620 



NOVA SCOTIA. 



Governor in Council, and altered by that body 

 in its discretion. After twenty days' notice, 

 the election is held, at which all persons en- 

 titled to vote in the district for members of the 

 provincial Legislature may vote, and if the de- 

 cision is in the affirmative, or if half of the 

 votes are in the affirmative, the Lieutenant- 

 Governor issues a proclamation declaring the 

 town incorporated. The sheriff is the officer 

 to hold the election. Every town already in- 

 corporated within the province, or becming 

 incorporated under the act, is declared to be a 

 s.-parate school district, and the schools are 

 under the control of a board of five commis- 

 sioners, two of whom are appointed by the 

 Lieutenant-Governor in Council, and three by 

 the town council. This board determines 

 what amount shall be assessed upon the town 

 for school purposes, and under certain condi- 

 tions may pledge the credit of the towns for 

 school loans. The towns are made distinct 

 from the municipalities in which they are 

 situated, but their .liability for indebtedness in- 

 curred by the municipality previous to the in- 

 corporation of the town continues. Full pro- 

 visions are made for the assessment and collec- 

 tion of taxes, the laying out of streets, the es- 

 tablishment of local courts of civil and crimi- 

 nal jurisdiction, the regulation of the proced- 

 ure in such courts, the establishment of a local 

 police force, and in general to meet all probable 

 exigencies likely to arise in a town corporation. 



The Assessment act of 1888 consolidates 

 and amends all previous statutes on the same 

 subject, and is very full in its provisions. Un- 

 der it the incidence of taxation falls upon real 

 and personal property and income. One fourth 

 of the taxes in any year may ba raised by a 

 poll-tax, provided each individual poll-tax 

 does not exceed fifty cents; but a municipal 

 council may omit to levy a poll-tax if it deems 

 it expedient to do so. 



The Miners' Arbitration act, 1888, provides 

 for the appointment of a board of arbitration 

 to settle disputes between persons employed in 

 mines and their employers. This board con- 

 sists of five persons; two are appointed by the 

 Lieutenant-Governor in Council, each of the 

 parties to the dispute appoints one, and the two 

 so appointed choose the fifth. The arbitrators 

 are sworn, and have full powers to compel the 

 attendance of witnesses, to administer oaths, 

 and to examine documents. Their award may 

 be made a rule of the Supreme Court on mo- 

 tion, and be enforced in the same manner as 

 other rules of court. 



Th Public Health act, 1888, authorizes the 

 Governor in Council to make all necessary or- 

 ders to promote sanitary precautions, including 

 such steps as are needed to prevent the spread 

 of infectious diseases; to regulate burials; and 

 to supply medical aid, medicine, and hospital 

 accommodation in cases of epidemic, endemic, 

 or contagious diseases. It provides for the 

 annual appointment of boards of health in all 

 the cities, towns, and municipalities, the ap- 



pointment being vested in the city, town, or 

 municipal councils, as the case may be ; but in 

 case the councils do not appoint, the Lieuten- 

 ant-Governor in Council may do so. Each 

 city, town, or municipality is made a health- 

 district, and a sanitary inspector is to be ap- 

 pointed in each, whose salary and expenses, as 

 well as all the necessary expenses of the board 

 of health, are to be borne by the district. Pro- 

 vision is made for compulsory vaccination, 

 which is to be gratuitous in the case of indigent 

 persons. Houses in which persons are .-ick 

 from any infectious disease are to be quaran- 

 tined ; children of families so inflicted must be 

 detained from school. Heavy penalties are im- 

 posed for violation of the act or any of the 

 regulations made under it. 



Many important amendments were made in 

 the details of the Liquor-License act, 1880 ; also 

 in the County Courts act. All the statutes 

 relating to trustees were consolidated and 

 amended, and an act was passed to provide for 

 the compulsory attendance of children at 

 school ; but the provisions of the latter statute 

 only apply to Halifax. 



Shipping. Five steamers, aggregating 397 

 tons, and 101 sailing-vessels, aggregating 13,- 

 976 tons, were built in Nova Scotia during the 

 year ending June 30, 1888. There were added 

 to the Provincial Registry of Shipping during 

 the same period, 126 vessels, aggregating 16,- 

 231 tons, and there were sold to other countries 

 13 vessels, aggregating 3.633 tons and valued 

 at $59,150. The arrivals and departures from 

 Nova Scotia ports during the year ending June 

 30, 1888, were as follow: 



MOVEMENT. 



Provincial Revenue and Expenditure. The rev- 

 enue of Nova Scotia for the year ending Dec. 

 31, 1888, was as follows: From dominion sub- 

 sidies, $504,382.32 ; mines, $151,208.72 ; crown 

 lands, $14,258.15; other source?, $53,002.30; 

 total, $712,951.49. The principal items of ex- 

 penditure .were : For education, $212,000; 

 road surplus, $113,829; interest, $49,377; 

 agriculture, $21,283; subsidies to steamers, 

 $30,923 ; legislative expenses, $40,620 ; salaries, 

 $17,658; hospital maintenance, $20,048; rail- 

 way subsidies, $28,038. A balance of $44,551 

 was carried over to 1889. 



Railways. Following is a statement of the rail- 

 ways in operation in Nova Scotia in 1888: In- 

 tercolonial, 251 miles; Windsor and Annapolis, 

 84 ; Western Counties, 67 ; Eastern Extension, 

 80; Joggins, 14; Springhill and Parrsboro, 

 32 ; Sydney and Louisburg, 32. 



The following roads were under construction 

 during the year: Oxford and New Glasgow, 72 

 miles ; Cape Breton, 98 ; Nictaux and Atlantic, 

 75. 



