the lands as made when they were acquired by the State while it was yet a colony of Great Britain and afterwards, as well as the records of all deeds to the purchasers of the land. In this office are found also the surveys of county lines, state and turnpike roads, railroads and canals, and the records of the organization of the counties.

As now constituted the Department of Internal Affairs includes the Land Office, the Bureaus of Vital Statistics, of Industrial Statistics, of the State Weather Service, of Assessments, and of Railroads, Mines, Canals, Telegraphs and Telephones. The vital statistics relate to births, marriages and deaths; the industrial, to the relation of capital and labor and to the educational, industrial, and social condition of those engaged in manual labor. The object of the State Weather Service is to aid the United States Service in distributing its forecasts through the State, especially among the farmers. The bureau of assessments keeps a record of State and county rates of taxation, of the assessed value of real and personal property taxable for State and county purposes. The bureau of railroads, etc., keeps a record of the annual reports made by those corporations, concerning their capital, indebtedness, amount of business done, rates of transportation, number of accidents to employés and passengers, and many other facts of value to the public.

The term of office is four years and the incumbent may succeed himself. His salary, except for extra services, is $4,000. He is the fourth member of the Board of Pardons.

The Superintendent of Public Instruction.-It is the duty of this officer to exercise a general supervision of all the public schools of the Commonwealth. He commissions county, city and borough superintendents and conducts the State Normal School examinations. When asked to

do so, he explains points in the school law to directors, superintendents and teachers. Besides the normal school diploma, he issues a permanent certificate to holders of professional certificates who have passed an examination before a board of examiners appointed by himself; this is valid for life in the county for which it is issued and in any other county in which the county superintendent may endorse it. The State Superintendent signs all orders for money to be paid out of the State appropriation for the common schools.

He is appointed by the Governor for four years. His salary is $4,000.

The Adjutant-General. The Adjutant-General is the chief of the Governor's staff; through him the latter issues his orders to the National Guard of the State, and he must see that the Governor's orders are carried out. He must make an inspection of the guard at its annual encampment.

The National Guard is not the whole militia, only the part that is organized, drilled, and under arms. All the male citizens of the State between the ages of 18 and 45 years constitute the militia, except such as are exempted by law. The guard consists of one division, commanded by a major-general and divided into three brigades, each under a brigadier-general.

The Adjutant-General is appointed by the Governor for four years and his salary is $4,000.

The State Librarian.-This official has charge of the State Library, which contains about 100,000 volumes, classified as law, State papers, and miscellaneous works. He receives all moneys appropriated to it and disburses them according to his judgment. Two hundred copies of each of the public documents of the State are given to

him for exchange with other States in the Union and with foreign countries.

The State Librarian must be a person of literary and bibliographic knowledge. He is appointed by the Governor for four years and gets a salary of $2,500.

The Superintendent of Public Grounds and Buildings.He has charge of the Capitol buildings and grounds, makes the necessary repairs and improvements, employs laborers for that purpose and gives orders to the watchmen employed to act as police around the grounds and buildings. He is responsible to the Board of Public Grounds and Buildings, composed of the Governor, Auditor-General, and State Treasurer.

He is appointed by the Governor for a term of four years at a salary of $3,000 per annum.

The Superintendent of Public Printing and Binding.—It is his duty to receive and take charge of all reports made to the Governor by the heads of departments, and have the same printed by the State Printer. He shall also arrange all matter ordered to be printed by the Legislature, or either branch thereof, and supervise the printing of the same, causing it to be done in a prompt and workmanlike manner.

He is appointed by the Governor for four years and receives a salary of $2,000 per annum.

The Superintendent of Banking.-It is his duty to see that the laws relating to banks and banking companies, trust companies, savings banks, and every other corporation receiving money on deposit, incorporated under the laws of the State, are carried out.

He shall examine at least once a year, and oftener if he thinks proper, their books, papers, and affairs in general. They shall make quarterly statements to him show

ing their resources and liabilities and publish the same three times in a local newspaper, to secure the people against losses.

The Superintendent of Banking is appointed by the Governor for four years at an annual salary of $6,000. He shall not be interested as officer or stockholder in any corporation under his supervision.

The Factory Inspector. The duties of this officer are to enforce the laws relating to the employment of women and children in mercantile and manufacturing establishments. He sees that no minor or adult woman is employed in such establishments for more than sixty hours in any week; that no child under thirteen is employed in them at all; that no minor who cannot read and write English be employed unless he produces a certificate of having attended a day or evening school for sixteen weeks in the preceding year; and that the elevators, belts, pulleys and shafts are properly guarded to protect the life and limb of those employed. He also inspects the sanitary arrangements, the means of egress-fire escapes and doors-and condemns them if not sufficient.

He is appointed by the Governor for three years at a salary of $3,000 and is entitled to a number of assistants, not over twenty, five of whom shall be women.

The Insurance Commissioner.—This officer enforces the insurance laws, and keeps on file a copy of the charters of the various companies doing business in the State. Those from other States must get from him a certificate of authority to do business in this State.

The Insurance Commissioner is appointed by the Governor for three years at a salary of $3,000 per annum.

The Secretary of Agriculture. It is the duty of this officer to promote the development of agriculture, horticul

ture, forestry, and kindred industries.

He is to ascertain

what grains, fruits, grasses, and other crops are adapted to the various soils of the State and to what diseases they are liable. He is also to make a study of stock and poultry for the benefit of the public. He is ex-officio secretary of the State Board of Agriculture and must therefore keep in close relation to the agricultural societies of the State. Another important work of this department is the protection of the forests against fires and other depredations, and the planting of new wood-lands.

The Secretary of Agriculture has four assistants: a Director of Farmers' Institutes, an Economic Zoölogist, a Commissioner of Forestry, and a Dairy and Food Commissioner.

The Secretary and his assistants are appointed by the Governor for a term of four years; the former gets a salary of $3,500; the Director of Institutes, $3,000; and each of the other three, $2,500.

THE JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT.

The Judicial Power.-The judicial power of the State is vested by the Constitution in a supreme court and in the county courts and in such other courts as the General Assembly may establish. When there are disputes as to what a law means when applied to a special case or as to whether a law is constitutional or not, an appeal may be made from the county court to the superior or the supreme court. The decision given in the supreme court is final as well as that given in some cases by the superior court; and in similar cases all the county courts of the State must thereafter follow this decision as long as it is not reversed. Most of the cases before the supreme and