Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/390

 ^^68 THE BRITISH EMPIRE : — NOVA SCOTIA

Justice and Crime. — Justioo in Nova Sootia is administered l>y the following couvt.s : Conrts for the collection of small dehts ; county courts : inferior courts in criminal cases ; courts of superior jurisdiction ; divorce court, probate courts. The supreme court of appeal is composed of a chief justice and six judges. There are also Courts for the revision of assessment rolls and voters lists, and a Court for juvenile delinquents.

In 1911, 1,396 persons were arrested for various crimes and misdemeanors. Of these 53 were sent to the penitentiary. The rest served a term in jail or were fined. 84 children were brought before the court for juvenile delinquents ; 80 were convicted. Of these 19 were sent to institutions ; 61 were paroled.

Finance. — l^ Nova Scotia there is no direct Government taxation. The revenue is raised from the Dominion subsidy ; royalty on coal and other minerals raised ; succession duty ; tax on banks and incorporated companies ; marriage licenses and statutory fees. In 1911 the revenue was $1,611,068 ; in 1910, .11,725,914 ; in 1909, .$1,653,508. The public debt of the Province (1911), amounted to .$10,693,689. To counterbalance this the Province had i-ealisable assets to the value of $76,173,708 and real estate to the value of $3,678,288.

Production and Industry.— Ncn-a Scotia is largely an agricultura Province. Fruit-growing is specially profitable, and ajiples are the most important fruit grown (2,000,000 barrels were raised in 1911). The potato(\s produced are higher in quality than any others raised in Canada. Nova Scotia is admirably adapted for dairying. There was an increase during 1911 of 30 per cent, in the amount of butter manufactured in 1910, the record year for the Province. There are (1911) 332,600 cattle in the Province. Owing to the cool, moist climate fodrler may be raised easily, and the pastures are excellent. There are about 351,000 sheep. The annual clip is 1,000,000 lbs. Pigs numbered 70,000 and horses 69,000 in 1911.

The principal crops are hay, with an acreage of 478,849, and a yield of 670,390 tons of the value ot $8,045,000 ; oats, 93,148 acres, producing 2,794,440 bushels of the value of $1,676,644 ; wheat, barley, beans and peas. The total Government aid to agriculture in 1911 was $125,000.

The principal minerals found in Nova Scotia are coal, iron, gold, copper, gypsum, fire clays, brick clays, building stone, limestone, antimony, lead, silver, manganese, tungsten, diatomaceous earths. The coal fields embrace 725 square miles. The gold fields cover about 3,000 square miles. Nova Scotia gold is the highest priced in the world, running close to $20 an ounce.

The value of the principal mineral productions in 1911 was: — Coal ,$19,200,000 ; steel, .$8,900,000 ; pig iron, $4,800,000 ; and iron ore .$2,475,000. The total value of all the mineral products was .$38,887,000.

The estimated forest area of Nova Scotia is nearly 8,000 square miles. The principal trees are spruce, fir, hemlock, pine, birch, oak and maple. The value of the forest products reached the sum of $5,500,000.

The fisheries of the Province are the most extensive in Canada. Nearly $6,000,000 are invested in this industry, 25,568 men are employed, and the number of vessels engaged is 14,771. Cod, lobsters, mackerel, herring and haddock are the principal fish. Total market value of fish caught in 1911 was $7,275,685.

The total number of industrial establishments was in 1910, 1,480, with a capital of $79 596,341, eui})loying 28,795 wage-earners, and proclucing commodities to the value of $52,706,1 84.