LOCAL GOVERNMENT — AREA AND POPULATION

259

Members of the Legislative Assembly are elected by the direct vote of the people. The qualitieatioiis are as follows : Every male person who is a British subject of the full age of tweuty-oue years, and has resided in Alberta lor at least twelve months and in the electoral division three months immediately preceding the date of the election.

There are 41 members in the Legislature -34 Liberals, 6 Conservatives and 1 Labour-Socialist. '

Lieutenant-Governor. — Hon. G. H. V. Bulyea.

The members of the Ministry are as follows :—

Premier, President of the CoitncU, and Minister of Railways and Teh- 2Moncs.— Ron. A. L. Siltun.

Attorney -General.— Ron. C. W. Cross.

Provincial- Treasurer.— Ron. Malcolm McKenzie.

Minister of Public Works.— Ron. C. R. Mitchell.

Minister of Agriculture. — Ron. Duncan Marshall.

Minister of Education.— Ron. J. R. Boyle.

Minister of Municipalities.— Ron. Chas. Stewart.

Provincial Secretary. — Ron. A. J. McLean.

The province has no agent in London.

local Government.— In 1912 the law respecting towns and rural municipaiities was revised and brought up to date, in harmony with the conditions and development and growtli prevailing in the province at the present time. Rural municipalities comprise an area of 18 miles squaie, and are laid out on a uniform plan conformable as far f^s possible to the Dominion Land Survey system. Each municipality is a body corporate and governed l)y a council ot five elected by a general vote of the resident electors. The chief executive officer is called a Reeve. All towns aie iucorporated under the lowns Act of 1912 except those incorporated by special acts. The town council consists of a Mayor and six councillors elected by those whose names appear on the last revised assessment roll. Persons qualihed to vote are

Kmnn "^^"^ ""' ^"/^^' ^[ ^^ ^"^^ ^^^^ ""^ 21 years who are assessed for ^200-00 or upwards. The cities of Alberta carry on their municipal government by the authority of special charters granted by the Legislature.

Area and Population.— The area of the province is 255,285 square '-^Q^noo ^^l IfP^il'-^tion in 1911 was 374,633 ; in 1906, 184,412, and in 1901, /d UZ2!. In 1911 the rural population numbered 232,726 (52,399 in 1901) and the urban 141,937 (20,623 in 1901). Population of the i.riiicipal cities,'

H . ^r:"^? S?--l' f -'^^^ = Edmonton, 30,434 ; Lethbridge, 8,050 ; Medicine Hat, 5,573 ; A\etaskiwin, 2,411.

The total statistics for 3 years have been as follows :—

— .

Birtlis

6,897 8,231 8,313

Marriages

2,384 3,086 3.630

Deaths Excess of births

1909 .

1910 . 1011 .

2,662 4,235 3,526 4,705 3,618 4,695

Instruction.— lu the school system- all grades, both j)rimary and secondary, are included under the term of public school. The same board of trustees control the schools from the kindergarten to entrance to the

s 2