CANADA, DOMINION OP. 



Ill 



to 1,739, -and the rate of commission on money 

 orders was reduced. These increased facilities, 

 accompanied by cheaper rates, have resulted in 

 an increase of 2,048 in the number of money or- 

 . ders issued during the year, and an increase of 

 $1,531,249 in the amount of money-order busi- 

 ness of the department, compared with that of 

 the previous fiscal year. -The estimated number 

 of letters sent through the post office in the year 

 exceeds that of the previous year by 11,145,000, 

 the total number in 1898 being 134,975,000. Ten 

 years ago the number of letters sent through the 

 mails in Canada was 80,200,000. In addition to 

 letters handled last year, there were 28,153,000 

 post cards, 3,534,500 registered letters, 5,372,000 

 packages of printers' copy, photographs, etc., 

 1,813,000 packets of fifth-class matter, 316,000 

 parcels by parcel post, and 33,000 packets for 

 the United Kingdom and other countries. The 

 gross revenue of the department was $4,636,649, 

 and the net revenue was $3,527,829, an increase 

 over the revenue of the previous year of $324,871, 

 equal to about 1.14 per cent. There was paid 

 out by check from the parliamentary appropria- 

 tion $3,575,411. During 1898 money orders to 

 the value of $14,518,000 were issued, of which 

 $12,082,000 were payable in Canada. The aggre- 

 gate balance at the credit of the depositors in 

 the Post-office Savings Bank at the close of the 

 fiscal year was $34,480,000, an increase of $2,100,- 

 000 over the previous year. The average amount 

 at the credit of each individual was $242.47, 

 against $238.55 in 1897. Postage stamps to the 

 value of $4,240,000 were issued to postmasters, 

 an increase over the previous year of $8,042. The 

 revenue from sales of stamps .during 1898 ex- 

 ceeded that of the previous year by $337,000. 



Failures and Fire Insurance. The business 

 failures in Canada in 1898 were 1,300, with assets 

 of $7,692,094 and liabilities of $9,821,323, a large 

 decrease from all preceding years since 1894 in 

 numbers and values. 



It may be said that 1898 was an unsatisfactory- 

 year for the fire insurance companies doing busi- 

 ness in Canada. According to figures compiled 

 by the Insurance and Financial Chronicle of Mont- 

 real, the average loss ratio was, in round num- 

 bers, 74 per cent., which, when the expense ratio 

 of 30 per cent, is added, makes a total of 104, 

 or about 10 per cent, in excess of 1897. The pre- 

 miums received by all companies were $54,759 

 more in 1898 than in 1897, but losses were $713,- 

 522 greater. British companies suffered the lar- 

 gest percentage of losses, while Canadian com- 

 panies suffered the least, which were actually 

 $20,217 less in 1898 than in the previous year. 



Marine and Fisheries. The report of the 

 Department of Marine and Fisheries for 1898 

 shows that the total number of vessels on the 

 register book of the Dominion at the close of 

 that year, including every description of sailing 

 vessels, steamers, and barges, was 6,643, measur- 

 ing 693,782 tons register, a decrease of 41 vessels 

 (37,972 tons register) compared with 1897. Pla- 

 cing the average value at $30 a ton, the value of 

 the registered tonnage of Canada at the end of 

 1898 was $20,813,400. The number of vessels 

 built in the Dominion during the twelve months 

 was 278, measuring 24.522 tons. Estimating the 

 value of the new shipping at $45 a ton, gives a 

 total value of $1,103,490 for new vessels. 



The total expenditure on the different fishery 

 services of Canada was $442,499 in 1898. This 

 amount comprised the fisheries proper, $90,332; 

 fish culture, $28,002; fisheries protection, $106,- 

 316; bounties, $157,504; and miscellaneous, $59,- 

 627. The amount of revenue from fishery licenses, 



fines, etc., was $113,603, this sum also including 

 the modufi Vivendi licenses granted to the United 

 States fishing vessels, on account of which $(i,923 

 was paid. Of the amount which the deep-sea 

 fishermen in 1897 received in bounties, $60,93!) 

 was divided among the owners of 790 vessels and 

 their crews, and $96,565 was distributed to 23,612 

 boat fishermen, using 13,939 boats. The claims 

 for bounty numbered 14,847, of which 118 were 

 refused. The rate of payment was: For vessels, 

 $1 per tori, and $6 each to the crew; to boat 

 owners $1, and $3.50 per fisherman. Since the 

 inception of the bounty system in 1882 more than 

 $2,500,000 have been paid to Canadian fishermen 

 to encourage them in the development of the sea 

 fisheries. Of this sum Nova Scotia received more 

 than half, $1,606,230; Quebec, $494,396; New 

 Brunswick, $250,352; and Prince Edward island, 

 $170,921. The number of men engaged in the 

 Canadian fishing industry is 7,895, employing a 

 capital aggregating $9,370,794. Nearly 1,200 

 schooners and tugs, manned by 8,879 sailors, 

 were employed, in addition to the 70,000 fisher- 

 men, using 37,693 boats and more than 5,500,000 

 fathoms of nets. The lobster plant is valued at 

 $1,349,000, representing 738 canneries, with 15,165 

 employees. The total value of the fisheries is 

 computed at $22,783,546, being an increase of 

 $2,500.000 over the previous year. 



Agriculture. The exportation of Canadian 

 butter showed a slight falling off in 1898 com- 

 pared with 1897, both in value and in quantity, 

 the figures being 11,253,787 pounds, valued at 

 $2,046,686, as compared with 11,453,351 pounds, 

 valued at $2,889,173, in 1897. On the other hand, 

 there was a decided increase in the exports of 

 cheese, 196,703,323 pounds, valued at $17,572,763, 

 being sent out of the country. In 1897 the figures 

 were 164,220,699 pounds, valued at $14,676,239. 

 As an indication of the growth of the trade, it 

 may be stated that in 1890 94,260,187 pounds of 

 cheese, valued at $9,372,212, were exported. Again 

 the number of Canadian cattle exported to the 

 United States shows an increase. The numbers 

 exported during the three previous years were 

 as follow: In 1895, 882; in 1896, 1,646; in 1897, 

 57,857; in 1898, 88,605. These figures indicate 

 that the removal of the regulations which re- 

 quired a quarantine detention of ninety days on 

 cattle entering the United States from Canada 

 has enabled the farmers and stock raisers of the 

 Dominion to find a large and increasing market 

 in the United States for their live stock. The 

 following comparative statement of the value 

 of the exports of some of the farm products 

 of Canada during the years 1896 and 1898 shows 

 the growth in that short period : 



Crime and Criminals. In the period 1887- 

 '97 there were 407,417 convictions under the two 

 heads of indictable offenses and summary con- 

 victions. This is a yearly average of 37,037. The 

 year 1897 supplied 37.978 convictions. During 

 the period 1887-'97 convictions for crime against 

 the person increased from 749 in 1887 to 1,205 in 

 1897, an increase of 60 per cent. In the same 



