MANITOBA. 



471 



when the person is seated and the door locked 

 there is no space for change of position or rest. 

 On the front, opposite the chin of the occupant, 

 is a shelf for food, which can be reached through 

 a hole in the door. When the first man to be 

 punished was released and put into the lockup 

 he broke out and smashed the chair before leav- 

 ing town. A second chair was made and put in 

 its place. 



Topographical Survey. The Topographical 

 Commission began work where the United States 

 Geological Survey had triangulated the section, 

 near Bucksport. The sum of $2,500 was appro- 

 priated by the State for the work of 1899, and 

 the United States Government added a like 

 amount. Only 432 square miles can be surveyed 

 in a year with the present force. 



Vital Statistics. The population of Maine 

 was 715,000 on Jan. 1, 1899, against 661,000 in 

 1890. The report of the Bureau of Registration 

 gives the number of births in 1897 as 15,429; in 



1896, 15,430; in 1895, 14,607; of which 7,292 were 

 males and 7,127 females. The number of mar- 

 riages in the year was 5,331. The age of the oldest 

 groom was eighty-six ; of the oldest bride, seventy- 

 six; of the youngest bride, thirteen. There were 

 722 diA 7 orces, in 536 of which the wife was libel- 

 ant and in 186 the husband. The deaths num- 

 bered 5,634 males and 5,606 females, 4 women 

 and 2 men having reached the age of one hun- 

 dred. The number of unmarried men in the State 

 in 1899 w r as 55,976, and the number of women 

 twenty-five years old and past unmarried was 

 40,907. 



Political. A special election was held June 

 19, 1899, for the purpose of filling the vacancy 

 caused by the death of Nelson Dingley. It re- 

 sulted in the choice of Charles E. Littlefield, Re- 

 publican, against John Scott, Democrat, by a vote 

 of 11,624 to 2,736. 



MANITOBA, a western province of Canada; 

 area, about 80,000 square miles. Population in 



1897, 108,957; in 1899, 229,881. Capital, Win- 

 nipeg. 



Government and Politics. The Government 

 met Parliament on March 16, 1899, with a large 

 majority two thirds of the whole house, and a 

 popular majority in the elections of 1896 of 25,000 

 out of a vote of 38,000. The ministry was com- 

 posed of Thomas Greenway, J. D. Cameron, Rob- 

 ert Watson, C. J. Mickle, and D. H. McMillan. 

 Mr. Greenway had been in power since 1888, and 

 had run the gantlet of three general elections. 

 The Legislature was opened in its fourth session 

 oy Lieut.-Gov. the Hon. J. C. Patterson with a 

 speech from the throne, of which the following 

 were the main points: 



" Never was Manitoba in as prosperous a con- 

 dition as that in which she stands to-day, as is 

 shown by the increase in the value of farm lands 

 and of farm products generally and the steady 

 growth of population. The province must be 

 congratulated upon the increased immigration 

 during the present year. It is satisfactory to 

 note that farmers' institutes and agricultural and 

 kindred societies have continued to be of great 

 value to our agricultural classes, and that our 

 great industrial fairs are attracting wide atten- 

 tion. 



" Railway construction within the province dur- 

 ing the past year has been carried on to a very 

 considerable extent, and the districts affected 

 liave been very materially benefited thereby. In 

 particular I might refer to the Swan river coun- 

 try, which a year ago was void of settlers, but 

 is now r a well-peopled district. A considerable 

 portion of the railroad to the southeastern part 



of the province has also been built, with great 

 advantage to the districts through which it runs, 

 and with a promise of great and lasting benefit 

 to the whole province when it is completed to 

 its objective point. The building of the North- 

 ern Pacific and Manitoba Railway branch from 

 Belmont westward has also been highly advan- 

 tageous to the farmers in that district, while 

 the settlers along the Foxton branch of the Reston 

 extension of the Canadian Pacific Railway have 

 been equally benefited. 



"We have reason to congratulate ourselves 

 that so much of the land which this province is 

 acquiring as swamp lands and otherwise is con- 

 tiguous to and largely increased in value by the 

 railroad construction of last year. 



" It is gratifying to be able to refer to the 

 fact that my Government has effected an excel- 

 lent arrangement with the Dominion Government 

 for more speedy transfer to this province of 

 swamp lands to which it is entitled and a more 

 economical method than heretofore. It is ex- 

 pected that within a very few years all these 

 swamp lands will be under provincial control, 

 forming an exceedingly valuable asset. 



" It is, however, to be regretted that the Senate 

 of Canada took the ground that the province 

 was not entitled to the sum of $300,000, for which 

 it had made application to the Dominion Parlia- 

 ment to be paid out of the Manitoba school-lands 

 funds, as we believe that such advance made in 

 the early history and formative period of our 

 educational system would be of far greater as- 

 sistance than if given later, \vhen our population 

 and resources will be greater than now." 



Firilay M. Young was re-elected Speaker, and 

 the house did not adjourn until July 21. The 

 legislation passed was not very important. The 

 bill to amend and change the electoral divisions 

 was the measure most discussed, in view of the 

 coming elections and the alleged fact that cer- 

 tain alterations in the boundaries of constituen- 

 cies made them safe for the Government candi- 

 dates. The great subject of controversy during 

 the year was the coming general election. Hugh 

 John Macdonald, the only son of the late Con- 

 servative leader at Ottawa, Sir John Macdonald, 

 had assumed the leadership of the oft-beaten 

 remnant of the party in the province, and upon 

 his personal geniality and popularity and his 

 name the Conservatives pinned their faith and 

 were prepared to make a strong contest. Mr. 

 Greenway hoped to win upon his record of the 

 establishment of an unsectarian public-school 

 system and his personal influence as a success- 

 ful farmer. On July 11 a large Conservative con- 

 vention was held in Winnipeg, 85 delegates were 

 present, and the following party platform was 

 enthusiastically adopted : 



" That the alarming condition of the finances 

 of this province demands the introduction of 

 such economical methods of administration as 

 will re-establish the equilibrium between the re- 

 ceipts and expenditures. 



" That the number of salaried ministers be re- 

 duced to three, two ministers without portfolio 

 being added to the Cabinet for the purposes of 

 consultation. 



" That the indemnity of members be reduced to 

 $400. 



" That the present iniquitous franchise law be 

 repealed, and that an equitable act, based on the 

 principle of manhood suffrage and one man one 

 vote be enacted. 



" That the alien-labor law be strictly enforced. 



"The encouragment of an immigration policy 

 which will secure to the province her just pro- 



