Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/1055

 AREA. AND POFI I.ATION Jo

of Deputies. The ministers have the right to attend the debates of both the upper and the lower House ; tut they have no vote unless they are members. No sittinj is valid unless an absolute majority of the members are present.

The executive power is exercised, under the King, by a ministry. The ministry, constituted June 15, 1920, is as follows: —

President of the Council and Minuter of the Interior. — Signor Giovanni

<ister of Foreign Affairs. — Signor Carlo Sf'orza (Senator). Minister for the (khmm, — Signor I.uigi Rami.

Minister of Justice and of Ecclesiastical Affairs. — Signor Litigi Fna. Minister of the Treasury, — Signor Ivano Minister of Finance. — Signor Frances Minister of ff'ar. — Signor Rodino. Minister of Marine. — Signor Giovanni Sethi (Senator). tier of Public Instruction. — Signor Benedetto Croce. der of Public Works. — Signor Ptano (Libeial). -ter of Agriculture — Signor M. olic).

Minister of Industry and Commerce.-- Signer Ginlio Alcssio. Minister of Labour. — Signor Auuro Labriola. Minister of Posts and Telegraphs. — Signor Pasqualino Vassallo. Minister of the Liberated Provinces. — Signor Giovanni Eu

Local Govxrmust.

The administrative divisions of Italy are provinces (69), territories or circondari (214), districts or mandamemi (1S05), and communes.

In 1920 (January 1) there weie 8,346 communes. The two principal
 * elective local administrative bodies are the communal councils and the pro-

vincial councils. According to the law of February 4, 1915, each commune has a communal council, a municipal council, and a syndic. Both the communal councils and the municipal councils vary according to population, the members of the latter being selected by the former from among themselves. The syndic is the head of the communal adminis- tration, and is a Government official ; he is elected by the communal council from among its own members, by secret vote. Each province has a provincial council and a provincial commission, the numbers varying according to population. The council elects its president and other officials. The provincial commission is elected by the council from its own members. It conducts the business of the province when the latter is not sitting. Both communal and provincial councillors are elected for 4 years. The communal council meets twice and the provincial once a year in ordinary session, though they may be convened for extraordinary purposes. All com- munal electors are eligible to the council except those having au official or pecuniary interest in the commune. Electors must be Italian cituei.s, resident in the kingdom, or belonging to Italian provinces outside Italy, and be on the Parliamentary electoral list.

In 1911 the number of enrolled adiuiuntrative electors was 4,011,038 11 2 per cent of population). As a result of the amended law of June 19, 1913, the number of these electors, in 1914, was 9,:.54,273 (267 per cent, of population).

Area and Population.

The following figures show the increase of the population of the present territory of the Kingdom of Italy : —