NEW BRUNSWICK. 



383 



thorized to construct such a line, the amount 

 not to exceed 55 per cent, of the actual cost of 

 the company's railway, rolling-stock, and plant, 

 and limited in amount to $250,000. The rate 

 of interest was not to exceed 3 per cent., and 

 no part of the guarantee was to be paid until 

 the road was completed and properly equipped. 

 The net profits were to be applied to the interest 

 on the bonds and the creation of a sinking-fund. 

 The company w r as to establish on the line of 

 railway a plant for mining coal capable of pro- 

 ducing an average of not less than 500 tons a 

 day. All railway companies hereafter receiving 

 subsidies from the province were, the Premier 

 declared, expected to bind themselves to use New 

 Brunswick coal if obtainable at reasonable prices. 

 The Government was further authorized under this 

 enactment to impose a tax on the company and 

 upon all other railway companies to an amount 

 not exceeding 3 per cent, of their gross yearly 

 earnings made within the province, and less any 

 Government royalty paid on the coal consumed 

 by the railway or industries established along 

 its line. The guarantee was to be made subject 

 to the Government being satisfied that 150,000 

 tons per annum could be mined in this region; 

 the railway was to pay a royalty of 10 cents 

 a ton on all coal mined on granted lands and 15 

 cents a 'ton on coal mined on Crown lands; the 

 contract was to be entered into before Jan. 1. 

 1902. 



Other legislation in this direction was the as- 

 sistance given to 3 roads which were said to be 

 much needed. One ran from Shediac to Cape 

 Tormentine; another ran from Foreston, on the 

 Canadian Pacific Railway, in Carleton County, 

 and was intended to reach the headquarters of the 

 Miramichi, and thus give a stimulus to lumbering 

 and milling operations; the third was from a 

 point on the St. Francis branch of the Temis- 

 couata Railway, running to the Quebec boundary 

 and forming part of an ultimate through trunk 

 line from western seaports to the Maritime Prov- 

 inces. To this Quebec and New Brunswick rail- 

 way grant two important conditions were at- 

 tached. New Brunswick coal was to be used 

 upon the entire system. 



Mines. In his official report for 1900, issued 

 toward the end of the year, A. T. Dunn, Surveyor- 

 General of the province, declared that greatly in- 

 creased interest was being shown in the mineral 

 development of New Brunswick. The Interco- 

 lonial Copper Company, at Dorchester, had been 

 specially active, a large quantity of ore had been 

 .mined, and substantial buildings erected. Recent 

 investigation had shown their copper to be of 

 very great extent. The coal resources of the 

 province had received close attention from the 

 Government, and investigations were going on in 

 various directions. So with oil explorations and 

 manganese mining. The amount received from 

 mining licenses during the year was $2,576. The 

 official figures of the Government, published in 

 1901, showed a production of 10,000 tons of coal 

 in New Brunswick in the previous year and an 

 export of only 107 tons. The import of coal from 

 Nova Scptia was at the same time 455,301 tons. 

 There was $145,850 worth of gypsum produced 

 in the year. 



Education. The official figures regarding edu- 

 cation in New Brunswick, as given by the Do- 

 minion statistician in 1901, put the number of 

 schools in the term ended June 30, 1900, at 1,771, 

 a decrease of 44; and the teachers numbered 1,856, 

 the pupils 61.444, and the average attendance 

 37,529. The teachers in the grammar schools 

 were 35 in number, and the pupils 946. In the 



normal schools there wore 201 f.-nial*- -I udrnts 

 and 55 male. The Government M ; i,i i h< 

 year was $194,112, the aid given !.^ muiii.-ipalitie-j 

 amounted to $90,3(51, and the as.se^meni upon 

 school districts was, approximately, sii lii.V.) 1 .). 

 This indicated a total revenue tor the pmpo-<! 

 of $631,372. The total expenditure \va- .^or, .(-;,. 

 In the Legislature the most important mutter 

 during the year in this connection was a prani 

 to the University of New Brunswick in aid oi iu 

 new science building. 



Agriculture. On March 20, L. P. Farris, Com- 

 missioner for Agriculture, reported to the house 

 upon various matters connected with that inter- 

 est. Three new agriculture societies had been 

 organized in the year 1900, making the number 

 59, with a membership of 4,539 and subscriptions 

 of $6,361. Six new roller-mills had been erected, 

 making a total of 19. Of wheat, 504,301 bushels 

 had been grown at an average slightly over 18 

 bushels to the acre. The oat crop also showed 

 an increase over the preceding year, and the 

 total production was 5,281,690 bushels, or an 

 average of 29| bushels to the acre. The cheese 

 factories in operation were 54, making 1,882,432 

 pounds of cheese at a value of $189,706 an in- 

 crease of $32,200 over the preceding year. There 

 had been 33 butter factories in operation, produ- 

 cing 462,606 pounds, valued at $94,618. This was 

 also an increase $36,124 in amount. The value 

 of cheese and butter exported was $170,000, out 

 of $284,324. There had been 73 meetings of farm- 

 ers' institutes, attended by 10.322 persons. It 

 was now proposed to extend the work of these 

 associations. The house then passed in commit- 

 tee $2,500 for institute meetings, $4,500 for the 

 encouragement of dairying, and about $3,000 for 

 specified agricultural purposes. 



The official report of Mr. Farris for 1900 con- 

 tained a large amount of information in this con- 

 nection, and was issued at Fredericton under date 

 of Jan. 1, 1901. The commissioner began by re- 

 porting " a successful year for every branch of 

 industry," and that the province " seems to be in 

 the most prosperous condition it has been in for 

 years." The South African War had brought a 

 great demand for hay and oats at fair prices, and 

 cheese and butter found a ready market in Eng- 

 land. In fact, since the opening of the war 

 " every manufacturing industry in Canada mak- 

 ing goods wanted by England has had a prefer- 

 ence over other countries." Buckwheat had been 

 a light crop for two successive years, and fruit- 

 raising had been steadily developing. The in- 

 crease in the output of pork-packing establish- 

 ments had been marked, and every effort was 

 being made to encourage the production of the 

 bacon hog as bringing a better price than heavy 

 pork. More attention had been given to the hith- 

 erto neglected matter of poultry-raising, and 

 chicken-fattening stations had been formed in 

 different parts of the province. 



Public Works. According to the report of 

 the Commissioner of Public Works, issued in 

 March, the expenditure upon main roads and 

 bridges in 1900 was $93,067; upon by-roads, 

 $68,345; upon permanent bridges, $65,499; upon 

 legislative and other buildings, $8,354. The total 

 expenditure of the department was $254,906. The 

 main roads of the province covered 2,345 miles. 

 The report of the Surveyor-General showed re- 

 ceipts for 1900 amounting to $175,818, of which 

 the renewed timber licenses totaled $37,028, the 

 stumpage dues were $112,315, the fishing licenses 

 $8,822, and the hunting licenses $8,266. Accord- 

 ing to a statement made in the Legislature on 

 March 11 by the Hon. Mr. Tweedie, the total 



