Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1857-01-10

duty OF self government, imposed upon us all
by the spirit of our institutions.
The amount of voluntary taxation the past
year toI the support of public free schools has
been $76,500 larger than that of any previous
year, besides individual subscriptions, amount
ing to S3S 500, for prolonging these schools
beyond the period required by law; the aver
age length of the time during which they
have been taught being seven months and
sixteen days, or twenty five per cent. longer
than the law exacts. The sum expended Tor
building and repairing public school. houses
during the past year reached the surpris.
ing aggregate of $568, the censns
shows that there are in the State 222,-
SIS children between the ages of five and
fifteen, and the school returns exhibit
the gratifying fact, that of this number,
l72,455 have attended the public free schools,
and 23,6l7 the private schools and incorpora-
ted academies When the number is consid.
cred who are necessarily prevented by physi.
cal weakness, organic impeachment, or other
causes, especially at the earlier limit of age
embraced in these tables, from availing them
selves of our educational facilities, and the
very considerable number, also, who are in
duced by circumstances to seek their instruc-
ton in adjoining States, we may congratulate
our community that it has very nearly reached
that period when the whole body of youth
within its borders shall receive the blessings of
education.
There has been gratifying increase also in
the number of teachers. aud the very import
ant undertaking of grading the schools has
successfully advanced. Our Normal Schools
are in fourishing condition, and never be-
fore was there 50 large a number of pupils
training to become teachers. l would sag
unSt fin nd m an oh
in this interesting department of government,
but can only urge the continued fostering Of a
system which has proved itself so eminently
beneficial.
The State Library, since its establishment
in 1926, has been crowded into inconyenent
and unsuitable rooms, where the books were
liable to injury from dsmpness and to destruc-
tion from fire. Within the past year it has
been transferred to the beautiful fire proof
hall provided by the enlargement of the State
House. The new apartment not only furnis h.
es additional security for the preservation of
the Library, but ample accommodation, be.
fore altogether insufficient, for its present
wants and prospective increase. Through the
liberal appropriation of the last Legislature,
this apartment has been suitably furnished,
and its happy arrangement and architectural
beauty render it attractive to visitors and
CASuLt W Inc COMMUNICATIVE AItlOugn the
State Library has existed but thirty years, it
contains nearly 1000 volumes, and is of great
Importance to the Legislature, to officers Of the
government, and to the public, for purposes
of consultation for its value is not to be es.
timated by the number or cost of its volumes
1t doubtless possesses the most complete col
lection in existence of State publications, es-
pecially of the annual legislation and legal
codes of the several States of our Union, and
additions are made only with reference to its
special character and design. It's annual in
crease is mainly from exchanges with other
States and the General Government, though
in part also by the expenditure of small ap-
preparation from the State treasury. An in
crease in this appropriation will be desirable
for the purchase of certain classes OF works,
whenever it shall be authorized by the tinau-
cial condition of the Commonwealth.
The returns made under the Act approved
May Il, 1900, to obtain statistical informa-
ton relating to certain branches of the industry
OF Massachusetts, were communicated at
late period OF the session, to the last Legisla-
ture. The Secretary the Commonwealth in
transmitting them truly remarks: "While
this report fails to do full justice to the pro-
ductiye industry of the State, it is believed to
be more comprehensive and complete than
either OF its predecessors" and for reasons
given, which are to my mind satisfactory, he
estimates that the aggregate of value returned
falls short OF the reality about 800 ZOO, 900.
incomplete as statistics of this sort almost
necessarily are, these exhibit a result highly
gratifying, and progress, almost, if not quite
unparalleled. The following table shows the
results of the returns of 1855, contracted with
those of 1916 giving the value of the product
and the number of persons employed, CLASH.