NEW JERSEY. 



413 



year the number of inmates has been materially 

 reduced, some of them having been paroled under 

 the provisions of the new law and others having 

 been put out under indenture, where they are now 

 in good homes, and still others having been dis- 

 charged because they had reached the age of twen- 

 ty-one years. The number of inmates reported for 

 the year ending Oct. 31, 1899, was 138; now, for 

 the year ending Oct. 31, 1900, it is 115. ... 

 Special efforts have been made to develop in each 

 girl an interest in some definite kind of work, 

 and we believe this has been attended with a good 

 degree of success. The religious interests of the 

 inmates are carefully attended to, an excellent 

 Sabbath school and other religious services being 

 conducted on the Sabbath day. Amusements and 

 entertainments suitable to particular seasons and 

 occasions have also from time to time been given 

 to the inmates of the home. The superintendent 

 says : " A larger number than usual has been sent 

 out from the home. Of these, 8 were indentured, 

 2 were paroled, 4 escaped who were not returned, 

 7 became of age in the home, 1 died, and 18 were 

 discharged to friends. Of the 18 who were dis- 

 charged, we have received reports from 15, show- 

 ing that they are doing well. Nine of these were 

 over nineteen years of age when discharged." 



At the State Home for Boys the number remain- 

 ing Oct. 31, 1899, was 405; number committed or 

 returned since, 146; total number cared for during 

 the year, 551; number discharged, 158; number 

 remaining Oct. 31, 1900, 378. Of these, 293 were 

 white and 85 colored. The boys are instructed 

 in sloyd, carpentry, masonry, blacksmithing, paint- 

 ing, shoemaking, baking, printing, brush making, 

 steam fitting, and some other occupations. A 

 trade-school building is in process of erection. 



At the close of the fiscal year the Home for 

 Feeble-minded Women had 113 under its care; 12 

 had been admitted in the year and 4 discharged. 

 In the school department are taught weaving of 

 plain and fancy baskets, designing in Venetian 

 bent-iron work, braiding raffia for moccasins, 

 mounting pictures, wood carving, lathe work, ad- 

 vanced modeling, Swedish gymnastics, fancy drills 

 and photography, while in the primary depart- 

 ment, reading, arithmetic, spelling, and Nature 

 studies are taught, with writing and .drawing, 

 forming original designs from the different trian- 

 gles, etc. The more advanced class has also United 

 States history and a course in music. In the sew- 

 ing room prizes are given for the best work. One 

 girl's record for the year consisted of 150 aprons, 

 36 school dresses, 24 articles of underwear, 6 plain 

 nightgowns, besides her garden work of success- 

 fully slipping 1,000 plants. Prizes are given for 

 industry. 



The Home for Disabled Soldiers, at Kearny, had 

 566 inmates at the beginning of the year, ad- 

 mitted 216, and had 542 on Oct. 31, 1900. The 

 number that died was 78; others were discharged 

 or dropped from the rolls. The library of the 

 home has 2,500 volumes. Larger accommodations 

 are needed. 



At Vineland there is a Home for Disabled Sol- 

 diers, Sailors, or Marines, and their Wives. It 

 was opened Jan. 1, 1900. In the year 25 couples 

 were admitted, and at its close there were 22 men 

 and 24 women on the rolls. The men receive a 

 uniform, consisting of a military blouse, vest, and 

 trousers, black felt hat, and good substantial foot 

 gear, together with the necessary underwear, while 

 the women receive cloth dresses, wraps, hats, shoes, 

 and all other needful articles for indoor and out- 

 door wear. 



The New Jersey Firemen's Home was opened 

 July 10, 1900. At the close of the year it had 



received 7 inmates. The receipts from all sources 

 amounted to $3,934.65, and the disbursements to 

 $3,308.13. 



Libraries. There was a great increase of in- 

 terest in library matters during 1900. The State 

 now contains 77 free public libraries. The revival 

 of interest began when Andrew Carnegie gave East 

 Orange $50,000 to found a free library. The town 

 gave a site worth $22,500, and the municipality 

 voted to furnish $5,000 a year for its support. 

 Congressman Charles N. Fowler, of Elizabeth, pro- 

 posed to expend $100,000 for a library in that 

 city. Assistant-Postmaster-General William M. 

 Johnson, of Hackensack, gave a $40,000 library 

 to that town. The Paterson library was the first 

 free public library in the State, and $20,000 was 

 expended on the building during the year. This 

 is a memorial to Charles Danforth, and the gifts 

 continued by his daughter, Mrs. Mary Ryle, 

 amount to $90,000. Hoboken has a new building 

 and about 25,000 volumes. The family of Dr. 

 William Sticker have given Orange a $100,000 

 library. A new library building is in process of 

 erection in Newark; its cost will be $400,000, and 

 it will be thoroughly equipped with modern fa- 

 cilities. Jersey City is expending $265,000 on a 

 new library. Trenton is about to expend $100,000 

 in a free library. Burlington has the oldest li- 

 brary in the State, for its charter comes down 

 from the time of George II. Its first patron was 

 Gov. Bloomfield, who gave a building for it in the 

 rear of his house. Meantime the free traveling 

 library is receiving much attention, and rural com- 

 munities are getting their share. There are 48 of 

 these, 30 of which traveled through 44 townships. 



Railroads. The following are the figures of 

 the State Board of Assessors concerning valuation 

 and tax of railroads in the State: Pennsylvania 

 system valuation, $63,388,389 ; tax for State uses, 

 $316,941.94; tax for local uses, $101,654.62: total 

 tax, $418,596.56. Central of New Jersey system- 

 valuation, $46.512,690; tax for State uses, $232,- 

 563.45; tax for local uses, $76,371.27; total tax, 

 $308,934.72. Philadelphia and Reading system 

 valuation, $9,524,329; tax for State uses, $47,- 

 620.65; tax for local uses, $6,518.54; total tax, 

 $54,140.19. Erie system valuation, $20,180,569; 

 tax for State uses, $100,902.84; tax for local uses, 

 $66,378.42; total tax, $167,281.26. Delaware, 

 Lackawanna and Western system valuation, 

 $39,901,229; tax for State uses, $66,378.42; total 

 tax, $274,826.86. New York, Susquehanna and 

 Western system valuation, $7,511,935; tax for 

 State uses," $37, 559.68; tax for local uses, $7,762; 

 total tax, $45,321.68. Lehigh Valley system- 

 valuation, $19,888,008; tax for State uses, $99,- 

 440.04; tax for local uses, $39,449.75; total tax, 

 $138,889.79. Railroads not classified aggregate 

 assessed valuation, $16,477,100; tax for State uses, 

 $82,385.50; tax for local uses, $43,635.37; total 

 tax, $126,020.87. Totals aggregate assessed valu- 

 ation, $223,384,249; tax for State uses, $1,116,- 

 921.24; tax for local uses, $417,090.69; total tax, 

 $1,534,011.93. 



Loan Associations. There are 360 loan asso- 

 ciations in New Jersey. The Insurance Commis- 

 sioner reports that it is very difficult to get full 

 returns of their business. Of the 360, 326 are 

 locals, 12 are State, and 4 are national associa- 

 tions. Four associations were placed in the hands 

 of receivers as the result of the State officials' 

 investigation. According to the report, " the total 

 membership of the associations is 129,131, and they 

 hold 891,803 shares. This is an increase in mem- 

 bership for the year of 7,916 and of 49,832 in the 

 number of shares held. The gross assets of all 

 the associations is $51,125,050, and the total net 





