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 the various hospitals and other charities of the state $2,913,367.10, in relief of the counties in the rebuilding of bridges which had been carried away by floods $504,551.55, and for the erection of the new state capitol $1,000,000.00. It is creditable that the capitol, which approaches completion and promises to be in every way suitable for the purposes intended and worthy of the commonwealth, is being built for the reasonable sum of $4,550,000.00 and paid for out of revenues. When we reflect that the capitol of Massachusetts cost $6,980,531.59, paid for with moneys raised upon bonds, and that the capitol of New York cost $24,265,082.67, these figures ought to be very satisfactory. The capitol would be much improved if there could be secured an extension of the present somewhat limited grounds surrounding it. The ideal plan in my view would be to connect with the city park by opening from the front, say between South and State streets, to the river. A suggestion which would perhaps lead to less expense would be to secure the properties in the rear on which for the most part are erected a poorer class of buildings. The question is very much one which will have to be considered from the point of view of the resources of the state.

With respect to the rebuilding of county bridges, I recommend that the amount to be expended each year for this purpose be fixed at such a figure as may seem to the legislature to be wise. Under the law, as it exists at present, there is no limitation to the sum which the Board of Public Grounds and Buildings may be required to expend in this way, and at a time of the coincidence of great floods and diminished revenues, the situation might lead to serious embarrassment. If a certain proportion of the cost of construction of these bridges were left to the counties instead of the whole burden being imposed upon the state, they would have a substantial interest, not only in making effort to save the bridges from destruction, but also in the preservation of such of the material as could be utilized.

The subject of the charities aided by the state is one which ought to receive your serious consideration. The number of hospitals, most of them doing much to benefit suffering humanity in their, respective localities and worthy of support, is continually increasing and the sums appropriated to them already reach what in some other states would be regarded as an enormous expenditure. If the commonwealth is to continue its present policy of assistance, there ought to be some systematic and business-like method provided, both for securing information as to the needs of the institutions and for supervising the 524