572 



NOVA SCOTIA. 



were $853,698.87 in 1897, and $849,330.45 in 1898. 

 The items of expenditure were as follow: Edu- 

 cation, $247,998; public charities. $124,200; inter- 

 est, $122,292; road grant, $84,912; legislative 

 expenses, $47,173; steamboat subsidies, $38,219; 

 provincial engineer's office, $10,280: mines office, 

 $20,908; Public Works Department, $11,802; sala- 

 ries, $22,450. On capital account the expenditure 

 for the year had been $119,206.56, of which the 

 construction of iron bridges had received $72,312, 

 the coast railway $30,000, and the Exhibition 

 Committee $10,000. The total expenditure on 

 capital account up to September, 1898, on bridges, 

 railways, and other public works had been $3,742,- 

 15023. The Premier deducted from this the 

 amount of $1.050,133.49 to the credit of the prov- 

 ince at Ottawa, and placed the net provincial debt 

 at $2.387,314.18. 



Lumber. The lumber output from Nova Sco- 

 tia averaged only about one third of that from 

 New Brunswick. The combined shipments from 

 Nova Scotia in 1898 amounted to about 561,000,- 

 000 superficial feet, or 119,000,000 less than in 

 1897. The feature of this year's business was 

 the large decrease in the exports from almost 

 every New Brunswick and Nova Scotia port, 

 showing a reduced shipment from the former 

 province of 82,000,000 superficial feet, and from 

 the latter of 37,000,000 superficial feet. The ship- 

 ment of lower port woods is still too large for 

 present market requirements, and a further cur- 

 tailment of 10 to 20 per cent, would, it is said, 

 give much better results for both shippers and 

 producers. The stock of merchantable spruce 

 deals and logs wintering at Chatham, Nova 

 Scotia, was above the average, although 23,000,- 

 000 superficial feet less than last year. Following 

 is a comparison in the transatlantic shipments 

 of deals from New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, 

 the figures being given in round millions of super- 

 ficial feet: 1894, New Brunswick 326,000,000 feet 

 and Nova Scotia 106,000,000 feet; 1898, New 

 Brunswick 412,000,000 feet and Nova Scotia 148,- 

 000,000 feet. 



Education. The report of the Superintendent 

 of Education for the year ended July 31, 1898, 

 showed that the educational affairs of the prov- 

 ince during the year were satisfactory. The num- 

 ber of sections that were without schools had 

 been reduced from 153 to 124, w r hich was a con- 

 tinuation of the improvement of the previous 

 year, when they were reduced from 171 to 153. 

 The number of schools increased from 2,346 to 

 2,385. The annual enrollment of pupils increased 

 from 100,847 to 101,203. What was of greater 

 importance, the daily average attendance in- 

 creased from 54,922 to 57,771. The superintendent 

 reported that this was the best attendance in the 

 history of the province. The number of teachers 

 rose from 2,485 to 2,510, and it was regarded as 

 even more important that the number of normal- 

 school trained teachers rose from 752 to 798. 

 The report showed a steady gain in the number 

 of trained teachers remaining in the profession 

 since 1893. The numbers employed each year 

 since 1893 were as follow: 403, 499, 616, 690, 752, 

 798. The number of male teachers increased from 

 576 to 614, while the female teachers diminished 

 from 1,909 to 1,896. This change was in keeping 

 with the general trend since 1893. The school 

 sections increased their vote for buildings and 

 repairs by $22.481 over the previous year, and 

 for teachers' salaries by $11,139. The former in- 

 dicated a growing appreciation of improved ac- 

 commodation for the children, and the latter of 

 the value of skilled teachers. The average of 

 salaries had not increased, however, as the small 



increase in some classes was offset by a small 

 decrease in others. The teachers' licenses granted 

 each year from 1893 to 1898 were as follow: 218, 

 250, 305, 513, 571, 573. 



Agriculture. The annual report on agricul- 

 ture showed that in 1878 there were 77 agricul- 

 tural societies in the province, having a member- 

 ship of 4,138 persons, who subscribed $4,860.82, 

 and in 1895 the number had only increased to 83, 

 with a membership of 4,597, subscribing $5 ; 356. 

 In 1898, three years later, there were 103 societies, 

 containing 6,155 members, subscribing $7,092.90. 

 In the current year (1899) 15 of these societies 

 were formed. The subscription of these societies 

 in 1898 ($7,092.90) was supplemented by the Gov- 

 ernment grant of $8,000, and this made a total 

 sum of over $15,000 spent for improving the live 

 stock in the province. The report on the sub- 

 ject of creameries, with a detailed table, showed 

 at least an encouraging intimation of progress. 

 The total product of the creameries and butter 

 and cheese factories subsidized for the Govern- 

 ment for 1897 was $73,000, while in 1898 it was 

 $104,500. 



On March 14 the subject was discussed in the 

 Legislature, and a special report of a committee 

 was presented by the Hon. J. W. Longley, which, 

 said, among other things: 



" We note with pleasure a firm belief in the 

 practicability of cultivating fruit on a more ex- 

 tended scale in many sections of the eastern 

 counties. Your committee has been waited upon 

 by a joint committee of the Nova Scotia Farmers' 

 Association and Nova Scotia Fruit-growers' As- 

 sociation regarding the School of Agriculture and 

 model farm. While admitting the beneficial re- 

 sults to our young men from instruction received 

 at the college and farm at Truro in the past, 

 and also the good work at the Horticultural 

 School at Wolfville, we are of opinion that, in 

 order to keep up with the march of improvement 

 and development, and also taking into considera- 

 tion the awakened interest in agriculture and hor- 

 ticultural matters throughout the province, we 

 were justified in advocating better facilities for 

 scientific agricultural training. Your committee 

 would respectfully recommend that the Schools 

 of Agriculture and Horticulture be united and 

 established on a model farm, in a part of the 

 province best adapted, naturally and by environ- 

 ment, for the successful operation of such a school 

 and farm, where, with sufficient equipment, our 

 farmers' sons and others may receive a scientific, 

 technical, and practical agricultural education. 

 Your committee is of opinion that if an abattoir 

 company were to establish a business in Halifax 

 on an extensive scale the result would be the 

 encouragement of our farmers to produce much 

 more stock for slaughter. Should a bona fide com- 

 pany, with sufficient capital to guarantee suc- 

 cessful prosecution of the work, be established 

 in Halifax, or put forward such substantial evi- 

 dences of good faith as would show that it is 

 prepared to commence business, the Government 

 would be justified in giving the most serious 

 consideration to the question of giving such com- 

 pany such support as in their wisdom they may 

 deem expedient and in the public interest. Your 

 committee again respectfully directs the atten- 

 tion of the Government to a matter dealt w r ith 

 in the report of last year viz., the placing within 

 easy reach of the farmers of Nova Scotia of lit- 

 erature dealing with scientific improvement of the 

 soil and refertilization of worn-out lands. The 

 importation and distribution of thorovighbred 

 stock by the Government has heretofore been 

 met with approval, and your committee is of 



