6 4 a MALTA 



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Malta 1 



The civil population of Malta on April i, rgi2, was estimated at 215,332,^3 against 

 215,395 on the corresponding date of 1911. The total number of births in the two years 

 was 7211. The birth rate in 1911-12 was 33.49 as compared with 36.12 per thousand 

 in the previous year. The total number of deaths was 5286, as compared with 4612 in 

 1910-11. The death rate of the civil population in 1911-12 was 24.42 per thousand, 

 as against 21.42 in 1910-11. The general state of health in the island during the year 

 was satisfactory, except for an extensive epidemic of measles and some cases of cholera. 

 Cholera broke out in an encampment which was formed to shelter refugees from the war 

 in Tripoli. There were 116 cases, 85 of which proved fatal. The preventive measures 

 taken were successful in stamping out the disease. 



Agriculture. The total area of land under cultivation in 1911-12 was 41,866 acres, while 

 the area of uncultivated land was estimated at 4707 acres. The total area under cereal? 

 was 13,444 acres. The total yield of cereals including wheat, barley and mischiato (a 

 mixture of both) was 22,457 quarters. The area under beans and : other pulse was 2004 

 acres, with a total yield of 3902 quarters. The area planted with potatoes was 4147 acres 

 and the total yield was 448,454 cwts. Cummin seed was planted on 1594 acres. The 

 total yield amounted to 11,430 cwts. The total quantity of oranges, lemons and mandarines 

 gathered is estimated at 176,000 dozen. The acreage of land under cotton was noo acres; 

 the total yield was 187,340 Ibs. The average price obtained was 6}d per Ib. The quantity 

 exported was 122,041 Ibs: of this 22,015 lt> were exported to the United Kingdom. 



Finance and Trade. The revenue for 1911-12 amounted to 448,114 and the expen- 

 ditures 467,783. The total expenditure on the garrison (including Militia) was 511,649. 

 In 1910-11 the expenditure was 510,033. The total declared value of goods imported, 

 exclusive of bullion and specie and of goods imported for transhipment was 2,413,687. 

 The total declared value of goods exported (exclusive of transhipments) was 750,422. 



Shipping. The number of British steamers which called during 1911-12 was 997, ton- 

 nage 2,219,643. The number of foreign steamers was 1427, tonnage 1,871,595. 



Royal Commission. In 1911 a Royal Commission sat to enquire into the unsatis- 

 factory economic condition of the island and as to the best means to restore its prosperity. 

 The conditions show a financial deficit, a decline in the shipping trade and an increasing 

 population above the economic capabilities of. the island. Malta has suffered severely 

 from the gradual reduction of the Imperial garrison, naval and military, since 1902 

 a reduction which includes two battalions and six battleships. Moreover, the fleet 

 has for the past few years been more or less frequently absent from Malta, and it is 

 estimated that this absence means a loss to the island of at least 1000 a day. On the 

 whole the reduction of the garrison must mean a loss to the industries of Malta of not 

 less than 400,000 annually.. The financial position is now such that while the govern- 

 ment expenditure continually increases, the revenue diminishes. 



In 1906 when the Admiralty work$ were completed, the extra demand for labour which 

 had arisc'ii a few years before ceased and there began the growth of unemployment from 

 which Malta is now suffering and which has been aggravated by a rapid increase in popula- 

 tion. The former prosperity depended to a large extent upon Imperial expenditure in 

 connection with the fortifications and military works and upon the expenditure of the garri- 

 son and the fleet; In 1905, 9175 men were employed in the Naval establishment as compared 

 with 5181 in 1911, while the reduction of employment under the War department has also 

 been considerable. The demand for Maltese lace has greatly fallen off in recent year*, 

 owing to the competition of machine-made lace, chiefly from Germany. It has been sug- 

 gested that a government agency for the sale of genuine Maltese lace should be established. 



The Commission, composed of Sir Francis Mowatt (chairman), Mr. Russell Rea, 

 Sir Mackenzie Dalzell Chalmers and Mr. D. L. H. Baynes (secretary), emphasized in 

 their report the fact that the difficulties, both financial and economic, from which Malta 

 is at present suffering, can be traced almost entirely to the growth of her population 

 without a corresponding increase in the means of subsistence, no alteration in the 

 system of taxation or other measure serving as more than a temporary palliative. The 

 Commission also refers to the density of population and the impossibility of providing 

 adequate employment by the development of existing industries or by the introduction 



1 Sec E. B. xvii, 507. 



