Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/389

 LOCAI-. OOVEKNMENT — INSTRUCTION — PENSIONS 267

Ministe7's vnUimit Portfolio. — Hons, James Macdonald, Jason M. Mack, George E. Faulkner, R. M. McGregor, and J. W. Coraean.

Agent-General in London. — Hon. John Howard, 57a, Pali-Mall, S.W,

Local Government. — In Nova Scotia there are two municipal divisions, viz., county and city or town. The large counties are divided into two municipalities.

The county or municipal councils consist of councillors elected triennially by the ratepayers, one for each polling division of a county electing a member to the House of Assembly. Town or City Councils are composed of a mayor and not less than six councillors elected by the ratepayers.

Area and Population. — The area of the Province is 21,428 square miles. Area of lake surface, 230,100 acres. The population in 1911 was 492,338 ; in 1901, 459,574, and in 1891, 450,396.

Population of the principal cities (1911): — Halifax, 46,619; Sidney, 17,723; Glace f^ay, 16,562; Amhurst, 8,973; Yarmouth, 6,600: New Glasgow, 6,383 ; Truro, 6,107.

The vital statistics for three years were as follows : —

— Births

Marringes

Deatlis Excess of birtlis

IftOS Ofl 12,332 1909-10 12,588 1010-11 12.322

2,FS5 2,766 3.004

6,978 5,354 7,120 5,468 8,237 ! 4,085

Of the Inrths in 1910-11, 317 were illegitimate, as against 361 in 1909-10 and 362 in 1908-9.

Immigration statistics of the Maritime Provinces for the last three 3-ears:— i909,10,644 ; 1910, 13,204 ; and 1911, 15,265.

Reliffion. — The denominations according to the Census of 1901 were :— Romfin Catholics, 129,578; Presbyterians, 106,381; Baptists, 83,238; Anglicans, 66,107 ; Metliodists, 57,490 ; and Congregationalists, 2,938.

There are also various other sects with small numbers of adherents.

Instruction. — Education in Nova Scotia is free, compulsory and unconditional. Besides the elementary schools, high schools find academies there are in Halifax a school for the blind and one for the deaf and dumb. A large Provincial Agricultural College is established at Truro ; also a Normal School for the training of teachers. The Provincial Technical College grants degrees in civil, mining, chemical and electrical engineering. Besides this central institution there are working under it coal mining schools near all the collieries, and engineerinrr and technical schools of various kinds in th« industrial centres.

The Government grant for educational purposes in 1911 was $400,000. The Province has 4 universities ; 2,657 schools, with 2,855 teachers and 104,994 pupils.

Pensions. — A pension scheme is an operation whereby teachers under certain conditions receive an annuity. Miners receive pay in case of ac- cident in pursuit of their calling, and in the event of death a grant is made to the widow and children. A fund is provided to meet the demands, the Government and the employers paying each half as much as the men.