

MAINE. 



453 



Vital Statistics. The first report under the 

 new law, published in August, was for 1892. It 

 shows 14,028 births and 12,147 deaths. There 

 were 5,726 marriages, in 3,565 of which both 

 parties were American. The birth rate for the 

 State was 21-21 for each 1,000 of population ; the 

 marriage rate was 8'56; the death rate was 

 18-37. The number of divorces granted was 

 552, in 410 of which 'the wife was the libellant ; 

 59 of the deaths were by suicide, 2 by homicide, 

 1 by infanticide, and 376 by accident. The 

 per-centage of deaths reported from "alcohol- 

 ism " was 0-13, while in Massachusetts it was 

 0-82, and in Connecticut 0'93. 



Education. A change has been made in the 

 management of public schools, the school-district 

 system having been abolished and graded schools 

 introduced. This caused a decrease of 28 in the 

 number of schoolhouses, while 69 new ones were 

 built, at an aggregate cost of $187,278. While 

 the population of the State has been slowly grow- 

 ing within the last two decades, the superintend- 

 ent says the number of children has almost con- 

 stantly decreased from year to year, though a 

 large part of the decrease of pupils may be due 

 to misunderstanding of the law relating to school 

 age. The decrease the past year, compared with 

 the preceding year, was 3,968 ; the decrease in 

 average registered attendance per term for the 

 year, 4,431. 



The average wages of male teachers, excluding 

 board, show an increase over the previous year 

 of 64 cents, and of female teachers $1.92. There 

 was expended for free text-books, in 1893-'94 

 $56,682, and the previous year $75,556, showing 

 a decrease of $18,874. The amounts available 

 from town treasuries was $902,144, an increase 

 of $131,592 over the previous year, while there 

 was an increase in the amount available from 

 the State treasury ($506,003) of $34,948. There 

 was also an increase of $27,902 from local funds, 

 and an increase in the total current resources 

 ($1,485,058) of $194,442: While the increase in 

 total current expenditures was $179,681. There 

 are 228 free high schools. At the State College 

 three new courses have been added the past year 

 library economy, pharmacy, and electrical en- 

 gineering and 100 new students were received. 

 The faculty numbers 28. The institution re- 

 ceives this* year $20,000 from the Government 

 and this will be increased till it reaches $25,000. 

 It has an agricultural department, and is open 

 to both sexes. The Madawaska Training School 

 had an attendance of 80. 



Colby University graduated a class of 50, and 

 Bowdoin College one of 46, with 29 from the 

 medical school. Bowdoin celebrated its one 

 hundredth anniversary at this year's commence- 

 ment. More than 1,000 alumni were present; 

 the oldest one a member of the class of 1820. 



The aggregate number of volumes of the 17 

 law libraries in the State is about 58,971. Of 

 the 4 college libraries, the number of volumes will 

 reach 101,000. There are 34 free public libraries, 

 and 41 where a fee is charged. 



Railways. From the report of commission- 

 ers, it is learned that the mileage of railways has 

 increased this vear 116-85, amounting now to 

 1,515-99 miles. * 



The gross transportation earnings of railroad 

 corporations for the year ending June 30 was 



$6,974,351.22, against $7,532,510.35 in 1893 a de- 

 crease of $558,159.20. 



The number of employees decreased from 4 772 

 in 1893 to 4,360 in 1894, and the average pay 'per 

 diem decreased from $1.54 to $1.52. The mile- 

 age of street railways was 80*39, an increase of 

 4-25. The number of passengers carried was 

 8,141,378, an increase of 541,316. The gross 

 earnings were $440,026.58, an increase of $23.- 

 904.13. A greater number of men were em- 

 ployed, the wages remaining the same. 



The Bangor and Aroostook road has been car- 

 ried as far as Caribou. This road is of the great- 

 est importance to the development of northeast- 

 ern Maine. The extension of the Portland and 

 Rumford Falls road was completed in February, 

 connecting Rumford Falls with Auburn and 

 Lewiston. 



Insurance. The following items were given 

 by the Insurance Commissioner in December : 



Since Jan. 1, 1893, 14 fire insurance companies of 

 other States and Countries, representing over $5,000,- 

 000 of paid-up capital stock and having $829,114,148 

 of insurance in force at the date of their last reports, 

 have discontinued business in this State, and only one 

 company has applied for admission. Of these 14 

 companies 6 withdrew on account of legislation in- 

 imical to insurance capital, 2 on account of excessive 

 losses, 4 discontinued business, and the remaining 2 

 gave no reason. 



Thirty-eight mutual fire insurance companies, in- 

 corporated under the laws of this State, are now trans- 

 acting business in Maine, 10 having begun business 

 since Jan. 1, 1893, 7 of which have been incorporated 

 during the current year. 



The entire amount of risks written in the State in 

 1893 was $109,881,591. The average annual tax paid 

 by the companies is $16,000. 



Militia. The National Guard of the State, 

 organized in 2 regiments, numbers 913, with an 

 ambulance corps of 22. The average attend- 

 ance at drills is 55 per cent, of the membership. 

 The report of the State inspector-general of rifle 

 practice was made in December. It says that 

 the past year shows a decided gain not only in 

 the number of marksmen but also in the gen- 

 eral efficiency of the National Guard. Attention 

 is called to the fact that the new magazine gun 

 adopted by the Government has a range of more 

 than 2 miles. 



Industries and Products. The figures of 

 the industrial bureau show that but $513,700 was 

 invested, in 1894, in the building of factories, 

 mills, and shops, against $3,023,850 in 1891, while 

 in 1892 the amount was $2,128,000, and in 1893 

 it was $841,725. 



There is a growing tendency to employ fewer 

 children in the cotton factories, 325 under fifteen 

 having been found in the mills this year, while 

 in 1892 there were 446, and the decrease in six 

 years has been over 300. On the other hand, 

 more children have been employed in the woolen 

 mills. Before July 1, 1893, but 28 were found in 

 45 mills, but within six months 50 were added. 



The pulp industry is rapidly increasing. The 

 report says : 



It is now conceded by all paper manufacturers that 

 spruce is the best wood for pulp, and northern Maine 

 is full of spruce, lying near its water ways and easily 

 accessible. The pure, clear, soft water of the Maine 

 rivers and streams is far superior to Western wat f e j^ 

 for pulp and paper manufacturing. About 3,200 

 square miles of the area of the State are covered by 



