Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/382

 260 THE BRITISH EMPIRE: — ALBERTA

uiiiveisity. All schools are supported by taxes levied by the local board, supplemeuted by Government grants. The grants are distributed to en- courage the highest grade of teachers, regularity of attendance of pupils and general proficiency based on tlic report of Government inspectors. All schools are provided with a small library. Two Normal schools, at Calgary and Canirose, are established for the training of teachers. The University of Alberta, organised in 1907, has 50 students. In 1911 there were 1,784 schools, Avith 61,660 pupils, and 1,524,707 dollars were spent on school buildings.

Justice and Crime. — Judicial ])ower of the province is vested in the Court of Superior Civil and Criminal Jurisdiction, the Huprenie Court of Alberta consisting of a Chief Justice and four puisne judgi'S appointed by the Dominion Government holding office for life unless iinpeached by Parlia- ]iient ; and Minor Courts of Civil and Criminal Jurisdiction such as a Police Magistrate Court and a District Court. The district courts have full jurisdiction over all matters up to $600.00.

District courts have power to grant proljate of wills and are courts of record for a trial without a jury of any person charged with a criminal oifence provided such person consents. The system of procedure in civil and crinunal cases conforms as nearly as possible to the English system.

Finance. — The revenue of the province is derived from the following sources : — (1) Dominion subsidies ; (2) Sale of school lands ; and (3) Provincial sources, which consist of taxes on the assessed mileage of rail- ways ; corporation taxes on tire, life, accideiit, loan and land companies ; and the fees regularly charged for de])artraental .scr>ices.

— 1909

Dollars Revenue. . . 2,605,001 Expenditure,. . 8,723,409

1910

Dollars 2,119,1481

4,855,748

1911

Dollars

2,802,325 4,881,508

1 Does not include loans.

The luiblic debt of the province (1911) amounted to £1,911,000.

Production and Industry.— Alberta is pre-eminently an agricultural ])rovince. Though there are unquestionably valuable assets in her mines of coal and asphalt, the future depends upon the growth of agriculture in the important branche?! of grain, livestock, and dairying. I'he area of arable land is placed at 100,000,000 acres. Less than 3 per cent, of this is under cultivation at the present time.

The acreage and yield of leading grains in Alberta for 1912 is as follows :— Spring Wheat 855,000 acres, and 18,000,000 bushels; Fall Wheat 127,000' acres and 2,667,000 bushels ; Oats 1,196,000 acres and 35,780,000 bushels; Barley 262,000 acres and 6,536,000 bushels; Flax 96,050 acres and 576,300 bushels ; Eye and Speltz 17,725 acres and 354,500 bushels.

Alberta was the greatest ranching country in America from 1880- 1900, but the farmer has driven out the rancher and the da3\s of the big herds are past. Horse raising is very profitable OAving to the great numbers required by new settlers for farm work and city drays. Good horses will sell from $200 to |400, for such purposes. In 1910 there were in Alberta, 254,197 horses, 94,071 milk cows, 558,100 other horned cattle, 171,357 pigs and 155,301 sheep.