“ The State is not without valuable resources of field, forest, and mine, and counts also among its advantages the sources of an abundant water-power, including the Niagara Falls. But its advanced position is the outgrowth rather of its superior situation with respect to both home and foreign markets. The construction of the Erie Canal westward through the Mohawk Valley—the only natural break in the Appalachian Mountain range—established early communication between the Hudson River and the Great Lakes, and brought to New York much of the commerce of the West. ”

“ The cities are governed under special charters, varying in their provisions.
Since 1848 married women have had separate rights to real and personal property in New York State. They may carry on business, and may sue or be sued on their own account. A husband may convey directly to his wife, and a wife to her husband. Absolute divorce is granted only for adultery. Women may practice law. No youth under eighteen and no woman under twenty-one may be employed in a factory for more than 60 hours in one week, nor may any child under thirteen be so employed at all. ”

“ The largest financial transactions all over the country mostly emanate from New York, and, besides, New York City remains the main channel for all financial transactions between the Old and New Worlds. The New York clearing house is therefore the clearing house for the whole nation. The New York money market regulates the country's money markets, and is beginning to assert a dominant influence upon the European world. Many foreign loans have been floated in New York during the last few years, and many foreign securities listed on the New York exchange. ”

“ New York is an uncertain State both in national and State elections, and the influence exerted by its large electoral vote on the outcome of Presidential contests has given it the well-earned name of the ‘pivotal State.’ Notable cases were the elections of 1844, 1848, and 1884. ”

“ The industry is well represented at most of the large centres. New York is unrivaled in the manufacture of electrical apparatus and musical instruments. Especially prominent are the manufactures of refined sugar and molasses, roasted and ground coffee and spice, confectionery, patent medicine, tobacco, and liquors—most of which are produced almost wholly in New York City. Flour and grist milling, slaughtering and meat-packing, and the factory production of cheese, butter, and condensed milk, are more generally distributed over the State. In the first-named industry the State ranks second. ”

“ Agriculture. For a long time New York was the first State in agricultural importance, and as late as 1890 was surpassed by Illinois alone in the value of farm products. In 1900, although these products had increased 51 per cent. in the decade ending with that year, the amount was exceeded in three Western States. Each decade since 1870 has witnessed a decrease in the value of farm land and farm improvements, a fact generally explained by the rise of Western competition. The area of improved land reached its maximum in New York in 1880, and declined in each of the subsequent decades. ”

“ After hay, the potato is the most valuable farm product. The State is unapproached in the area devoted to this vegetable, and in the value of its production. New York also takes first rank in garden farming. Long Island is almost wholly devoted to this industry, for which it has the special advantage of being near to the New York market. In the production of beans the State holds second rank. In the western counties north of the watershed and in Ulster County are large fruit orchards, the apple trees constituting 70 per cent. ”

“ The question of tax reform was an important subject of legislation after 1880, and brought the State into conflict with the powerful railway, gas, and insurance corporations upon the question whether their capital stock and the value of their franchises were subject to taxation or not. The rise of the Labor Party in 1886 was the cause of much important labor legislation. Laws limiting the hours of daily work and protecting women and children in factories and shops were passed in 1892 and subsequently. ”

“ Suffolk County, on Long Island, is the foremost county in the State in fisheries. The oyster represents more than one-half of the total value. Next come menhaden, bluefish, and clams. In the counties bordering on the Hudson the fisheries are of minor importance. The chief species here are shad and alewives. The lake fisheries of New York are also of some importance. The menhaden industry has been considerably consolidated in late years. ”

“ In the different branches of the clothing and garment industry, New York City and other towns of the State produce more than a third of the output of the United States. The production of men's and women's factory-made clothing is largely confined to the metropolis. ”

“ The Adirondack region abounds in mountain lakes of romantic beauty.
Climate. The climate of the State is of the continental rather than the insular type, though the extreme coastal regions of Long Island are somewhat tempered by the ocean. The range of temperature is nowhere as great as in the States of the Northwestern plains. The average maximum is about 100° and the minimum zero, or a few degrees below, but these figures vary much with the topography, the winters in the Adirondacks being very cold. ”

“ New York produces over half of the total output of rock cement for the country, the value for 1900 being $2,045,451. Portland cement is also made. The value of the clay products for 1900 was $8,073,769—a little less than in 1890—of which over one-sixth represented pottery, and the remainder brick and tile. New York is the largest salt-producing State, the value of the product being over one-third that for the entire country. Prior to 1893 New York was exceeded by Michigan in the salt output, but it has regularly held first rank since that year. ”

“ Grapes are grown abundantly in the southern part of the Hudson Valley and in the lake region. Tobacco is raised in the Chemung Valley and northeastward to the eastern end of Lake Erie. Hops are a prominent crop in some of the central counties, but recently there has been a significant decrease, owing to Western competition. ”

“ According to the school census of 1901 the school age (five to eighteen) population of the State was 1,620,287, of whom 1,242,416 were enrolled in the public schools in the same year. The average attendance in 1901 was 873,157, as against 642,984 in 1890. There were 35,591 teachers employed in the public schools of the State in 1901, of whom 5147 were males. The percentage of male teachers has shown a constant decrease since 1880, when it amounted to 26 per cent. ”

“ It permits of amendments if passed in two consecutive Legislatures by a majority of each House, and adopted by a vote of the people. It provides for the submission to the people of the question of a constitutional convention every twenty years, or oftener if ordered by the Legislature. A voter in New York must have been a citizen of the United States ninety days, a resident of the State one year, of the county four months, and of the town or precinct thirty days. ”

“ This tendency was continued in the Constitution of 1846, which put an end to feudal tenure in lands, abolished the court of chancery, established a court of appeals, and made all judges of the higher courts elective. By amendments adopted in 1869 (when a new Constitution framed in 1867 was rejected by the people) , 1874, and 1882, further reforms in the judiciary were carried out, negro voters were freed from the property qualification hitherto imposed upon them, penalties for bribery and corruption in office were established, and the canals were freed from toll. ”

“ In that decade the rate of increase was slightly greater than that for the United States, being 21.2 per cent., as against 20.7 per cent. The growth during that time, however, was wholly on the part of the urban population. In 1900 the 83 cities of the State with a population of over 4000 each contained together 71.2 per cent. of the total population, only two other States having a higher per cent. of urban population. The large urban population accounts for the high average density per mile—152.6. ”

“ While the iron and steel industry is of comparatively small and decreasing importance, the foundry and machine-shop industry is rapidly developing, and in 1900 gave the State second rank. The printing press and steam engine are the best known of these products. ”

“ On this formation the Upper Silurian rests unconformably and crops out along the southern shore of Lake Ontario. The rest of the State, including the entire southwestern and south-central portion as far east as the Hudson Valley, remained submerged until the close of the Devonian Age, when, in the early Carboniferous Age, it was raised by the great Appalachian upheaval. This portion is now covered by rocks of the Devonian system, forming the great western plateau, which is terminated by the abrupt escarpment formed by the Helderberg limestone. ”

“ In 1686 New York and Albany obtained new charters, but in the following year the provincial assembly was dissolved, absolute rule was restored, and New York became a part of the Dominion of New England, under Governor Andros. The Revolution of 1688 in England found two parties in the colony, the richer classes who were loyal to James II., the popular majority in favor of William of Orange. ”

“ This system grows out of the necessity for specialization owing to the large number of patterns used, and is favored by the abundance of cheap labor available where there are such large numbers of foreigners unable to secure more profitable employment. This branch of industry is of comparatively recent development. ”

“ New taxes were laid upon banks, trust companies, public franchises of corporations. Further efforts in the same direction were made in 1902. On January 1, 1903, the debt of the State amounted to $10,000,000. The aggregate receipts of the ten funds for which separate accounts are kept were $27,040,558, or, subtracting transfers from one fund to the other, $24,042,462. The main sources of income were a State tax for general and for school purposes, 29 per cent.; inheritance tax, 14 per cent.; excise tax, 171⁄2 per cent.; and corporation tax. 251⁄2 per cent. ”

“ The total traffic in 1899 was 150,000,000 passengers, moved 3,500,000,000 passenger miles, and 170,000,000 tons of freight, moved 24,000,000,000 ton-miles—being one fourth of the passenger traffic and one-fifth of the freight traffic of the entire country. ”