514 



NEW YORK. 



Of this, $62,731,496.63 was paid for claims ; $16,- 

 230,890.96 for lapsed and surrendered policies ; 

 $13,991,225.64 in dividends to policy holders ; 

 $488,062.60 in dividends to stockholders ; $21,- 

 379,690.66 for commissions; $8,246,316.59 for 

 salaries and medical examiners' fees ; and $72,- 

 724365.01 for miscellaneous purposes. This 

 shows that $92,953,613.23 was paid to policy 

 holders, while the cost of management, includ- 

 ing dividends, was $42.838,434.86. 



In 1891 the New York State companies issued 

 210,480 policies, insuring $645,246,751, and ter- 

 minated 126,730 policies, insuring $432,439,788. 

 The companies of other States issued 112,953 

 policies, insuring $283,009,587, and terminated 

 65,960 policies, insuring $164,694,115. Total, 

 323,433 policies issued, insuring $928,256.338, 

 and 192,690 policies terminated, insuring $597,- 

 133,903. 



In regard to the insurance code, prepared by 

 the Statutory Revision Commission, the Super- 

 intendent says : " No sweeping or serious amend- 

 ments to the present laws have been made, and 

 the revision is virtually the existing statutes in 

 more presentable garb. There has been enacted 

 in this revision under the requirements relating 

 to ' fraternal beneficiary societies, orders, or as- 

 sociations,' a provision which permits these as- 

 sociations to make a ' payment of money upon 

 the expiration of a fixed period,' and without 

 reference to death or disability." The adoption 

 of this clause was opposed, but without success. 



All organizations that promise to pay any 

 definite amount to a member during his life- 

 time, without regard to his physical condition, 

 are frauds. 



Mr. Pierce devoted much space to the recent 

 investigation of the New York Life, and says : 

 " There can be no doubt but that under the new 

 regime evils and irregularities will not be toler- 

 ated, and that this company's affairs are now to 

 be conducted in the best interests of its policy 

 holders, who are to be congratulated in having 

 made such a judicious selection in choosing an 

 executive officer." 



National Guard. The special charge of the 

 State militia is under the control of the adjutant- 

 general on the Governor's staff. The present in- 

 cumbent is Maj.-Gen. Josiah Porter. Accord- 

 ing to the annual report, the National Guard 

 comprises 13 regiments, 1 battalion, and 46 sep- 

 arate companies of infantry, 5 batteries of artil-- 

 lery, 1 troop of cavalry, and 3 signal corps. The 

 strength of the Guard is: First Brigade, 5,062 

 officers and men ; Second, 3,004 officers and men ; 

 Third, 2,690 officers and men ; Fourth, 2,119 offi- 

 cers and men ; general headquarters, 31 officers 

 and men ; aggregate strength, 12,906 officers and 

 men. The Second Battery is now fully equipped 

 with the new 3'2-inch steel breech-loading guns, 

 caissons, and harness of the latest regulation 

 pattern, and a combination battery wagon and 

 forge. 



Concerning the camp at Peekskill, Gen. Porter 

 says : " The highest attendance at the camp dur- 

 ing 1892 was 5,350 officers and men." He renews 

 his recommendation looking to the proper main- 

 tenance of the camp as a permanent institu- 

 tion for military instruction. Of this he adds : 

 " Placed on an established foundation, systemat- 

 ized as a school, with a staff of competent in- 



structors, it will accomplish much more for the 

 military forces of the State than has been or can 

 be done in any other manner or under any other 

 system." 



The naval militia is reported in good condi- 

 tion. Uniforms will be issued to it as soon as 

 the pattern and material are prescribed. 



The great value of the services of the National 

 Guard at the strike (see " Labor Troubles ") in 

 Buffalo are mentioned. Concerning the expenses 

 incurred, paid by the State up to Nov. 30, in this 

 movement of troops of the First, Second, and 

 Third Brigades, including the pay, and pay only, 

 of the separate companies and Fifth Battery of 

 the Fourth Brigade, paid by the State, up to 

 Nov. 30, was $192,647.30, as follow: Subsistence, 

 $51,175.67; transportation, $48,072.51; pay, $84,- 

 260.85; clothing, camp and garrison equipage, 

 $6,711.11: quartermaster's stores, $2,427.16; to- 

 tal, $192,647.30. The number of men in attend- 

 ance by brigades was as follow : First, 2,237 ; Sec- 

 ond, 1,410; Third, 1,586; Fourth, 1,963. The 

 Third Brigade, commanded by Gen. Robert 

 Shaw Oliver, had the highest percentage (93-20) 

 of men in the field. 



Labor Troubles. The most important event 

 during the year was the strike at Buffalo of the 

 railroad switchmen. It began on Aug. 13 by the 

 men leaving their work. The railroads chiefly 

 affected were the Lehigh Valley, the Erie, and 

 the Buffalo creek. The demands of the men 

 were for a day of ten hours, and for increase in 

 wages ranging from 2 to 4 cents an hour. As 

 the freight yard at Buffalo is the place where 

 the transfer of freight between the Eastern and 

 Western roads is made, its strategic importance 

 is manifest, and at once a blockade occurred, pre- 

 venting traffic and causing inconvenience to 

 shippers over a large area of country. The 

 strikers continued quiet until after sunset on 

 Aug. 14, when disorder and rioting began. 

 Freight trains and passenger trains were thrown 

 from the track, buildings were burned, coal 

 trains were sent running down high trestles, 

 crashing into cars at the bottom and causing 

 great destruction ; and, worst of all, hundreds 

 of cars were burned. These acts of violence 

 were publicly deplored by Grand Master Frank 

 Sweeney, of the Switchmen's Mutual Aid Asso- 

 ciation 'of North America, and by the strikers 

 themselves ; but as they continued, the sheriff of 

 Erie County tried to protect the property of the 

 railroads by means of special deputies sworn in 

 for the occasion, but as many of these were in- 

 duced to desert, an appeal was made to the Gov- 

 ernor, as follows : 



We have become satisfied that the situation here in 

 Buffalo under the pending btrike has become so se- 

 rious, that we ask that the National Guard of the State 

 be called out to protect the lives and property of 

 citizens of this city and county. 



AUGUST BECK, Sheriff. 



CHARLES F. BISHOP,' Mayor. 



Orders were at once issued by the Governor 

 to the adjutant-general, and portions of the 

 First, Second, and Third Brigades, mustering in 

 all 5,233 men, were sent to Buffalo, reaching there 

 within forty-eight hours from the issuance of the 

 orders. The Forty-seventh Separate Company, of 

 Hornellsville, joined the other troops on Aug. 21, 

 making the entire force of militia on the ground, 



