after the first day of January, 1890, unless you make provision for its continuance beyond that time. This aid has been rendered with great care and excellent judgment, and most of those whom it has reached are worthy objects of assistance. The legislation under which it is granted should be renewed, as there are still very many who are in necessitous circumstances, because of what they, or those upon whom they would naturally depend, did for this Commonwealth and for the country during the late war. I am sure that you will agree with me that Massachusetts has never been, and that she never will be, unmindful of those who have, directly or indirectly, rendered her valuable service.

CONSTITUTIONAL PROHIBITION.

You will be called upon to act on the resolve which was passed by the Legislature of last year, and which provides for an amendment to the Constitution forbidding the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquors as a beverage. This matter is of the gravest importance, and you will deal with it having in mind its significance for all the people of the Commonwealth. Should you confirm the action of your predecessors in these halls, I suggest that you take such action that the resolve may be submitted to the people at an early date. A question of such magnitude ought to be submitted to the people at a time when they are not called upon to consider other public matters. Heretofore, nearly every important constitutional amendment has been voted on by the people at a special election held in the spring of the year.

Another reason for the early submission of the amendment to the people, should it be adopted by you, is, that if it is approved by the popular vote, you will probably still be here to enact such legislation as may appear to be necessary to give force and effect to its provisions. The early days of your session cannot be better employed than in consideration of this measure.

LIQUOR LAWS.

We are about to test the efficiency of a law that will materially limit the number of licenses which will be granted to sell intoxicating liquors to be used as a beverage. I have long been convinced that there should be

such a restriction where the sale of liquor is allowed, and I believe, also, that the penalty for violating the laws regulating such sale should be greatly increased, and that, as a rule, the penalty should be by imprisonment rather than by fine. It would be wise, in my opinion, to secure the imposition of such penalty, instead of a fine, so far as possible, without wholly abolishing the discretionary power of the court.

THE COURTS.

The transfer of equity and divorce jurisdiction to the Superior Court, and the increase of the number of justices in that court, have, it is believed, afforded such relief to the higher courts that they will be able to decide promptly all matters that will be brought before them. But it seems to me that the condition of the inferior courts, and the matter of costs in criminal proceedings in all the courts, demand careful consideration at your hands.

It is probable that about eight-tenths of the criminal business of the Commonwealth is done in these courts, and the costs which necessarily accrue are very large. These costs are now mainly cast upon the counties, and are one of the principal items of county expenditure. As under the provisions of the statutes governing such matters all fees taxed in favor of salaried officers are to be paid to the city or town from which such officers receive their salaries, here is plainly a considerable source of revenue to cities and large towns, in which nearly all crime is committed, at the expense of the counties and

small towns.

I am informed that to-day there is the same lack of uniformity in the taxation of criminal costs as that to which the Attorney-General called attention in his official reports for the years 1880 and 1881.

The solicitude of the Commonwealth to protect the lives, liberty, and property of her citizens, to give them pure drugs and unadulterated food, to protect children and animals even wild animals-from cruelty, to preserve our fish and game, has resulted in increasing the number of our statutory crimes, misdemeanors and offences over that of any other State. Our criminal expenses will be very large at best. Our care must be to place upon them all reasonable limitation. I commend to your consideration the suggestions of the Controller of County Accounts in relation to this matter.

SCHOOLS.

During the year the schools of the Commonwealth have been conducted with the usual gratifying results. For the education of nearly 360,000 persons more than $7,000,000 were expended, high schools being maintained by ninety-five and three-tenths per cent. of the population. At the normal schools there is a larger attendance than ever before, and the demand for teachers educated in them exceeds the supply. The Normal Art School is doing important work in preparing teachers of industrial art.

I call your attention to the fact that in almost every town in the State there are truant children who are growing up in ignorance. Every town is required by the stat utes to provide a place for the confinement, instruction and discipline of such children, but this the small towns are reluctant to do on account of the expense. Moreover, the small number of such persons in each town would render such action unnecessary, if each county would provide a common truant school for all its towns. There is a statutory provision that such a school shall be established if three or more towns petition the county commissioners for it; and towns do petition according to the provisions of the law, but the county commissioners decline to establish the schools. The result is that such towns have no proper means of obeying the truant laws, and there is a class of persons growing up in almost every community that is ignorant and, therefore, dangerous.

In the interest of economy, as well as in that of good morals, every county should have a good truant school to which those who now absent themselves from the schools already provided may be sent for proper training.

The act of last winter, by which aid was granted to the small towns for the employment of skilled superintendents, is meeting with favor. It did not take effect until the time for the annual town meetings had gone by, and thus many districts have not yet been organized under it. I am informed that a large number of towns will organize themselves into districts at their next annual meetings.

WOMAN SUFFRAGE.

Once more I earnestly recommend, as an act of simple justice, the enactment of a law securing municipal suffrage to women. Recent political events have confirmed the

opinion which I have long held, that if women have sufficient reason to vote, they will do so, and become an important factor in the settlement of great questions. If we can trust uneducated men to vote, we can with greater safety and far more propriety grant the same power to women, who, as a rule, are as well educated and quite as intelligent as men.

RAILROADS.

The means for securing the gradual abolition of grade crossings will probably be the most prominent and important subject for general legislation relating to railroads. The dangers attendant upon grade crossings are increasing every year, and the interruption to traffic in consequence of such crossings in the large cities is rapidly assuming serious proportions. Measures can and should be taken which will mitigate these evils. Very full inforination upon the subject will be laid before you in the report of the Board of Railroad Commissioners, and also in the report of a board of three civil engineers, appointed under the provisions of chapter 99 of the Resolves of last year, to make special investigation of this subject.

I recommend that you give to this matter your early and careful attention. The problem will be found to involve many considerations and conflicting interests, but it also involves the value of limbs and of lives. It will greatly redound to your credit if your legislation on this subject shall, while duly protecting all interests, prove to be effective in shortening the long account of loss of life, of suffering and of waste of time each year charged to our grade crossings.

PUBLIC HEALTH.

The statutes enacted by the Legislature from time to time for the protection of the public health appear to have been successfully enforced under the direction of

the State Board.

The question of a system of drainage for the valley of the Mystic, which was referred by the Legislature of 1887 to the State Board of Health with directions to report to the Legislature of 1889, has, so far at least as the system to be adopted is concerned, been decided upon by that board, and no objections have thus far been urged against the plan itself.

How the large sums of money necessary for the construction of the sewer proposed are to be raised, and the manner in which the burden shall be apportioned among the interested municipalities, are very serious questions, which will engage the attention of the Legislature.

Inasmuch as one-sixth of the inhabitants of the State live in this district, and a much larger proportion are vitally affected by its sanitary conditions, the question becomes one of unusual importance.

PRISON LABOR.
PRISON

The industries at the State Prison, where business is transacted on the " public account" system, are in a very satisfactory condition. All the prisoners, except those who are needed for the work of caring for the prison and grounds and in the culinary department, are employed in labor upon industries established in the workshops during the past year. Of the 536 inmates one year ago only 159 were employed in remunerative labor.

Under this system the discipline of the prison is much better maintained than it was under that of contracts, and the financial results will prove much more satisfactory. The condition of the other prisons and of the houses of correction has not materially changed.

The only difficulty in the practical working of the law governing prison labor is that of establishing industries. It is provided by section 5 of chapter 447 of the Acts of the year 1887 that "no new machinery to be propelled by other than hand or foot power shall be used in any institution." This provision prevents the maintenance of the varied and improved conditions of employment which the future advantage, if not the present well-being, of the prisoners would seem to require. The law should be so amended that the prisoners may have the advantage of employment with such improved machinery as the nature of the business in which they are engaged may demand. Thus they may become expert workmen, and be better prepared to maintain themselves and their families when they return to the world from which they have been secluded.

Satisfactory pecuniary returns are not to be expected from prison labor, but the "public account" plan gives to the prison officials more complete control of those who are committed to their charge, and, in this way, it is to the community a decided gain.