552 



NEW YORK. 



York charter, relating to the regulation of the 

 construction of piers and docks." This bill re- 

 quires the Dock Board to purchase its tools, sup- 

 plies, and material after public advertisement at 

 public letting to the lowest bidder, as other de- 

 partments are required to by sections 419 and 

 420 of the charter. 



8. " To amend section 854 of the Code of Civil 

 Procedure, in relation to compel ling the attend- 

 ance and testimony of a witness." This bill ex- 

 tends to a legislative committee sitting during 

 the session or after the adjournment of the Legis- 

 lature the power to invoke the prompt aid of 

 the courts of record in aid of its process and au- 

 thority. 



Banks. These are under the supervision of a 

 State superintendent, who is appointed for three 

 years and receives a salary of $5,000. The incum- 

 bent during the year was Frederick D. Kilburn, 

 whose term of office expired on May 9, and who 

 was then reappointed to serve until 1902. His 

 report for the year ending Sept. 30 shows that 

 7 new banks weVe organized in the year, with an 

 aggregate capital of $300,000. Four State banks 

 were merged with other State institutions, one 

 was converted into a national bank, another was 

 merged with a national bank, and one went into 

 liquidation. The aggregate capitalization of the 

 7 institutions which thus ceased to do business 

 as State banks was $1,193,500. There was a total 

 increase of $600,000 in the capital stock of 2 

 banks. The aggregate capital of the discount 

 banks on Sept." 30, 1899, was $29,545,700, a net 

 decrease of $293,500. The total resources of the 

 institutions under the supervision of the depart- 

 ment are as follow: Banks of deposit and dis- 

 count, Sept. 20, 1899, $372,982,538; savings banks, 

 July 1, 1899, $968,978,167; trust companies, July 

 1, 1899, $722,356,523; safe-deposit companies, July 

 1, 1899, $5,203,224; foreign-mortgage companies, 

 Jan. 1, 1899, $12,716,773; building and loan asso- 

 ciations, Jan. 1, 1899, $64,746,636; total, $2,146,- 

 983,861; increase over 1898, $322,434,231. The re- 

 sources of the savings banks increased $45,500,000 

 from January to July, which nearly equals the 

 gain made by them during the entire year 1898, 

 and the number of open accounts was augmented 

 by more than 65,000 in the same time, whereas 

 the increase in 1898 was 60,000. He also called 

 attention to the fact that many startling dis- 

 closures had been made regarding extravagance 

 in management and fraudulent operations of men 

 who make a business of acquiring control of 

 building and loan associations only to plunder 

 and wreck them. 



Insurance. The insurance interests of this 

 State are under the charge of a superintendent, 

 who receives $7,000 a year and holds office five 

 years. The incumbent in 1899 was Louis F. Payn, 

 whose term of office expires on Feb. 11, 1900. His 

 report for 1898 shows that 185 fire, fire-marine, 

 and marine insurance companies were doing busi- 

 ness in the State, whose total assets were $301,- 

 1(18,040, an aggregate increase of $15,248,834. 

 Their liabilities were $133,840,776, an increase of 

 $4,627,288. The risks of these companies in force 

 was $20,216,898,434. The receipts were $140,019,- 

 261; disbursements, $132,338,978, an excess of 

 $7,680,282. The disposition of the receipts were: 

 $137,045,777 received in premiums, $80,447,509 

 paid for losses, $52,225,189 for expenses, and $7,- 

 163,782 for dividends. The fire premiums received 

 were $19,864,031; fire losses paid, $10,041,904; 

 fire losses incurred, $11,312,776. The amount of 

 fire risks written in 1898 was $3,830.230,868, as 

 against $3,625,411,110 in 1897, an increase of 

 $204,819,758. The amount of marine and inland 



risks written in 1898 was $539,231,482, as against 

 $507,118,954 in 1897, an increase of $32,112,528. 

 A statement of the income of the department 

 shows: Total receipts, five years, $999,551; re- 

 ceived from foreign companies, $839,288; received 

 from New York State companies, licensed agents, 

 and individuals, $22,636; examination of com- 

 panies and appraisal of property, $137,586; total, 

 $999,551. Excess of receipts over expenses for 

 the year was $86,502. 



Excise. The collection of the excise dues is 

 under the charge of a commissioner, who serves 

 five years and receives a salary of $5,000. The 

 incumbent during the year was Henry H. Lyman, 

 whose term of office expires on April 1, 1901. His 

 report for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 1899, 

 shows the total collections to have been $12,- 

 643,593, and the Treasurer's fees to have been 

 <$6 1,344, leaving a net balance for the fiscal year 

 of $12,582,248. Of this amount the State's share 

 was $4,231,231, and the cities' and towns' share 

 $8,351,017. The report further shows a large in- 

 crease of business in every branch. Excise liti- 

 gation included 453 legal proceedings, 361 of 

 which pertain to the fiscal year. Many decisions 

 have been made by the courts sustaining impor- 

 tant and essential provisions of the law. More 

 criminal convictions were secured under the law 

 than in any previous year. Slot-machine gam- 

 bling received special attention, and the efforts 

 of the commissioner to rid the State of this nui- 

 sance from places selling liquor have been uni- 

 formly successful and satisfactory. The statistics 

 of arrests for drunkenness and public intoxication 

 show a decrease compared with previous years 

 under the present law or under operation of the 

 old excise law. This decrease since 1895 is 12,000, 

 or 14 per cent., the percentage being a little less 

 than the percentage of decrease in drinking places. 



Health. The account of vital statistics is 

 under the supervision of a Board of Health, com- 

 posed of Dr. S. Case Jones, President; Dr. Baxter 

 T. Smelzer, Havana, Secretary; Owen Cassidy, 

 Dr. Frederick W. Smith, Dr. William T. Jenkins, 

 and Walter F. Willcox, together with the At- 

 torney-General, the State Engineer, and the 

 Health Officer of the Port of New York, ex oflicio. 

 The report for 1898 says 129,972 deaths have 

 been reported, which is 3,894 more than in 1897. 

 The delayed returns, not reported, numbered 733, 

 making the death rate per 1,000 of population 

 18.10, the average of the past ten years being 

 18.25. The death rate of the maritime district 

 was 20, against 18.90 in 1897, there having been 

 about 3,500 more deaths. The infant mortality 

 (under five years) was greater by 2,300 than in 

 1897, though relatively decreased, constituting 

 30.2 per cent, of the total, against 32.5 last year, 

 and an average of 33.5. The zymotic mortality 

 constituted 13.6 per cent, of the total, against 

 14 last year, and an average of 17.5. The de- 

 crease is confined to the urban communities. The 

 number of deaths attributed to acute respiratory 

 diseases was 16,350; consumption, 13,000; diar- 

 rhosal diseases, 8,500; diphtheria, 2,612; grip, 

 2,500; typhoid fever, 1,810; whooping-cough, 

 1,155; measles, 837; scarlet fever, 825; cerebro- 

 spinal meningitis, 700; and malarial diseases, 

 about 400. In connection with diphtheria the great 

 decrease in mortality from this disease during 

 the past three years, from 6,616 deaths in 1894 to 

 2,612 deaths in 1898, is noted. During 1898 the 

 examination and tuberculin test of 1,874 cattle, 

 of which 192 have been condemned and 64 of that 

 number have been destroyed, w r as reported. 



Education. This department is under the 

 supervision of a superintendent, whose term of 



