Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/344

 222 THE BRITISH EMPIRE : — UNION OF SOUTH AFKICA

Births, 1911, 5,093 (among Europeans) ; deaths, 1,350 (among Euro- peans) ; marriages, 2,452.

Kelig^ion. — The principal body, according to the census of 1904, is the Dutch Reformed Church with 101,079 adherents ; of Wesleyans there were 5,121; English Episcopalians, 17,879; Lutherans, 700; Roman Catholics, 3,286 ; Jews, 113. The State Government used to contribute 10,050Z, for religious purposes. It was divided into 36 parochial districts for ecclesiastical purposes, and it contained about 80 churches.

Education. — Higher education is under the control of the Minister of Education for the Union, while primary and secondary education is controlled by the Administrator of the Province. Under the School Act of 1908 the Province is divided into a number of School Districts. Each Government School is under the supervision of a School Committee elected by the parents. For each District there is also a School Board, appointed partly by the School Committees and partly by the Government, which exercises general supervision over all schools within its district. The School Committees have the right of nominating teachers, subject to the approval of the Department. Grants are given conditionally to private schools. At present there are 595 Government or Government-aided schools in the Province with a total enrolment of 21,800. Fees are charged at all schools,, and attendance is in general compulsory. Both English and Dutch are taught to all children. A Government Boarding and Day School for Girls, in Bloemfontein, has about 200 pupils. There are also the Convent School, St. Michael's Home, and the " Oranje " Meisjes School, all Boarding Schools for Girls, the last-named receiving a grant from Government.

A Normal School was established soon after the war. From 30 to 40 teachers are trained annually. Since January, 1910, there is also a chair in Education at the Grey University College. In connection with the Normal School technical classes have been instituted, and teachers of cookery, dress- making, etc.. are maintained throughout the Colony. There is a Home Industries Board, which controls the Spinning and Weaving Industry. A Government Industrial School was opened at Bloemfontein in the beginning of 1907. The boys (about 50) are apprenticed to various trades in the railway workshops or in the town, and reside in the institution. At the Preparatory Technical School, also in Bloemfontein, instruction is given in basket-making and other similar industries, in addition to the ordinary school course. All the leading Town Schools of tlie Colony have advanced depaitments which prepare pupils up to the standard of matriculation. The gross expenditure on education for the financial year 1911-12 was approximately 200,OOOZ.

Justice. — The Roman Dutch law prevails. The superior courts of the province are the Provincial Division of the Supreme Court of South Africa and the circuit courts. The inferior courts are the courts of the Resident Magistrates and the courts of the special Justices of the Peace. The circuit courts, at which the judges of the Supieme Court preside in turn, are held twice a year in the chief town of certain districts. Criminal sessions of the Supreme Court are held at Bloemfontein four times a year. In these courts criminal cases are tried before a jury. The Resident Magistrate's court has both civil and criminal jurisdiction. There are also special justices of the peace who try minor ofl'ences and settle minor disputes.

Finance- — Since the coming into efi'ect of the Union there is only one financial statement for the ibur Provinces together. Paiticulars are given above under the Union. The only Provincial revenue at present is the amoiint voted by Parliament by way oi subsidies for the performance of the