424 



MASSACHUSETTS. 



conscience. Some blame the companies' managers, 

 while others, who look beyond the instruments to 

 the system, hold the Commonwealth of Massachu- 

 setts responsible, because it set its seal of approval 

 upon laws which authorized, under the name of life 

 insurance, the easy organization of companies with 

 such elements of weakness and uncertainty.'' 



Hanks. According to the annual report of the 

 State Board of Savings Banks, the amount of money 

 deposited in such institutions in 1897 was *S2,814,- 

 012, an increase over the preceding year of $3,897,- 

 482, and this aggregate sum deposited is larger 

 than that of any one of the ten years preceding. 

 Tin- amounts deposited averaged $66.34 to each de- 

 posit made, an increase of $1.92 over the average of 

 fast year. The total amount withdrawn from the 

 banks during the year was $79.334,807.88, or $2,413,- 

 383.02 less than the sum withdrawn in the year pre- 

 ceding. The report relates to 187 savings banks and 

 in-titiitions for savings, with assets of $503.973,- 

 934; 84 trust companies, with assets of $134,294,- 

 237, and 2 trust companies and 4 savings banks in 

 the hands of the court. The total amount of divi- 

 dends declared was $17,335,519, an increase of $500,- 

 51 1 over last year. 



Fisheries. A report on the fisheries of Massa- 

 chusetts recently issued by the Bureau of Labor 

 Statistics furnishes further evidence of the decline 

 of the industry. This is ascribed to the scarcity of 

 the finer fishes, such as the mackerel, the halibut, 

 and the bluefish. due, according to some observers, 

 to their reckless and wasteful pursuit. The number 

 engaged in the fisheries in 1895 was 11,093, com- 

 pared with 11,743 in 1885. The working capital 

 declined from $7.652,089 in 1885 to $4.488,504. 

 The value of apparatus employed was $725,152 in 

 1885 and $599,267 in 1895. Measured by value, 

 the total catch of 1895 was considerably less than 

 in 1885. largely due to the exceptionally small haul 

 of mackerel in 1895. Measured by quantity, the 

 1895 catch was the larger. The greatest falling off 

 is in mackerel. From 1886 to 1894 the number of 

 barrels of pickled mackerel inspected at Boston and 

 Gloucester averaged fewer than 60,000 a year. For 

 the twenty-five years previous to 1886 the number 

 of barrels averaged about 200,000 a year. From 

 1820 to 1838 the number varied from 110,000 to 

 :t:>H.r>48. The catch of haddock in 1895 was more 

 than double that of 1885. and the same is true of 

 herring, while the cod catch rose from 77.729,196 

 pounds in 1885 to 81,092,958 in 1895. During the 

 same period the oysters dredged fell from 86,964 

 to 71.222 bushels, and the lobsters caught from 

 3.376,';24 to 2,119,587 pounds. A report from 

 Gloucester says that during the year ending Dec. 

 6. 1898, 49,952.000 pounds of fresh" fish were landed 

 there, and 47,207,000 pounds were landed in Boston. 



Labor Interests. Reductions in wages in Jan- 

 uary caused strikes among mill operatives all 

 through the State as well as throughout New Eng- 

 land. The reductions amounted to about 10 per 

 cent., and were estimated to affect 125,000 persons 

 in about 150 mills. New Bedford, Fall River, and 

 Taunt < >n were specially affected by the strike. The 

 strike council at New Bedford issued an appeal, 

 March 17, in which was said : " Nearly nine weeks 

 have gone by since the inauguration of the strike, 

 funds have long since become exhausted, while con- 

 tributions on behalf of the strikers have not aver- 

 aged more than 25 cents per head per week. The 

 suffering has become intense, while applications for 

 relief to the Poor Department have increased seven- 

 fold. A mutual levy of 25 cents per week upon 

 every textile worker of New England, whose battle 

 we have fought and are fighting, would place us 

 beyond the reach of actual starvation. The strikers 

 are just as firm, just as determined, and just as 



resolute to-day as the day they quit work. There is 

 no break, no dissension in their ranks, but it is 

 mutually agreed by those in want and those yet 

 beyond the reach of actual want that we must 

 have far more substantial sympathy and support or 

 we must acknowledge defeat. The city gave em- 

 ployment to many of the strikers and supplies to 

 families in want. 



There were strikes among brickmakers at East 

 Brookfield. street-car employees at liaverhill, and 

 lasters at Brockton, Rockland, Middleboro, Avon, 

 East Weymouth, Stockton, and other towns in the 

 southeastern part of the State, lasting about six 

 weeks and ending without material benefit to the 

 workmen, as it appears. 



Centenary or the Statehouse. The Legisla- 

 ture celebrated the hundredth anniversary of the 

 day when the Commonwealth took formal possession 

 of the Bulfinch Statehouse on Beacon Hill, Jan. 

 11. " It was at noon, exactly one hundred years 

 ago, that Gov. Increase Sumner, Lieut.-Gov. Gill, 

 President Samuel Phillips, of the Senate, and 

 Speaker Edward H. Robbins, of the House, headed 

 the procession which marched from the Old State- 

 house on Washington Street, the colonial structure 

 surmounted by the lion and the unicorn, and in 

 solemn file and dignified tread wended their way 

 to the new building crowning Beacon Hill. The 

 exercises of occupation included a speech by Gov. 

 Sumner, and those of the 12th included an address 

 by Gov. Wolcott. The noteworthy dates in the his- 

 tory of our Statehouse are these : July 4, 1795, 



when the cornerstone was laid; Jan. 11, 1798, when 

 the formal opening was had ; 1853, when the Bryant 

 addition was constructed ; 1866, when the Wash- 

 burn changes were made ; 1896, when the late re- 

 pairs were instituted ; and to-day, when we celebrate 

 the centennial." 



Legislative Session. The General Court con- 

 vened Jan. 5, and was prorogued June 23, after the 

 longest session since 1894. George E. Smith was 

 President of the Senate and John L. Bates Speaker 

 of the House. The Legislature enacted 580 bills 

 and 119 resolves, and of these 580 acts and 111 re- 

 solves were signed by Gov. Wolcott and 2 measures 

 were vetoed. 



In order to secure more equitable assessments of 

 personal property, the Tax Commissioner was au- 

 thorized to appoint a deputy to inspect the work 

 of local assessors, and require them to make such 

 changes as will tend to produce uniformity in valu- 

 ation and assessment in the State. 



Provision was made for review of municipal ex- 

 penditures; certain number of real-estate owners 

 of any city, town, or county may by petition require 

 a justice of the Superior Court to investigate alleged 

 unlawful expenditure of public money. 



The general act relating to negotiable instru- 

 ments, which was recommended by the national 

 conference of commissioners in 1896, was adopted 

 as the law of Massachusetts. 



The law relating to elections was revised and con- 

 solidated. Nomination of candidates is to be by 

 majority instead of plurality vote. Those voting 

 at a caucus of one party can not vote in a caucus of 

 another within twelve months, instead of the same 

 calendar year, as formerly. No warden, clerk, or 

 inspector may be an employee of the State, county, 

 or city, a member of a ward or town committee, 

 or a candidate before the caucus. Ballots mu*t 

 be counted within 3 feet of the rail. Cities and 

 towns may use voting machines approved by the 

 State Treasurer, Auditor, and Secretary, and on 

 petition of 50 voters of* any party in a town or ward 

 they must be used jn caucuses. The law relating 

 to a particular voting machine was repealed. 



The settlement laws were so revised as to make 



