Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1921.djvu/463

 RELIGION — INSTRUCTION — JUSTICE AND CRIME 411

For the decade 1910-19, the birth-rate was 28*4, the death-rate 101, and the rate of natural increase of population 18 "% per 1,000, the highest in the Commonwealth. For the last 3 years. 1917-19, the infant mor: averaged 59 per 1,000 births, and the general index of mortality was 12 3, which was easily the lowest in the Commonwealth. Tasmania, with a high natural increase and small area, has been a source of population for the main- land States since the days when Tasmania founded Melbourne and colonized Victoria. For the decade, the average loss by migration has been about 1,300 per annum, or 6"7 per 1,000, leaving a net annual rate of increase of population of 116 per 1,000.

Population of the capital, Hobart and Suburbs (census 3rd April, 1911), 38,391, of Launceston and Suburbs, 23,726. The estimated population of Hobart and suburbs at June, 1920, was 50,000.

Religion.

In 1911, belonging to the Church of England 88,158 ; Roman Catholics 28,581; Catholics (undefined), 4,080; Methodi- : Presbyterians,

15,735; Independents, 6,000: Baptists, 4, 757.

Instruction.

Primary education is free and secular, and compulsory between the ages of 7 and 14. Nine-tenth? of the primary teaching is at State schools. The average monthly enrolment at all schools is abjut 88 per cent, of the total children of ' compulsory ' age, and the average attendance is 81 per cent of the enrolment. The cost of primary education to the State in 1919 was bl. 10s. per head of average attendance, exclusive of buildings, which cost annually about 15$. per h-ad. Secondary education is about equally divided between the new State High Schools and the older endowed schools. The 4 State High Schools in 1919 had an average attendance of 967, at a cost of 9/. per head, exclusive of buildings.

There are 4 Technical Schools, and 4 junior Technical Schools, with a total enrolment of 1,471. A large Trade School in Hobart for repatriation purposes provides courses for 14 trades, and others are being organised. The total number of returned soldiers being trained in this way is 306.

The University of Tasmania, established 1890, confers degrees in arts, science, law and commerce. A complete engineering course with degree comes into operation in 1921. There were in 1990, 221 students taking courses for degrees. University expenditure in 1920 (exclusive of capital expenditure) was about 12,000/. In 1920, 11 Tutorial Classes were provided by the University at different centres for the Workers' Educational Associa- tion, mostly in economics and history. Total average attendance 253. Medical inspection of children in primary schools (State and private) has been carried out since 1906. Dental treatment was commenced in 1916. The total cost in 1920 was 1*. lOd. per child on the roll.

Justice and Crime.

There are a Supreme Court, courts of petty, general, and quarter sessions, the latter presided over by a stipendiary magistrate, assisted by justices of the peace. According to the Police Re|>ort, during the year 1919-20, 4,842 persons were summarily convicted, and 68 persons were committed for trial. The figures for crime generally are higher than during the war, but show no appreciable increase over 1914 either for all offences, indictable offen - offences against the person. There is, howsver, a noticeable increase under the head of assaulting and resisting the police.