Page:Statesman's Year-Book 1913.djvu/324

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202 THE BRITISH EMPIRE : — UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA

There is a Railway and Harbour Fund for the Union and into it are paid revenues from the administration of railways, ports, and harbours, and such Fund will be appropriated by Parliament. Into a Consolidated Revenue Fund is paid all other money received for the purposes of the Union. On this fund the interest on debts of the colonies forms a first charge.

To the Union is transferred the public property, real and personal, of the colonies. A Harbour and Railway Board of not more than three commissioners appointed for five years, with a Minister of State as chairman, have the management of the railways, ports, and harbours.

Compensation is to be given to colonial capitals which are injuriously alTected by the Union. The English and Dutch languages are both official. The administration of native affairs and affairs specially or ditterentially affecting Asiatics vests in the Governor-General-in-Council. It is provided that the British South Africa Co.'s territories may be received into the Union, and the government of native territories may be transferred to the Union Government.

Governor-General. — H.E. The Rt. Hon. Yiscount Gladstone, P.C., G.C.M.G.

Chief -Justice of South Africa. — The Rt. Hon. Baron de Villiers, P.C., K.C.M.G.

High Commissioner in London. — Sir Richard Solomon. G.C.M.G., K.C.B., K.C.V.O., K.C., 32, Victoria Street, S.W.

Secretary. — T. S. Nightingale.

Area and Population.

Statistics of the Provinces of the Union are given as follows. For other and more detailed statistics reference should be made to the sections dealing with the Provinces separately.

Area Population

square miles Census, May, 1911 Cape of Good Hope . . 276,995 2,564,965

Natal 35,290 1,194,043

Transvaal . ... 110,426 1,686,212

Orange Free State . . 50,389 528,174

Total . . . 473,100 5,973,394

Of the total 5,973,394 persons (1911), 3,069,392 were males and 2,904,002 females.

The increase for the Union (1904-1911) was 15-41 per cent. For the Provinces it was as follows: — Cape, 6*44 per cent. ; Natal, 7 "69 percent. ; Transvaal, 32*78 per cent. ; Orange Free State, 36*37 per cent.

The population comprised (1911) 1,276,242 Europeans or whites (591,078 females), 4,019,006 natives (1,996,057 females), and 678,146 other coloured races (316,867 females). In 1904 the figures were: — Europeans, 1,116,806 (increase 1904-11 of 14*28 per cent.) ; natives, 3,491,056 (increase 1904-11 of 15*12 per cent.); and other coloured races 567,962 (increase 1904-11 of 19*40 per cent.) The total non-European increase (1904-11) was 15*72 per cent. The proportion of Europeans in the total population in 1904 was 21*58 per cent. ; in 1911, 21*37 per cent.