462 



MASSACHUSETTS. 



The total assets of the banks amount to $442,- 

 391,264.81. Compared with the previous year, 

 these figures show a decrease of 56,761 in num- 

 ber of deposits; a decrease of $780,901.02 in 

 amount of deposits made ; an increase of 15,524 

 in number of withdrawals ; a decrease of $10,- 

 278,377.96 in amount of withdrawals; an in- 

 crease of $115,398.08 in dividends; an increase 

 of $16,782,447.72 in the aggregate of deposits ; 

 an increase of $17,811,930.43 in total assets; an 

 increase of $4.85 in the average to each account. 



In the co-operative banks the amount of dues 

 capital, Oct. 31, 1894, was about $15,644,542.69; 

 amount of dues capital Oct. 31, 1893, $14,516,- 

 478.48 ; gain during the year about $1,128,000. 

 " Dues capital " represents the actual savings of 

 the members paid by them into the banks, the 

 profits to which they are entitled being kept in 

 a separate account called " profits capital." The 

 co-operative banks, which are quasi institutions 

 for savings, show an increase of dues paid in, 

 which, though not as large as for the previous 

 year, is gratifying in view of the continued de- 

 pression in business, the dues capital of the 

 117 banks being, on Oct. 31, about $1,128,000 

 more than at the same date in 1893, the total 

 assets of the banks being $1,500,000 larger than 

 in the previous year. 



Railroads. The annual report of the Rail- 

 road Commissioners to June 30, 1893, shows 51 

 railroad corporations whose roads are wholly or 

 in part within the State, having 2,119 miles of 

 main line and branch road. The aggregate 

 capital stock is $186,440,422, an increase of $11,- 

 926,870; total cash dividends declared, $10,832,- 

 400 ; increase, $1.302,825. Of the 51 corporations, 

 32 declared dividends ranging from 1*5 to 11*3 

 per cent. The number of passengers carried was 

 119,779,947; increase, 8,864,493 ; number of tons 

 of freight carried was 32,995,033 ; increase, 1,863,- 

 887. Two important consolidations took place 

 during the year the lease of the Old Colony to 

 the New York, New Haven and Hartford, and 

 the lease of the Connecticut River road to the 

 Boston and Maine. The report concludes : 



The railroad year ending June 30, 1893, was pros- 

 perous. It has been succeeded by a period of busi- 

 ness depression almost or quite without precedent. 

 The live leading companies of the State showed a 

 falling oft' in gross income of nearly $7,000,000 (about 

 4 per cent.) for the quarter ending Sept. 30, 1893, as 

 compared with the same quarter in 1892. 



Agriculture. The State Board of Agricul- 

 ture held its annual meeting in Newburyport, 

 beginning on Dec. 4. The secretary presented 

 the report of the Gypsy Moth Commission, which 

 showed that the work of the past year had been 

 very satisfactory when the small sum available 

 for prosecuting it is considered. The moth now 

 exists from Lexington to the sea, and the lines 

 have been drawn closer during the year. The 

 commission has expended $101,411.18, the ap- 

 propriation being $100,000. The spread of the 

 pest has been stopped, and in many localities it 

 has been exterminated. 



The question of getting city laborers employ- 

 ment on farms was discussed, and it was shown 

 that men out of work, especially in large cities, 

 would be glad of employment on farms. 



Cattle Commission. This board, of which 

 Dr. Frederick H. Osgood is chairman, was created 



by the Legislature with a view to stop the in- 

 crease of tuberculosis among cattle. An appro- 

 priation of $50,000 was made, and at first its 

 efforts were directed toward the prevention of 

 diseased cattle from coming into the State. A 

 penalty was provided for unloading or driving 

 cattle into the State without a permit from 

 the board unless they are taken directly to one 

 of the 3 appointed quarantine stations as fol- 

 low : The Union Stock Yards, at Watertown : the 

 Boston and Albany Stock Yards, at Brighton ; 

 and the premises of the New England Dressed 

 Beef and Wool Company, in Somerville. During 

 the past two years it has been compulsory for 

 all towns to appoint inspectors of animals and 

 provisions, whose duty has been, if they suspected 

 the existence of contagious disease, to report it. 



Action was then taken by the commission, 

 and every animal which, in the opinion of the 

 board or any of its members, was affected with 

 tuberculosis, was condemned and slaughtered as 

 the law directed. 



A systematic examination of the State ensued, 

 beginning at Nantucket, then passing to Martha's 

 Vineyard, and thence to the mainland at Prov- 

 incetown. The whole number of animals ex- 

 amined since the law of 1894 went into effect up 

 to Dec. 15, 1894, is 5,392; of these, 810 were 

 condemned and killed as tuberculous. The com- 

 pensation on the basis of half the value for those 

 killed amounted to $15,280.45. The commis- 

 sioners find that on the island of Nantucket less 

 than 1 (-97) per cent, of the cattle were tuber- 

 culous out of 618 animals examined, and their 

 judgment is that of all the cattle in the Com- 

 monwealth not more than 10 per cent, are thus 

 affected. 



Holidays. The signing of the bill abolishing 

 Fast Day and making April 19 a legal holiday 

 was celebrated by the ringing of bells and other 

 popular demonstrations. The quill with which 

 the Governor affixed his signature was a plume 

 of an American eagle, and is now the property 

 of the Lexington Historical Society. Subse- 

 quently the Governor issued the following proc- 

 lamation : 



The 19th day of April has been made a legal holi- 

 day. This is a day rich with historical and signifi- 

 cant events which are precious in the eyes of patriots. 

 It may well be called Patriots' Day. On this day, in 

 1775, at Lexington and Concord, was begun the great 

 War of the Revolution ; on this day, in 1783, just 

 eight years afterward, the cessation of war and the 

 triumph of independence were formally proclaimed ; 

 and on this day, in 1861, the lirst blood was shed in 

 the war for the Union. Let this day be dedicated, 

 then, to solemn, religious, and patriotic services, which 

 may adequately express our deep sense of the trials 

 and tribulations of the patriots of the earlier and of 

 the latter days, and also especially our gratitude t<> 

 Almighty God, who crowned the heroic struggles of 

 the founders and preservers of our country with vic- 

 tory and 



Accordingly the towns of Middlesex, and espe- 

 cially Lexington and Concord, celebrated the 

 occasion with elaborate patriotic services. Later 

 the following proclamation was issued by the 

 Governor : 



In accordance with the resolves of the year!88fi 

 and with the unbroken custom founded thereon, I 

 hereby set apart Saturday, the 28th day of April now 

 current, to be observed as Arbor Day. I recommend 



