Provincial grant at all if the teacher was employed in a County Academy. In 1908 every restriction had been swept away, and to the old grants were added the grants of $150, $180 and $210 for the higher and most desired classes: "The $167,500 of 30 years ago became $190,000 in 1902, and last year reached over a quarter of a million dollars—exactly $260,156. And to this we must add $13,636 as annuities to retiring teachers." The Superintendent urged attention to the Feeble-Minded problem and to the provision of Medical and Dental inspectors in rural as well as urban centres. He also asked for greater fair play to teachers in the matter of salaries: "Our higher classes of trained teachers find that salaries are not increasing so fast as the cost of living; and are being attracted to the Western provinces where trained teachers are at a premium." The 3rd Report of the School-book Bureau stated that 216,415 books had been distributed in the year. The general statistics were as follows:

As to Government Departments the Commissioner of Public Works and Mines (Hon. E. H. Armstrong) received a Report for the year of Sept. 30, 1916, which showed $532,494 as expended upon roads and the larger bridges with difficulties indicated by the fact of a rural population of 17 per mile of public highway; from the Factories' Inspector, stating 563 accidents during the year, urging that 1st Aid remedies be available in all factories, stating the need for making fire-drill compulsory, dealing with the increasing prevalence of child labour, declaring that employers and workmen should be more careful and exact about matters of ventilation, sanitation, cleanliness, etc., describing Foundries as slow to protect their employees as to ventilation, light and heat; from the Water Power Commission reviewing its work in selecting locations for gauging stations, precipitation stations and subjects for investigation which included the obtaining of stream-flow records, study of power resources and water-supply, and outlining methods and possibilities of development, records of precipitation and evaporation. The Minister himself submitted a report upon the operation of the Town-Planning Act with analyses of the method and the conditions under which Municipalities could act. To the Hon. O. T. Daniels, Attorney-General, the Superintendent of Neglected Children reported the general objects of his Department to be the aid and organization of Children's Aid Societies, the inspection of institutions, caring for children, the finding of foster homes for children, their

protection from cruelty, rescue from friendless and destitute conditions, safeguarding them against becoming incorrigible, criminal, destitute or dependant with the over-charge of reformatory institutions, foster homes, Juvenile Courts; Mr. Daniels submitted his own Report for the Crown Lands Department with receipts of $20,922 and payments of $7,301.

The Hon. George H. Murray as Premier had charge of many interests. As Provincial Treasurer his revenues for the year of Sept. 30, 1916, totalled $2,165,338 compared with estimates of $2,052,091; his expenditures of $2,132,134 compared with estimates of $2,208,676-leaving a surplus of $33,203. Principal M. Cumming, of the N.S. College of Agriculture and Secretary of Agriculture, reported that the War had affected the farmers but slightly and dealt with all the varied conditions of production, agricultural education and the Federal grant of $74,859 for 1916-17; Government instructors, directors, district representatives in Agriculture, the general instruction of the farmer and demonstrations in dairying, bee-keeping, and poultry raising, soils, the entomological inquiries, fruit-growing conditions, etc. The record of 263 Agricultural Societies with 10,523 members, and grants of $15,000 a year, and the progress of the splendid Apple product with an increase in 10 years of 505,465 trees or 10,000 arces of orchard were reported. To the Premier reported the Deputy Provincial Secretary, F. F. Mathers, as to $146,192 received from fees against Companies, Game and Marriage licenses, 1,713 registered motors and 387 additional chauffeurs; with statistics of Towns and Municipalities which showed, for the City of Halifax, 6,882 ratepayers, Assessments of $3,517,493, receipts of $83,671, expenditures of $65,474, assets of $100,570 and liabilities of $49,216. The Provincial Health Officer, Dr. W. H. Hattie, submitted a statement that while some progress had been made in checking communicable diseases yet "our death rate from pulmonary tuberculosis is double that of Ontario and five times that of Saskatchewan, our infantile mortality rate is double that of New Zealand and considerably greater than that of the cities of London and New York. Such facts should surely cause us grave concern. Tuberculosis not only robs us of a large number of those who might be useful citizens, but it imposes upon us a financial loss which might reasonably be computed at more than $3,000,000 a year." The Inspector of Rural Telephones (A. S. MacMillan) reported 124 Companies operating under the Act, and increase of cost in wire alone of 150% in 2 years, a pole-line mileage of 242 miles and 2,103 telephones installed.

A. S. Barnstead, Secretary of Industries and Immigration, stated that in 1916 963 copies of an Industrial Handbook had been distributed and other literature, that 10 loans had been granted to farmers, under the Act, for $16,500, of which the Government guaranteed 7,064, that 29 vessels were under construction with a net tonnage of 5,274, that Nova Scotia had to date (Dec. 31, 1916) contributed $2,354,199 to Patriotic causes; the Agent-General in London (John Howard) reported to Mr. Murray that his chief duties lay in looking after Nova Scotian war interests in England and France

66

and detailed much information on this subject; the Provincial Game Commissioner stated that 1,208 moose had been killed in the year and that fur-farmers held 932 foxes in captivity; the Deputy Registrar-General showed a total of 12,770 births in 1915-16, 3,726 marriages and 8,052 deaths of the latter 921 were from tuberculosis and 685 from pneumonia; the Inspector-in-Chief (J. A. Knight) under the Temperance Act, declared that the Federal measure prohibiting shipment of liquor into Provinces having Prohibitory laws had proved entirely unworkable" in Nova Scotia because of the lack of enforcement provisions; the Board of Commissioners of Public Utilities showed for the year of Dec. 31, 1916, nine applications to issue securities for $14,198,350 and the approval of $8,948,350 of this amount-including $6,000,000 of the latter total for the N.S. Tramways and Power Co.-and stated that 224 public utilities were reporting to the Board; the Returned Soldiers' Employment Committee (Hon. R. M. MacGregor, Chairman) described its work to the Premier on Mar. 31, 1917, with 786 men returned, 8 under vocational training, 369 under employment, 353 not yet discharged and 34 unemployed; a Report on Feeble-Minded in the Province described the 1911 Census returns of 644 as far below the actual figures and urged Government provision and an institution for these unfortunates. Incidents of the year included the winning of the D.S.O. by Major J. L. Ralston, M.L.A. for Cumberland; the political scandal caused in Halifax by Senator Wm. Roche refusing on May 11 to subscribe to the Patriotic Fund because he thought England should not have gone into the War, a controversy with the well-known citizens who called on him and a remittance of $100 received next day; the appointment of John M. Geldert and Wm. W. Walsh of Halifax as King's Counsel; the launching on July 9 by the N.S. Steel and Coal Co. of the first steel steamer built in the Province-2,870 tons and 11 knots speed-with two others under construction; the request to the Public Utilities Commission by the N.S. Tramways and Power Co. for the right to increase their capital stock to $10,000,000 in order to provide for the improvement and extension of its Street Railway service. The following heads of leading public bodies were elected in 1917:

As to the production of Nova Scotia the annual statement of the Halifax Chronicle put it at $149,509,203 for 1917 and this included $23,600,000 for coal; $5,000,000 for coke and by-products; $250,000

from Gold and other minerals; $1,250,000 from gypsum, limestone, etc.; $450,000 from building material and clay products; $20,000,000 from iron and steel products; $10,092,000 from fisheries; $47,750,000 from manufactures, ships and freights; $36,117,203 from products of the farm; $4,500,000 from products of the forest; $500,000 from game and furs. The Halifax Herald estimate in this connection was $154,885,200. Halifax, despite its disaster, had much prosperity with exports of $142,000,000, imports of $10,000,000, manufactured products of $22,000,000, Bank clearings of $152,000,000, Civic Assessment of $38,000,000 and a shipping tonnage of $17,100,000. Its rapid re-building and reconstruction also brought a lot of money into circulation. Steel ship-building commenced a development, with the N.S. Steel and Coal Co., under Colonel Cantley, as the pioneer, which was to expand greatly in the next year; in May 51 wooden ships of 16,316 tons were under construction and the total in steel and wood for the Province in 1917 was 70 vessels of 20,000 tons costing $2,500,000 with 13,000 tons more under construction; the total colliery production of Nova Scotia declined from 6,195,000 tons in 1916 to 5,735,000 tons in 1917-500,000 tons being in the Dominion Coal Co. output-with shortage of labour, increased wages, high cost of materials and transport, as some of the causes; the Lunenburg fishing fleet had the biggest year on record with 95 vessels and a catch of 256,215 quintals compared with 106 vessels in 1916 and a catch of 218,060 quintals; the N.S. Steel and Coal Co. of New Glasgow in June resumed its dividend of 5% on the common stock, decided on a new issue of $5,000,000 and announced the retirement of Col. Thomas Cantley from the Presidency to become Chairman of the Board of Directors, and the appointment of F. H. Crockard of the Tennessee Coal, Iron and Rd. Co., Birmingham, Ala., to succeed him; the report of the Dominion Steel Corporation showed net earnings in 1917 (Mar. 31) of $12,967,874 compared with $3,571,059 in 1915. The agricultural production of the year was fairly good though there was a decrease of 4,000 in the 266,488 cattle, worth $14,391,000, in the Province, a very slight decrease in the 49,850 swine, valued at $1,433,000, while 64,193 horses worth $7,141,000 and 200,979 sheep worth $1,809,000 (Federal statistics) were about the same. The total product of field crops was as

follows:

tutions the Normal School reported for 1917 263 students enrolled and a successful year in the associated Rural Science Schools for teacher-training; the N.S. Agricul

4,000 24:00 41,000 174 94 9,100 350 93 Tons 1.65

96,000

1.24

119,000

6,599,000

1,501,000

10,580,000

tural College, through Melville Cumming, B.A., B.S.A., Principal, announced 63 students enrolled of whom 42 were from Nova Scotia, 14 from New Brunswick and 5 from P. E. Island, with 12 diplomas granted and 111 regular students on its Roll of Honour-including 5 members of the staff. The N. S. Technical College, through Principal F. H. Sexton, reported a reduced staff and attendance and work owing to war-calls; and a registration of 6 in Engineering classes-with 62 students on active service; students in the correspondence study department numbering 32, students in the School of Navigation with a total attendance varying from 93 to 385 and 67 graduates in the year; a considerable development of vocational education for returned soldiers under Mr. Sexton's direction with courses in drafting, mechanics and mechanism, practical mathematics, manufacturing process, electric work, gasoline engines, machine-shop practice, heating, ventilating, janitor's work, water supply, tool-making, machine shops. Nine degree-conferring Colleges of Nova Scotia had a total staff of 164 in 1917 with students numbering 826.

The University of King's College, Windsor, had a staff of 11 with 58 students, 31 graduates and the Rev. Dr. T. S. Boyle as President; Dalhousie University, Halifax, had 72 of a staff with 283 students, 48 graduates and Dr. A. Stanley MacKenzie as President; the Presbyterian College, Halifax, had 5 of a staff, 15 students, 6 graduates and the Rev. Dr. C. MacKinnon as President; the Acadia University, Wolfville, had 23 of a staff, 126 students, 22 graduates and the Rev. Dr. G. B. Cutten as President; the University of St. Francis Xavier at Antigonish, had 17 of a staff, 88 students, 20 graduates and the Rev. Dr. H. P. MacPherson as President; the College of Ste. Anne at Church Point had 21 of a staff, 50 students, 2 graduates and the Rev. A. Brand as President; the Holy Heart Seminary, Halifax, had a staff of 8 and 50 students, while St. Mary's College had 3 teachers and 21 students and the Royal Naval College of Canada-also at Halifax-had 35 students and Capt. E. H. Martin, R.N., as President. Incidents of the year included the effort of King's College to raise $100,000 with a Committee led by the Rev. Dr. Boyle and Hon. R. E. Harris, J. Walter Allison as Treasurer and Rev. Canon Vernon as Secretary, and a partial campaign netting $35,000 up to the close of the year; the grant by the Convocation on May 10 of the Hon. degree of D.D. upon Very Rev. Scovil Neales, M.A., Dean of Fredericton; Very Rev. C. S. Quainton, M.A., Dean of Columbia, with an Hon. degree of D.C.L. upon Matthew Wilson, K.C., Chatham, Ont., W. W. Blackall, B.A., St. John's, Nfld., His Honour Judge Armstrong, St. John; the award of a Rhodes scholarship to Donald G. MacGregor of Dalhousie University, and the gift of $25,000 to the same institution by Mr. and Mrs. G. S. Campbell, of Halifax; the award of an M.C. to Rev. Miles Tompkins, Professor of Chemistry at St. Francis Xavier and a Chaplain at the Front, with the conferring of an Hon. LL.D. (May 15) upon D. H. McDougall of the Dominion Steel Co., Sydney, M. J. Butler, C.M.G., Montreal, Neil Macneil, Boston, and Mgr. Arthur S. Barnes, Oxford; the winning of a Rhodes Scholarship by Lieut. Norman McLeod Rogers of Acadia University and the appointment of Dr. Frank Wheelock to be Professor of Engineering and Dean in its Department of Applied Sciences.

New Bruns

At the beginning of 1917 for a variety of reasons the Conservative Government, which under J. D. wick: Govern- Hazen, J. K. Flemming and G. J. Clarke had been ment Changes and General in power since 1908, was showing signs of weakness Elections. and unpopularity, despite the fact of only two Liberals being in the House and the absence of any real leadership in that Party. The health of Mr. Premier Clarke had not been good for a year or more and on Feb. 1 his resignation was announced followed on the 26th by his death-a kindly, industrious and personally popular leader in conditions of admitted political difficulty. His successor was Hon. James A. Murray, M.L.A. since 1908 and member of the Government since 1911, and the new Cabinet was sworn in at once as follows: Mr. Murray, Premier and Minister of Agriculture; Hon. J. B. M. Baxter, к.c., Attorney-General; Hon. D. V. Landry, Provincial Secretary and Treasurer; Hon. B. Frank Smith, Minister