74:6 



RHODE ISLAND. 



The report of the Rhode Island Hospital shows 

 the average number of patients was 108.37. The 

 receipts were $07,008; expenditures, $87.238. Of 

 this, $8,700 was subscribed by guarantors, leav- 

 ing the remaining deficiency to be paid from the 

 capital of the hospital. A new pavilion was near- 

 ly finished at the close of the year. 



The Rhode Island Homoeopathic Hospital is in 

 danger of closing for want of funds. The ex- 

 penses are $5,000 more than is received from pa- 

 tients. 



The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to 

 Children had 260 new cases in 181)5). involving 

 440 children. It received $2,500 from the State. 



Military. At the encampment of the National 

 Guard at Quonset in July there were present 95 

 commissioned officers and 098 men, besides 42 

 bandmen. 



A monument erected to the soldiers of the civil 

 war by the Providence Association of Mechanics 

 and Manufacturers was dedicated June 9, at 

 Roger Williams Park. 



An enthusiastic welcome was given to the 

 Rhode Island regiment of volunteers on their re- 

 turn, April 1, to Providence. The colors of the 

 regiment were placed with the archives in the old 

 Statehouse. There were 1,334 men enlisted in the 

 regiment; 49 men from the State were in the 

 United States Hospital Corps. In batteries there 

 were 220 men. The Naval Reserve is not included 

 in the report cited. The expense of the State for 

 recruiting and equipping the troops was $221,- 

 344.14, of which $212,099.81 was charged to the 

 Government. The State still has a claim against 

 the Government for interest in connection with 

 equipments and supplies furnished to troops dur- 

 ing the civil war. 



Industries. Textile industries are carried on 

 in 134 mills, the spindles numbering 2.050,310. 



Strikes have taken place among mill operatives 

 .at Warwick, Warren, Pawtucket, Natick, Slaters- 

 ville, Smithfield, Dodgeville, Waterford, Ashton, 

 Bristol, Centerville, and other places; more than 

 3,000 persons were reported on strike at one time. 

 The principal cause appeared to be that the in- 

 crease in wages which was announced for April 

 did not equal the cut of 1897 and restore the old 

 prices. There were also strikes of iron molders in 

 Providence and Pawtucket. 



Railroads. There are 10 steam railroad cor- 

 porations in the State, but only 5 are operating 

 roads, the others having leased their lines and 

 property. The receipts for the year from all 

 sources were $39,004,572.50; total expenditures, 

 $33,802,530.30; net earnings, $5,802,030.14. This 

 is an increase in net earnings of $215,881.79. The 

 increase in the freight departments was $1,030,- 

 -002.39. The number of persons employed in this 

 State by the railroads is 2,722, a decrease of 44 

 from last year. 



The total receipts of street railways were $2,- 

 027,093.09; expenditures, $1,217,325.53; net earn- 

 ings, $810,307.50. This is an increase of receipts 

 of $04,770.09; a decrease in expenditures of $78,- 

 590.15; an increase in net earnings of $143,300.24. 



Banks. The Rhode Island Institution for Sav- 

 ings winds up its affairs after being in liquida- 

 tion since 1878, having been one of the indirect 

 victims of the Sprague failure. It has paid total 

 dividends of 95.5 per cent. 



The Globe National, of Providence, is to liqui- 

 date and be closed on account of unprofitable con- 

 ditions. 



Legislative Sessions. The regular sessions 

 of the General Assembly were held in Providence 

 from Jan. 31 to May 20, and in Newport, May 30 

 to June 1. A special session was held for two 



days, Sept. 19-20. Frank E. Holden was Speaker 

 of the House. 



The revised Constitution was again adopted for 

 submission to vote. The time at which the ques- 

 tion of a constitutional convention should be sub- 

 mitted to vote was placed at the general election 

 of 1900. 



The general act relating to negotiable instru- 

 ments which was recommended by the national 

 conference of State Commissioners on Uniform 

 Legislation was adopted. 



It is forbidden to walk or ride a bicycle on a 

 railroad track on penalty of $5 to $20. 



The office of deputy railroad commissioner was 

 created. 



The act granting State aid to towns for road- 

 making was repealed, and the office of State Com- 

 'missioner of Highways was abolished. 



Authority was given to the State Board of 

 Charities to appoint a State probation officer; and, 

 at their discretion, other probation olli. T-. one 

 at least of whom shall be a woman, to *-rve dur- 

 ing the pleasure of the board in any court having 

 jurisdiction in the place of their appointment. 

 Offenders under the ace of sixteen are to be 

 placed temporarily in charge of these officers be- 

 fore sentence. They are not to be placed with 

 adult offenders. 



Insurance companies are to pay 2 per cent, of 

 the gross premiums and assessments on property 

 insured in the State and on that insured in other 

 States on which the company is not taxed. Mu- 

 tual insurance companies incorporated in the 

 State are exempt from taxation by cities and 

 towns on personal estate, except upon the surplus 

 of ratable |>ersonal estate in excess of the amount 

 of their unearned premiums and the outstanding 

 claims against them. 



A new caucus act was passed. A party to have 

 standing must have polled 2 per cent, of the \"i< 

 for Governor at the last State election; but nomi- 

 nations may be made by filing papers with ."in -L r - 

 natures of men who have not attended a caucus. 

 Other enactments were: 



For appointment of 5 commissioners of birds. 



For inspection of concentrated commercial feed- 

 ing stuffs. 



Prohibiting the use of trading stamps. 



Making Jan. 1 a legal holiday. 



Making unlawful the use of bottles or other 

 vessels with trade-marks by other than proprie- 

 tors of the marks. 



Constituting one justice of the Supreme Court 

 a quorum for trial of petitions for divorce. 



Providing that petit jurors be selected by lot 

 and examined by court. 



Fixing penalty for abduction of children under 

 sixteen. 



Giving ambulances the right of way on roads. 



The report of the survey of the line between 

 Rhode Island and Massachusetts having l>een 

 made, the line was established. The town of 

 Tiverton loses some land, and Pawtucket gain>. 



According to a custom that has prevailed for 

 several years, the Legislature voted compensation 

 to members for their work on committees from 

 $175 to $500 each. Two representatives, Messrs. 

 Kimball and Brayton, returned the checks sent 

 to them as such payment, objecting to the prin- 

 ciple. At the June session an act was passed fix- 

 ing the amount of pay for committees authorized 

 to sit and hold hearings during recess at $10 a 

 day for actual attendance. Salaries of clerk for 

 the 3 most important committees judiciary, cor- 

 porations, and finance were fixed at $so<); and 

 other committees will not have provision for 

 clerks or payment for members. 



