484 



MASSACHUSETTS. 



of "Women to act in conjunction with the In- 

 spectors of the State Almshonse, the State Re- 

 form School, and the State Primary School. 

 Another act prohibits the employment of chil- 

 dren under fifteen years of age as dancers, sing- 

 ers, musical performers, gymnasts, riders or 

 acrobats in any circus or theatrical exhibition, 

 or in any public place whatever. Acts were also 

 passed legalizing the use of the metric system 

 of weights and measures, and requiring the 

 State Treasurer to furnish standards to the 

 treasurer of each city and shire-town in the 

 State ; incorporating the Adams Nervine Asy- 

 lum ; and providing for Boards of Health in the 

 several cities of the Commonwealth. The in- 

 vitation of the Governor of Vermont to the 

 State, to unite with Vermont and New Hamp- 

 shire in the celebration of the centennial anni- 

 versary of the battle of Bennington, was ac- 

 cepted, and $7,500 was appropriated to aid in 

 the erection of a monument in commemoration 

 of the battle. 



The finances of the State are in a very satis- 

 factory condition. It has no temporary loans, 

 land sinking funds have been established suffi- 

 cient for the liquidation of all bonds at matu- 

 rity. The following statement shows the con- 

 dition of the State debt : 



Amount January 1, 1877 $38,550,464 



ADDITIONS DURING THE TEAR. 



Troy & Greenfield Railroad loan . $870,000 



Danvers Hospital loan 150,000 



620,000 



Total $84,070,464 



MATURED AND PAID DURING THE TEAR. 



Norwich <fe Worcester Railroad loan $400,000 



Union Fund loan of 1862 400,000 



Northampton Lunatic Hospital loan 50,000 



850,000 



Amount outstanding January 1, 1878 $88,220,464 



PRESENT CLASSIFICATION. 



Railroad loans $17,789,996 



War loans 10,668,188 



Ordinary loans 4,818,280 



88,220,464 



Showing a reduction in 1877 of $380,000 



The ordinary expenses of the Government 

 show a decrease of about $100,000 from those 

 of 1876, and $200,000 from those of 1875. The 

 extraordinary expenses show a still larger re- 

 duction, and the decrease for both classes since 

 1875 amounts to nearly $1,000,000. The esti- 

 mated expenditures for 1878, for all purposes, 

 are $4,543,000, and the revenues provided for 

 amount to $4,120,695. To meet the deficiency, 

 and provide for the wants of the Treasury in an- 

 ticipation of the revenues for 1879, a, State tax 

 of $1,000,000 is called for. This is a reduction 

 of $500,000 from that of 1877, and of $1,000,- 

 000 since 1875. The total reduction of the tax 

 levy for the whole Statejjncluding local taxes, 

 was $861,963 in 1877, and $2,939,957 in 1876. 

 The reduction of the past year was made mostly 

 in the cities. The changes in the valuation of 

 property for the last six years are as follows : 



1 872, Real and personal property, gain $199 921 711 



1878, " " " 66,880,021 



1874, ' " 68,171,175 



1&75, ' " 9,181,541 



Gain $844,054,448 



1876, Real and personal property, loss $70,943.146 



1877, " " " " 101,082,778 



172,025,919 



Present valuation above that of 1871 $172,028,529 



Of the decline for this year, $88,291,557 

 occurred in the cities, upward of $60,000,000 

 being in Boston alone. 



The following is a comparative statement 

 of expenses of the State Government for 18 

 years : 



The total indebtedness of the cities and towni 

 of the State is $89,329,485. 



Only 17J- miles of new railroad was con- 

 structed during the year, and over 10 J miles 

 of this was narrow-gauge road, viz. : 8.63 miles 

 from Bedford to Billerica, and about two miles 

 from Winthrop Junction on the Boston, Win- 

 throp & Point Shirley, to the town of Win- 

 throp. The only addition to broad-gauge road 

 was 6.62 miles, from Franklin to Attleborpugh 

 on the Rhode Island & Massachusetts. Sixty- 

 three corporations make reports to the com- 

 missioners. They own 2,496.082 miles of main 

 line and branches, 627.514 miles of double track, 

 and 768.858 miles of siding, or 8,887.454 miles 

 of track in all, of which 2,870.638 miles is with- 

 in the limits of the State. The average cost of 

 broad-gauge roads has been $57,964.70 per 

 mile for construction, and $6,361.63 for equip- 

 ment. The narrow-gauge roads have cost on 

 an average $18,563.20 per mile for construc- 

 tion, and $4,042.85 for equipment. The cost 

 of equipped roads has ranged from $4,595.96 

 per mile for the Billerica & Bedford, 20-inch 

 gauge, to $110,215.50 for the Boston & Albany. 

 The aggregate capital stock of the 63 companies 

 is $118,170,201.03, debt $52,914,825.16. This 

 shows a decrease of $9,414 in stock during the 

 year, and an increase of $1,294,450.88 in debt. 

 The gross income of all the railroad companies 

 was $30,008,513.74, a falling off of $998,934.58 

 from that of 1876 ; net income, $9,844,088.88, 

 or about 5.5 per cent, on the permanent in- 



