,690.93. The total 

 expenditures, including repairs and new school- 

 houses, aggregated $9,315,556.55. 



The Industrial School for Girls, at Lancaster, 

 on Sept. 30, contained 82 pupils; the Lyman 

 School for Boys, 219 ; and the Primary School, at 

 Monson (at which neglected and dependent chil- 

 dren and those convicted of light offenses are 

 cared for), 271, of whom 206- were boys, 51 girls, 

 and 14 women. 



Charities. The following is a summarized 

 statement of the condition of the State chari- 

 table institutions: Danvers Lunatic Hospital, 

 patients on Oct. 1,1891,817; admitted during 

 the year ensuing, 387; discharged, 341 : remain- 

 ing Sept. 30, 1892,863; total expenses, $150,538.- 

 07. Northampton Lunatic Hospital, patients 

 on Oct. 1, 1891, 453; admitted, 177; discharged, 

 141; remaining Sept. 30, 1892,489: total expens- 

 es, $94,249.67. Westborough Insane Hospital, 

 patients on Oct. 1, 1891, 493; admitted, 362; 

 discharged, 311; remaining Sent. 20, 1892, 544; 

 total expenses, $103,135.57. Taunton Lunatic 

 Hospital, patients on Oct. 1, 1891, 680; admit- 

 ted. :?41 ; discharged, 323; remaining Sept. 30, 

 1892, 698 ; total expenses, $121,685.63. Worcester 

 Lunatic Hospital, patients on Oct. 1, 1891, 825; 

 admitted, 630: discharged, 564; remaining 

 Sept. 30, 1892, 891; total expenses, $158,591.62. 

 Worcester Insane Asylum, pat ientson Oct. 1,1891, 

 411; admitted, 88 ; 'discharged, 50; remaining 

 Sept. 30, 1892, 449; total expenses, $72,006.35. 

 State Almshouse at Tewksbury, insane depart- 

 ment, patients on Oc-t. 1. 1891, 364 ; admitted, 

 83; discharged, 67; remaining Sept. 30, 1892, 

 380; almshouse department proper, inmates on 

 Oct. 1, 1891, 845; admitted, 2.973 : discharged, 

 2.993: remaining Sept. 30, 1892, 825. State 

 Farm at Bridgewater, inmates on Oct. 1, 1891, 

 612: admitted, 1.015: discharged, 839; remain- 

 ing Sopt, 30, 1892, 788 (of the latter number 

 230 are insane persons) ; total expenses, $80,- 

 962.62. 



