Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/394

 272 THE BRITISH EMPIRE : — QUEBEC

Quebec.

Constitution and Government.— Quebec was formerly knoAvu as Lower Canada. The Provincial Government is in the hands of a Lieutenant- Governor, assisted by a Legislative Council of 24 members, appointed for life, and a Legislative Assembly of 81 members elected for 5 years. Last election ]\Iay, 1912 : — Liberals, 62, Conservatives, 17, Labour, 2.

Lie^Uencint- Governor. — His Honour Sir Frant'ois Xavier Laugelier. The members of the Ministry are as follows : — Premier and Attorney-General. — Hon. Sir Lonun- (iouin. Minisf.er of Lands and Foresta. — Hon. Jules xillard. Provincial Treasurer. — Hon. P. S. Q. Macdceuzie. Provincial Secretary. — Hon. Jeremie L. Decaric. Miniiter of Agriculture. — Hon. J. E. Caron.

Minister of Colonisation, Mines and Fisheries. — Hon. Charles Ramsay Devlin.

Minister of Public IVorks and Labour. — Hon. Louis Alex. Taschereau. Ministers vnthout Portfolio. — Hon J. C. Kaine, Hon. N. Perodeau.

Area and Population.— The area of Quebec is 706,834 s(|. miles. Area of lake surface, 3,507,318 acres. The population in 1911 numbered 2,002,712 (1,011,247 males and 991,465 females) being 5 '69 to the sq. mile. In 1901 the population was 1,648,898, showing an increase by 1911 of 21-45 per cent. The rural population in 1911 was 1,032,618 (992,667 in 1901) ; the number of houses, 339,579 (291,427 in 1901); the number of families, 370,938 (307,304 in 1901). Population of the principal cities (1911): — Montreal, 470,480; Quebec (capital) 78,190; Hull, 18,122; Shcrbrooke, 16,405; Westmount, 14,579.

Instruction.— The province has three Universities, McGill (Montreal) founded in 1821, with 2,000 students ; Laval, (Quebec) founded in 1852 is the centre of higher education for the Catholic population of the province and has 1,000 students; and the Laval University (Montreal), founded in 1876 as a branch (succursale) of the parent body in Quebec. It has 500 students. Quebec has (1911) 6,896 schools, with 397,060 pupils and 13,238 teachers. All the schools are sectarian, i.e., are either Catholic or Protestant. The former are under ecclesiastical control. The Government expenditure on education was 1,095,950 dollars.

Finance.— The revenue in 1911 was 7,032,744 dollars and the expendi- ture 6,424,900, leaving a surplus of 607,844 dollars.

Production and Industry.— In 1911 the following were the principal crops of the province :— wheat, 71,086 acres, 1,260,000 bushels; barley, 106,010 acres, 2,413,011 bushels ; oats, 1,430,677 acres, 37,512,000 bushels ; rye, 20,440 acres, 321,000 bushels ; maize (for husking), 25,273 acrt-s, 766,000 bushels; hay and clover, 3,022,000 acres, 5,127,000 tons ; potatoes, 137'574 acres, 17,435,000 bushels. Livestock, 1911: cattle, 1,482,000; sheep, 533,400 ; pigs, 697,500 ; horses on farms, 371,400. The cattle are the famous French-Canadian cattle, resembling Jerseys and Guernseys, introduced into Canada about 1620. In 1910 there were 2,590 cheese and butter factories.

There are about 130,000,000 acres of forests. There is a total of 174,956 sq, miles of forest reserves.

The total value of the fisheries in 1910 was 1,818,436 dollars ; number of persons employed 12,054; principal fish, cod, (812,522 dollars), mackerel, (99,735 dollars) ; lobsters, (287,726 dollars) ; salmon, (100,110 dollars).