BRITISH COLUMBIA 261
The ostablishmeiit of packing houses at Edmonton and Calgary has given a great stininlns to the liog industry. Mixed farming combining dairying and liog raising is becoming general. The l)utter output was about 3,000,000 lbs. in 1911. The output of cheese is about 2.50,000 lbs.
A coal survey of Alberta by the Geological Survey of Canada places the coal area at 16,588 square miles containing 90,000 million tons. The output in 1910 was 3, 036,. 553 tons (in 1909, 2,374,3-29 tons). Xatural gas is found at Medicine Hat and Bow Island in inexhaustible quantities.
Alberta has 9,932 square miles of forest reserves. The northern portion of the province contains belts of forests along the rivers and lakes, consisting of spruce, pine, cottonwood, and jjoplar serviceable for merchantable timber.
The lakes of the province abound in several species of fish, but the industry is not developed to any gi-eat extent. The number of men engaged in 1911 was 494; the numlter of boats 303.
Manufacturing has just begun in the province. Flour mills, oat-meal mills, pork and beef packing houses have been established within the last few yeais. Brewing and malting are carried on at Edmonton, Calgary and Lethbridge. Coke and briquettes form a considerable industry in the Crowsnest Pass district, producing (1911) 121,578 tons of coke and 108,996 tons of briquettes.
Commerce and Communication.— As the province has no control of
customs or excise, the government collects no statistics of the exports or imports. The principal exports of the province consist of grain, fat cattle, liutter and coal. Hams and bacon to the value of 500,000 dollars are imported annually, and 20,000 carcasses of Australian mutton.
Length of radway lines 2.300 miles. New lines to the length of 1,800 miles arc l)eing constructed.
- Books of Reference.
Reports of the following Departments from 1900 to 1011:— A.urieulture, Education. Provincial Seoretar.v, Pnblic Works. See also under Canada.
British Columbia.
Constitution and Government— PreWous to 1858 British Columbia, then known as New Caledonia, formed a i>ortion of the Hudson's Bay Company's concession, but in that year it was constituted a Crown Colony, owing to the large immigration consequent on the discovery of gold. Vancouver Island was leased to the Hudson's Ba}^ Company in 1843, and was made a CroAvn Colony in 18i9. In 1866 the Colonies of British Columbia and A'ancouver Island were united, and on July 20th, 1871, British Columbia entered the Canadian Confederation, and is represented by three members in the Senate, and seven in the House of Commons of Canada.
The Provincial Government is administered by a Lieutenant-Governor and Legislative Assend)ly of 42 members on the system of executive administration known as a "responsible government." The Assembly is elected for four years, every male adult (British subjects) having resided six months in the Province, duly registered, being entitled to vote.
State of parties in Legislature at General Election of 1912: — Conservatives, 40; Socialists, 2.
