The foreign and domestic commerce of Massachusetts is varied and extensive. The imports in 1874 amounted to $52,737,280; foreign exports, $2,280,772; domestic exports, $28,435,515. Vessels entered during the year at the several ports, 3,066, aggregating 783,541 tons; cleared, 2,982, aggregating 708,048 tons; registered, 2,563, aggregating -4-58,373 tons. The number of vessels entered in the coastwise trade was 2,655, of 2,167,386 tons; cleared, 2,700, of 2,191,829 tons. Vessels engaged in the general fisheries. entered at Newburyport, 105, of 3,677 tons; cleared, 116, of 3,922 tons. The most important centers of the fishine-, trade are Gloucester and New Bedford, the former unsurpassed for the magnituae of its cod and mackerel fisheries, the latter the leading. market for the products of the whale. The product of the Amer ican whale fisheries for the year ending June 30. 1874 (nearly all from Massachusetts), amounted to $2,291,896, including sperm oil valued at $1,250,987; other whale oil, $775,919; and whalebone, $264,990. The number of vessels in the state engaged in .the whale fisheries was 170; in the cod and mackerel fisheries, 1026, of 49t578 tons. According to the census of 1870, more than half the products of the fisheries of the "United States (exclusive of the whale fisheries) were the fruits of Massachusetts enter prise and industry. The capital invested in the business was $4,287,871; number of -peisons employed, 8,993; value of products, $6,215,325. The number , of vessels built in the state in 1874 was 77, of 31,499 tons, including 5 steamers of 689 tons.
The rivers of Massachusetts are not navigable to any considerable extent, but a net work of railways, extending to almost every part of the state, offers unbounded facilities for trade and travel. Trunk lines lead from Boston in every direction, and branches extend to or near a vast number of the smaller tovvns, so that by far the greatest number of inhabitants outside of that city may, if they wish, leave their homes In the morning, go there and transact business, and return the same evening. The oldest of the roads (that between Boston and Lowell, 25 m.) was opened for use in 1835. In 1874 the number of miles of railway in operation in the state was 1782: 3fore than one-fourth of the main lines are laid with steel rails. There are over 60 corporations, but, owing to the com binations between different lines, 31 boards of direction control all the roads. The aver age cost of these roads per mile was nearly $57,000; the cost of equipment about $7,700 per mile. One of the lines, extending through the state in a n.w. direction from Boston, passes through Hoosac mountain by means of a tunnel 4f m. in length, costing over $14,000,000, for which the state lent its credit. The aggregate capital stock of the 63 companies ip 1876 was $118,170,201; amount of their indebtedness, $52,914,825; gross income, $30,008,513; net income, $9,844,088. All the roads are under the supervision of a board of railroad commissioners appointed by the state, and wielding large powers. The board settles disputed questions between the different roads and between the roads and the public, It is compelled to hear and investigate all complaints against the roads, and find out and recommend a remedy, and its supervisory powers extend to the care of accounts, the examination of tracks, bridges, etc., and the investigation of accidents In 10 years the cost of this supervision was one-twentieth part of one per cent of the gross receipts of the roads.
The number of national banks in the state in 1874 was 220, with a capital of $98,039, 850, circulation outstanding, $59,051,019. In 1876 there were 176 savings-banks, with. deposits amountirw to $244,396,614; number of depositors, over 700,000. There were also 4 loan and trest companies. with $1,700,000 of capital, and $6,924,270 of deposits. The number of fire and marine insurance companies was 124, with $52,197,870 of cap ita!, and net assets aggregating $6,924,270. The number of life insurance companies in
1874 was 6, 4 of them mutual. The assets of the 6 companies amounted to $23,218,611, their total liabilities to $22,291,740, their total income to $6,749,834; amount insured by existing policies, $132,951,879, of which $630,000 was reinsured.
The population of Massachusetts 1790 was 378,787; 1810, 472,040; 18,30, 610,408; 1830, 994,514, 1860, 1.231,066, 18'70, 1,457,331, of whom 703,779 were males, 733,572 females, and 13,947 colored; while 579,844 were engaged in agriculture, 131,291 in pro fessional and personal services, 83,078 in trade and transportation, and 292,665 in manu facturing and mechanical employments. Pop. '80, 1,783,012.
Massachusetts has always taken high rank in educational affairs. The school statis tics of 1876-77 are Number of public schools, 5,556; nuinber of children between 5 and 15, 296,375. number in the schools, 307,832, number of male teachers, 1176; of female teachers, 7,544; teachers who have attended normal schools, 1898; average term of the schools, 8 months and 15 days; average monthly wages of male teachers, $82.22; of female teachers, $34.20; amount raised by taxation for the support of schools, $4,3,31,675; incorne of funds appropriated at the option of the towns for the same object, $59,229; amount of local school funds, $1,898,891; income of local school funds, $119, 968; income of state school fund, $76,320; amount expended in building and repairing. school-houses, 956,483; number of high-schools, 216; number of incorporated academies, 44; average number of academy scholars, 3,939; number of private schools and acad emies, 383; evening schools, 92; total annual cost of public education, $5,582,519. There are 5 normal schools, one eadi at Framingham, Westfield, Bridgewater, Salem, and Worcester, and a normal art school in Boston. Total annual appropiiation of the state. for norrnal instruction, $76,000. The state school fund amounts to $2,067,581; the Todd normal school fund to $12,100; the agricultural college fund to $360,067. The institu dons for collegiate and scientific instruction are numerous and of a high order of excel lence. The oldest of these is Harvard collecre at Cambridge, founded in the infancy of the colony iu 1636. The others, in the order of their organization, are: Williams col lege (Congregational), 1Villiamstown; Amherst college (Congregational), Amherst; col lege of the HOly Cross (Roman Catholic), Worcester; Tufts college (Universalist), Med ford; Boston college; Boston university (Methodist Episcopal); Mount IIolyoke seminary for girls (Congregational), South Hadley; Sophia Smith college for women, NorthamP ton; Wellesley college for women, Needham. The theological- institutions are. Andover theological seminary, Andover, Congregational; .Newton theological institution, Newton, Baptist; Harvard divinity school, Unitarian; New Church theological school, Waltham; Boston university school of theology, unsectarian (under Methodist auspices); Episcopal theological school. Cambridge; Tufts college divinity school, Universalist. There are '2 law schools, that of IIarvard college and that of the Boston university. The schools of medicine are 6 in number, viz.. -Boston university- school, Harvard medical school, New England female medical college. Boston dental college, Harvard dental school, Massachusetts college of pharmacy. The schools of science are 4 in number. viz.: Mas sachusetts agricultural college at Amherst, Massachusetts institute of technology in Boston, Lawrence scientific school at Cambridge, -Worcester county free institute of industrial science. The number of professors and instructors in all these institutions in 1874 was 421, of students, 3,331; value of grounds and buildings, $4,062,760; amount of endowments, $8,314,173; income from productive funds, $469,675; aggregate number of volumes in libraries, 337,132.