Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/134

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THE BRITISH EMPIRE : — UNITED KINGDOM

to the assessment and collection of rates forraerl)^ vested in the Board of Guard- ians now devolves on the Rural District and County Council respectively. In urban districts the Councilsof these districts administer matters relating to pub- lic health and rates, in addition to business transferred to them from the grand jury and presentment sessions. The administration of the poor relief Acts is exercised by Boards of Guardians. Each Board comprises the councillors of each rural district in the union, together with speciall}^ elected representatives of each urban district in the union. The cities of Dublin, Belfast, Cork, Limerick, Londonderry, and Waterford, which already possessed repre- sentative councils, are made county boroughs, and are exempt from some of the special provisions of the Act. The towns are partly corporate and partly governed by Commissioners. Certain boroughs have a mayor, aldermen, and councillors, whose powers are regulated by 3 & 4 Vict. c. 108. The ordinary affairs of the borough, such as lighting, watching, and cleansing, are adminis- tered by the Council, which has power to levy rates for these purposes. In such towns as have no charter of incorporation, the local affairs are administered bv a body of Commissioners (appointed under the Towns Improvement Act, 1854, or by a local Act), who have powers generally to discharge the usual municipal functions, and are empowered to levy rates to defray the cost of administration. Towns must have 1,500 inhabitants to enable them to obtain municipal government under the Towns Improvement Act, 1854, and any municipal town may be constituted an urban sanitary district.

By the Lonal Authorities (Ireland) (Qualification of Women) Act, 1911, women are eligible for election and to act on county and borough councils in Ireland in the same manner and on the same conditions as men.

Area and Population.

I. Progress and Present Condition. The population was thus distributed at the census, taken April 3, 1911:

Divisions

England.

Wales Scotland. Ireland Isle of Man Channel Islands

Total.

Area in sq. miles

Males

Feniales

50,890

7,434

30,405

32,360

227

70

16,421,298

1,024,310

2,307,603

2,192,048

23,953

46,036

121,386 22,015,248 23,353,842

17,623,992

1,000,892

2,451,842

2,198,171

28,081

50,864

Total Population on April 3, 1911

34,045,290

2,025,202

4,759,445

4,390,219

52,034

96,900

45,369,090

Population at each of the four previous decennial censuses

Divisions

1871 21 495,131

1881 24,613,926

1891

1901

England ....

27,489,228

30,813,043

Wales ....

1,217,135

1.360,513

1,513,297

1,714,800

Scotland ....

3,360,018

3,735,573

4,025,647

4,472,103

Ireland ....

5,412,377

5,174,836

4,704,750

4,458,775

Isle of Man

54,042

53,558

55,608

54,752

Channel Lslands

90,596

87,702

92,234

95,618

Army, Navy, and Mer-\ chant Seamen abroad/

216,080 31,845.379

215,374 35,241,482

224,211

367,736

Total, United Kingdom

38,104,975

41,976,827