6 



tions are rough estimates but, it seems to me, ntt unfair 

 ones. 



The county tax during the year 1890 paid by the vaii- 

 ous cities and towns to the county treasurer was 1205,000. 

 You will thus see that nearly one-half of the amount raised 

 by taxation for county purposes was spent directly in the 

 detection and punishment of crime within the County of 

 Essex. 



The county commissioners last year appraised the jail 

 property of the county at $593,702. Add to this, say one- 

 third of the appraised value of the court house property, 

 $120,880, and there is 714,582 dollars worth of real estate 

 devoted to the administration of criminal law. There is 

 no income from this property except as allowed for in the 

 above statement I have given you. If it is true, as real 

 estate owners say, that all real estate investment ought to 

 produce a gross income of ten per cent, in order to be as 

 profitable as other kinds of investments, then you have an 

 addition of interest account to the amount of $71,258.20; 

 and 3'our direct yearl}'^ outgo, based upon the year 1890 is 

 •■^167,7.34.20. But the expense by no means stops here. 

 As tax payers, you pay through the Commonwealth the 

 salaries of the judges, of the district attorney, and of the 

 state police, and your part of the large expense of the con- 

 struction and maintenance of the various state prisons and 

 reformatories. If you will look at the account of the. 

 expenses of the cities and towns in which you live and 

 pay taxes, especially those of you who pay taxes in cities, 

 you will sec the large amounts of money which are 3'early 

 rcfjuired for the maintenance of an efficient police. 



I think that few adequately know or appreciate the 

 weight of the financial burden upon tlic law abiding people 



