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THE BRITISH EMPIRE : — VICTORIA

Chief Secretary, and Minister of Public Health. — Major the Hon. M. Baird, M.L.A.

Treasurer. — Hon. W. M. McPherson, M.L.A.

Attorney-General and Solicitor-General. — Hon. A. Robinson, M.L.C.

Minister of Education, Forests, and Labour.— Hon. Sir A. J. Peacock, M.L.A.

Commissioner of Public Works and Minister far Water Supply.— Hon. F. G. Clarke, M.L.C.

Minister of Railways and Mines. — Hon. S. Barnes, M.L.A.

Minister of Lands and Minister Controlling Wheat Scheme.— Hon. D. S. Oman, M.L.A.

Honorary Members of the Cabinet.— lion. J. W. Pennington, M.L.A. Hon. John McWhae, M.L.C, Hon. T. Livingston, M.L.A., and Hon. A. Hicks, M.LC

The Premier receives 1,4.001. and the other ministers 1,000?. each per annum. At least four of the ministers must be members of either the Legislative Councilor the Assembly, but not more than two shall be members of the Council, nor more than six be members of the Assembly.

State of the parties in the Legislative Assembly (Nov. 1920) : Liberals, 29 ; Independent Liberals, 2 ; Farmers' Union, 13 ; Labour, 20 ; Independent Labour, 1. Total, 65.

Agent- General for Victoria in Great Britain.— Hon. Sir Peter McBride, Offices, Melbourne Place, The Strand, W.C.

Local Government.

For purposes of local administration the State is divided into urban and rural municipalities. The former, called cities, towns, and boroughs, ought not to be of a greater area than nine square miles, and in being constituted must contain at least 500 householders, and rateable property capable of yielding 300/. upon a rate of one shilling in the £. The latter, called shires, are portions of country, of undefined extent, containing rateable property capable of yielding a revenue of 1,500Z. on a rate of one shilling in the £. In 1919 there were 52 urban and 138 rural municipalities, only 650 square miles in the State not being included within their liniits. Every ratepayer has one or more votes, according to the amount of his rates.

Area and Population.

The State has an area of 87,884 square miles, or 56,245,760 acres, about r V part of the whole area of Australia. The State is divided into 37 counties, varying in area from 920 to 5,933 square miles.

The growth of the population, as shown by census returns, is exhibited in the following table : —

Annual rate

Date of Enumeration

Male*

Females

Total

of Increase

per cent.

March 29, 1857

264,334

146,432

410,766

—

April 7, 1861.

328,651

211,671

540,322

7-88

April 2, 1871.

401,050

330,478

731,528

3-07

April 3, 1881.

452,083

410,263

862,346

1-65

April 5, 1891.

598,414

541,991

1,140,405

283

March 31, 1901

603,883

597,458

1,201,341

0-48

April 2, 1911.

655,591

659,960

1,315,551

0-91