NEW YOIiK. 



513 



for tin* maintenance and support of these nearly 

 JUMMi patients the Legislature will lie obliged to 

 inciva-e tin- tax rate by one third of u mill. It 

 ha- IH-CII computed thai the cost to be provided 

 f.ir, including salaries, transportation. etc., will 

 ut xl.:;u(i,(XX). The State has Wrn in the 

 hal.it of providing for $200,000, so that the 

 actual increa-e of taxation will be about $1,100,- 

 itoo. la addition, the Commission in Lunacy 

 estimates that provision will have to be made 

 fur an inerease of 440 patients for the year end- 

 ing <M. 1, ls!4. These additional accommo- 

 dations, it is hoped, can be supplied by judi- 

 cious enlargement of existing hospitals rather 

 than l>\ the construction of new institutions. 



A most important reform instituted has been 

 the separation of the criminal from the non- 

 criminal insane. Nearly all of the former have 

 been transferred to the new asylum at Mattea- 

 wan. near Fishkill on the Hudson. By an offi- 

 cial decision of the Attorney-General, the Mat- 

 tfjiwan asylum has been entirely substituted for 

 the old institution, which has ceased to exist 

 legally, and commitments and transfers on 

 "criminal orders" now apply to the new asvlum. 



V ital Statistics. The State Board of Health 

 is composed of the following officials : Thomas 

 Newborn, President; Lewis Balch, Secretary; 

 W. E. Milbank; Thomas S. Dawes; Joseph D. 

 Hryant; Maurice Perkins; John W. Whitoeck ; 

 Simon W. Rosendale, Attorney-General exofficio; 

 and William T. Jenkins, Health Officer, of New 

 York city, exofficio. It has issued the following 

 summary of the mortality of the State for 1892: 

 The total number of deaths during the year 

 was 130,750. This makes the death rate 20-78 to 

 each 1,000 inhabitants; in 1891 it was estimated 

 at 21-43 ; in 1890 and 1889 at 19-65. The infant 

 mortality (under five years) was 33'5 per cent. 

 The zymotic death rate was 182-87 to the 1,000 

 deaths" from all causes; for the first six months, 

 i:;-J-.-)7 ; for the last six months, 236-34. In 1891 

 it was 178, and for the five years preceding, 191. 

 Typhoid fever caused 300 fewer deaths than last 

 year. From diphtheria there were 5,918 deaths, 

 or 850 more than in 1891. Scarlet fever caused 

 2,177 deaths (2,254 in 1891). Measles caused 

 1.350 deaths (1,200 in 1891). Whooping cough 

 caused 921 deaths (825 in 1891). There is little 

 variation from last year in the deaths from ma- 

 larial diseases and cerebro-spinal fever. Small- 

 pox prevailed throughout the year in the mari- 

 time district. Of 143 deaths, all but 1 occurred 

 then-. Typhus fever has been limited to New 

 York city through the year. From epidemic 

 Influenza (grippe), the third appearance of which 

 began in December, 1891, and did not pass en- 

 tirely away until early summer, 6.000 deaths 

 were estimated to have occurred, and 8,000 in- 

 cluding December. It seems to have reappeared 

 in very mild form toward the close of the year. 

 From all local diseases there was a large increase 

 in mortality during the influenza epidemic. The 

 death rate from old age was especially large in 

 January. From consumption tnere were 13,471 

 deaths. There was 1 death in every 475-57 of 

 the population, which is about the average for 

 the five years preceding. 



Crime. The statistics for the year ending 

 Oct. ill, 1891, submitted to the Legislature show 

 that the whole number of convictions reported 

 VOL. xxxu. 33 A 



by county clerks in courts of record were 8,607; 

 increase over last year, 248. The conviction.-, 

 thus reported were as follow : Offenses against 

 the person, 017; increase over last year, 67; 

 offenses against property with violence, 959; 

 increase, 06 ; offenses against property, without 

 violence, 1,540; increase, 188; offenses against 

 the currency, 92; increase, 11; offenses not in- 

 cluded in the foregoing, 899 ; decrease, 88 ; con- 

 victions in courts of record report"d by county 

 clerks, 8,607 ; convictions in courts of record re- 

 ported by sheriffs, 8,258; excess reported by 

 county clerks, 349 ; females convicted in courts 

 of record, 162; increase, 6. Special sessions: 

 Convictions reported by county clerks, 61,610; 

 decrease, ,2,114. Males convicted in courts of 

 special sessions as reported by county clerks, 

 54,891 ; females convicted in courts of special 

 sessions as reported by county clerks, 6,719. 

 Special sessions in cities reported by sheriffs: 

 Convictions, 76.634; decrease, 4.894. Females 

 convicted, special sessions, sheriffs' reports. 20,- 

 635 ; decrease, 1,595. Aggregate number of con- 

 victions : Convictions in courts of record, from 

 county clerks' reports, 3,607: convictions in 

 courts of special sessions, from county clerks' 

 reports, 61,610; total convictions. 65,217. 



The State prisons during 1892 came within 

 $140,498.90 of being self-supporting. Prisoners 

 were employed on 22 different industries, and 

 the earnings were $81,707.72 greater than those 

 of the preceding year. At Auburn Prison the 

 earnings exceeded the cost of care and mainte- 

 nance. Gov. Flower in his message calls at- 

 tention to the fact that there is now standing 

 unused at Auburn the State building formerly 

 occupied as a prison for insane criminals. lie 

 recommends its conversion into a prison for fe- 

 male felons. It was the policy of the State 

 prior to 1877 to maintain a separate prison for 

 females, but since that year they have been sent 

 to county penitentiaries, the State paying a daily 

 amount for their board and keeping. There 

 are now 155 female felons thus confined. The 

 unoccupied building at Auburn is admirably 

 adapted for such inmates. It would easily ac- 

 commodate 200 prisoners, and is ready for use 

 immediately. 



Insurance. This department is under the 

 direction of Superintendent James F. Pierce 

 (salary, $7,000) and Deputy Michael Shannon 

 (salary, $4,500). The annual report for 1891 was 

 issued in Mav, from which we find that in 1891 

 there were 81 life companies, with assets of $819,- 

 402,851.92. Of this, New York State companies 

 have $489,018,671.66 : companies of other States, 

 $330,384,180.26. The liabilities, excepting $6,- 

 040,500 of capital stock, were $723,045.44.r.O. 

 The reserve aggregates $711,281,782. The lia- 

 bilities ol New York State companies as report- 

 ed are $481.217.618.18; companies of other 

 States, $291,828,326.34. The surplus as regards 

 policy holders is: New York State companies. 

 $57,801,053.48; companies of other States. $;38,- 

 555,853.92 ; aggregate. $96.356.907.40. 1 \ 

 gregate income of New York State oompaiwM 

 was $184.266,532.28: other States' companies, 

 $67,664.892.70; making the gross income $201,- 

 931,424.98. The total premium receipts for 1891 

 were $162,624,444.28. 



The expenditures of 1891 were $185,792,048.0D. 



