420 



NEW YORK. 



than 500 in number, within its jurisdiction, point- 

 ing out to the authorities of such institutions any 

 evils, defects, or abuses requiring remedy, the 

 result of which has been the improvement of sev- 

 eral hundred public and private charitable insti- 

 tutions; and the board reports that for the most 

 part such institutions are in good condition, com- 

 paratively free from serious evils, and rendering 

 beneficent public service. An important feature 

 of the work is that which relates to institutions 

 for the care of dependent children. There are 122 

 such in receipt of public moneys, and their inmates 

 number nearly 30,000. More than 15,000 chil- 

 dren were discharged from such institutions dur- 

 ing the year. 



Prisons. According to the Governor's mes- 

 sage, the number of prisoners confined in various 

 prisons during the year averaged 3,376. The ex- 

 penditure for their maintenance was $460,528.02. 

 A larger appropriation for care and maintenance 

 will be required for 1901, as the Eastern New York 

 Reformatory, at Napanoch, will come under the 

 charge of the department. It has been found that 

 approximately 1,600 prisoners have been engaged 

 in productive industries. The others have been 

 employed, but not- upon productive industry. The 

 superintendent reports the structures at Sing Sing 

 and Auburn as unsanitary, and in such condition 

 as to prevent the application of a comprehensive 

 scheme of gradation and classification of the pris- 

 oners, and the attainment of reformatory results 

 that might be obtained if proper buildings were 

 provided. The Bertillon system of measurement, 

 which has been perfected under the present super- 

 intendent, not only renders it much easier to de- 

 tect and identify a criminal who has previously 

 served a term of imprisonment, but also makes 

 possible the enlargement to a greater degree of the 

 scope of the law which was passed last year, per- 

 mitting judges to fix indeterminate sentences. 



Labor Statistics. The commissioner's report 

 shows that at the close of 1899 there were 224,383 

 trade-union members in the State, an increase of 

 49,360. In Greater New York there were 152,860 

 union members, against 125,136 in 1898. Regard- 

 ing labor laws, the report says that New York 

 is well to the front, and probably in advance of 

 other States in regard to the eight-hour work day 

 and the prevailing rate of wages for public em- 

 ployees or employees of contractors on public 

 works. The New York State Free Employment 

 Bureau, at 30 West 29th Street, did an increased 

 business in the year. In the last quarter the num- 

 ber of applicants for work was 1,420, and for help 

 714. Employment was procured for 598 persons, 

 an increase of 22 per cent. The number of im- 

 migrants to the United States in the last quarter 

 of 1899 through the port of New York was 74,892, 

 an increase of 23,012 over the corresponding quar- 

 ter for 1898. 



Public Works. The report of the State En- 

 gineer and Surveyor shows that one of his prin- 

 cipal duties was the making of a survey and plans 

 and estimate for a barge canal across the State, 

 for which $200,000 was appropriated. This survey 

 was completed, and the results will be presented to 

 the Legislature in February, 1901. The topo- 

 graphical survey of the State was continued in 

 co-operation with the United States. The results 

 are published in sheets 12 by 18 inches, showing 

 about 12 miles by 18 miles, so that 240 sheets will 

 cover the State. Of these, 102 are completed and 

 published, 15 sheets are mapped and in the hands 

 of the engravers, 26 are surveyed and in the hands 

 of draughtsmen, and of the remaining 97 three 

 quarters are triangulated and are ready to be sur- 

 veyed. The State Engineer also had charge of the 



survey, design, and construction of good roads un- 

 der the Higbie-Armstrong law of 1898, under which 

 law $250,000 has been appropriated, during the 

 three years it has been in force. Twenty-three 

 roads have been built in 12 counties, aggregating 

 53 miles. In addition, 131 petitions have beei 

 received from 27 counties for an aggregate of 800 

 miles, of which surveys and estimates have been 

 made or are in progress; for 80 roads in 23 coun 

 ties, aggregating 406 miles, and showing an aver 

 age estimated or actual cost of $7,625 a mile. 



Canals. The Superintendent of Public Work* 

 in his report for 1900, shows that his policy o 

 reconstructing the towing path by grading, grav 

 eling, and rolling, was continued during -the year 

 with the result that the towing path from end to 

 end of the Erie and Champlain Canals is in bette 

 condition than for many years. The Legislature 

 of 1899 and 1900 made appropriations authorizing 

 a large number of improvements, such as the con 

 struction of bridges and the building of dikes 

 and the superintendent has succeeded in gettinj 

 almost all this special work either completed, un 

 der way, or under contract to be completed at an 

 early date. The department has under construe 

 tion extensive bridges of the latest design a 

 Waterford, West Troy, Minden, Utica, Rome 

 Syracuse, Rochester, Lockport, and other places 

 Some of these bridges call for an expenditure o 

 more than $75,000. The superintendent, as 

 member of the Canal Board, devoted much tim 

 to the consideration of claims against the Stat 

 growing out of the $9,000,000 canal improvemenl 

 and also to the running down of the marauder 

 who have made a business of destroying State 

 property that they might profit by patronage o 

 the forces engaged in making the repairs. He se- 

 cured the indictment of 15 men, most of whom 

 have been tried and convicted. 



The canal season of 1900 closed officially at 

 noon on Dec. 1. The season was not as good as 

 that of 1899, when 3,686,551 tons of freight, with 

 a value of $92,786,712, were carried. A survey for 

 a canal to cost approximately $62,000.000 was car- 

 ried on under an appropriation of $200,000. A 

 large number of civil engineers, levelers, rodmen, 

 chainmen, borers, and helpers were selected under 

 the civil service rules, and specially prepared in- 

 structions for survey parties were prepared and 

 recommended by a board of distinguished engi- 

 neers, of which George S. Greene, Jr., was chair- 

 man. 



Fisheries, Forests, and Game. A. N. Cheney, 

 State fish culturist, acting under the direction 

 of the commission, distributed in the various 

 waters 219,135,198 fish, as follows: Whitefish, fry, 

 40,175,000; tomcod, fry, 42.000,000; pike perch, 

 fry, 50,525,000; frost fish, fry, 3,490.000: lobsters, 

 fry, 2,400,000; muskellunsre, fry, 1,200,000: wall- 

 eyed pike, fry, 300,000. Brook trout, fry. S.r.M.- 

 000; fingerlings, 152,983; yearlings, 95,225; two 

 and three years old, 400. Brown trout, fiy, 

 1,091,000; fingerlings, 108.253: yearlings, 48.8:!5. 

 Rainbow trout, fry, 120,000; fingerlinps. '.is.li'.i; 

 yearlings, 40,000. Lake trout, fry, 8,772,500; fin- 

 gerlings, 201,900; yearlings, 13.355. Red thmut 

 trout, fingerlings, 62,750; yearlings, 38,800. Lund 

 locked salmon, fry, 2.400; yellow perch, fry, 4,9<K); 

 shrimp, fry, 20,000; black bass, small mouth. 300. 

 Shad. Hudson river (from the United States), 10,- 

 280,000: hatched at Catskill, 2,870.000; hatrh.-.l 

 at Long Island, 565,000. Total, 168.iM-.MWO. E-jgs 

 and fish fry and yearlings were furnished by the 

 United States Fish Commission MS follow: I 

 420,000; fish fry, 50,428,000; yearlings, 2" 

 Total, 50,872,298. 



In 1900 the State acquired title by purchase to 



