518 



MASSACHUSETTS. 



Sinking fund needed Jan. 1, 1884 $10,569,380 60 



On hand Jan. 1,1884 5,985,284 29 



Deficiency $4,584,596 81 



"It must be apparent," says Governor Rob- 

 inson in his message to the Legislature of 1884, 

 " that no probable increase of net earnings will 

 meet this deficiency, and therefore 1 submit to 

 you whether it is not wise to enter upon the 

 accumulation of the sinking funds, or in some 

 other practicable way to provide to meet the 

 whole debt at its maturity." 



From the annual abstract of polls, property, 

 taxes, etc., as assessed May 1, 1883, an increase 

 in the total valuation will appear to the amount 

 of $47,083,638, of which $36,586,927 is in real 

 estate, and the remainder in personal property. 

 Polls, dwelling-houses, and horses have in- 

 creased, while cows and sheep have decreased. 



Compared with twenty years ago, the exhibit 

 of improvement is the clearest refutation of the 

 charge that Massachusetts is in the way of de- 

 terioration and decay. 



The gain in the population of the State dur- 

 ing the same period was about 45 per cent. 



The total tax for State, county, city, and 

 town purposes for 1883 was $26,323,432, an 

 amount greater than the total for any other 

 year except 1874. It needs no argument to 

 show that nearly the whole of this burden re- 

 sults from municipal action and not from as- 

 sessment by the General Court. The State 

 tax for 1883 was $1,500,000. 



Education. During 1883 there was raised by 

 taxation, for all common-school purposes, the 

 sum of $5,499,717.83. Add to this the income 

 from funds and other sources, $313,468.19, and 

 you have a total of $5,813,186.02. This sum 

 supported 6,246 schools of the different grades, 

 paying for the services of 9,235 teachers, and 

 affording instruction to 335,872 pupils, whose 

 percentage of attendance was 88 '72. All the 

 schools in the Commonwealth have been kept 

 in operation the average time of eight months 

 and nineteen days, the law requiring for all 

 grades below the high-school only six months. 

 Thirty-seven cities and towns have supported 

 evening-schools, having 11,112 scholars. Nine- 

 ty per cent, of the whole school population have 

 the privileges of high-school instruction. 



In addition to the amount paid for public 

 schools, Massachusetts expended in 1883, for 

 the deaf and dumb, the blind, the idiotic, the 

 children at the State Primary School, the boys 

 at the Reform School, and the girls at the In- 

 dustrial School, more than $180,000. 



Out of the whole population of 1,783,085, in 

 1880, only seven tenths of one per cent, were 

 native-born illiterates, less than that of any 

 other people in the world. The foreign-born 



illiterates made nineteen and six tenths per 

 cent. ; but four fifths of the foreign-born illit- 

 erates were upward of twenty-one years of age. 

 Sayings-Banks. The statement to Oct. 1, 1883, 

 is as follows: 



Number of banks 168 



Number of depositors 812,955 



Total of deposits $252,607,593 02 



Increase in number of depositors during the 



year 40,487 



Increase in total of deposits during the year.. $11,296,230 53 



The condition of the banks is generally satis- 

 factory. Owing to the gain in deposits, and 

 to the scarcity of other authorized securities, 

 many banks have largely increased their loans 

 on personal security. 



Militia. The entire strength of the militia al- 

 lowed by the laws now in force is 334 officers 

 and 4,436 enlisted men. In the service at the 

 present time there are 305 officers and 3,587 

 enlisted men. The Adjutant-General reports: 



Total amount of appropriations controlled by the 

 Military Department for the year 1883 is $160,200 00 



The total expenditure (including all contracts to 

 date, and a small amount estimated to cover 

 bills to come in) is about 141,826 38 



From the latter amount should be deducted the 

 expenditures on account of war records, sol- 

 diers' messenger corps, etc 7,846 06 



Leaving the actual expense 



A high degree of efficiency and military 

 knowledge has been attained by the militia. 



Health, Lunacy, and Charity. The Legislature 

 of 1879 accomplished a thorough reorganiza- 

 tion of the administration of the public chari- 

 tiesabolishing some boards, consolidating 

 others, and simplifying the whole system. 

 The Board of Health, Lunacy, and Charity, 

 as then and now constituted, consisting of 

 nine persons, is given general supervision over 

 the State Lunatic Hospitals, the State Alms- 

 house, the State Workhouse, the State Primary 

 School, the State Reform School, and the State 

 Industrial School. Other powers, ample and 

 specific, are granted, enabling the board to 

 hold substantial control over those institu- 

 tions, and over other matters committed to it. 



Gov. Robinson says : " I have been urged to 

 recommend to you an abolition of the board, 

 and the creation of two or three in its stead. 

 But, after much reflection and extended in- 

 quiry, I must withhold that recommendation 

 for the present." 



State Institutions. There is an imperative de- 

 mand for increased accommodations for the 

 insane. The hospitals are crowded, and hun- 

 dreds of inmates are compelled to occupy tem- 

 porary cots or beds in the corridors and upon 

 the floors. The Governor believes that great 

 economy of room is possible under a wise sys- 

 tem of classification, separating the harmless, 

 the criminal, and the dangerous, and under 

 other improved arrangements which profes- 

 sional knowledge and experience will advise. 



The financial affairs of the hospitals are re- 

 ported in excellent condition. The surplus ac- 

 cumulated at Taunton, Worcester, and North- 

 ampton has been increased, while at Danvers 



