At the head of the department of justice is the supreme judicial court, which consists of a chief justice and five associate justices appointed by the governor and council for a term of seven years. The court holds eight sessions annually, four each at Augusta and Portland. A superior court of seven justices is also statewide, holding sessions in each county either two or three times a year. In each county there is a probate court for the settlement of the estates of deceased persons, which is presided over by a single judge and which holds monthly or bimonthly sessions. Three county commissioners (two in Waldo county) hold court from two to six times annually in each county according to the vol ume of business handled. Judgeships on the county probate and county commissioners' courts are elective, unlike those on state courts, the judges and registers of probate courts being chosen every four years and one county commissioner being selected for a six year term biennially.
The principal units of local government are the town (or town ship), the plantation, the county and the city. As in other parts of New England, the town or city is the most important of these. At the regular town meeting, ordinarily held in March, the elec torate of the town assembles, decides what shall be done for the town during the ensuing year, elects officers to execute its de cisions with limited discretion, and votes money to meet the expenses. The principal officers are the selectmen (usually three), town clerk, assessors, collector, treasurer, school committee and road commissioner. Maine is the only State in the Union that retains what is known as the organized plantation. This is a gov ernmental unit organized from an unincorporated township having at least 200 inhabitants, and its principal officers are the moder ator, clerk, three assessors, treasurer, collector, constable and school committee. The county is an intermediate organization between the State and the towns, to assist chiefly in the ad ministration of justice, especially in the custody of offenders. Its officers are three commissioners, a treasurer, a register of deeds, a judge of probate, a register of probate and a sheriff.
Population.—The population of the State on April 1, 1930, was 797,423 (U.S. Census figure). At selected decennial cen suses the population was as follows: 96,540 in 1790; 151,719 in 180o; 228,705 in 1820; 583,169 in 1850; 648,936 in 188o; 661,086 in 1890; in 1900; 742,371 in 191o; and 768,014 in 192o. The percentage of increase in population for the decade 1910-20 was one of the smallest recorded for States, only 3.5; and for the period 1920-30 it was 3.8%, compared with 16.1 for the whole
country. The population was predominantly white, 99.7% coming under this classification in 1930. Of the total population in 1930, 100,728, or 12.6%, were foreign born and of the foreign born 73, 743, or more than 73.2%, were Canadians (36,796 English Cana dians and 36,947 French Canadians). The 1,012 Indians within the bounds of the State in 1930 were remnants of the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy tribes. Each of the past few censuses showed a significant increase in urban population. The percentage living in places of 2,500 or more was 35.3 in 1910, 39 in 1920 and 40.3 in 1930. In 1910 the rural population was 480,123 ; in 1920, in 475,917. The only one of the 16 counties show ing a marked increase in rural population in 1920-3o was Aroo stook, which is one of the richest farming regions of New England. The eleven principal cities of the State, with their populations of 1930 and 1920 were as follows: Portland, 70,810, 69,272; Lewiston, 34,948, 31,791; Bangor, 28,749, 25,978; Auburn, 18,571, 16,985; Biddeford, 17,633, 18,008; Augusta, 17,198, 14,114; Waterville, 15,454, 13,351; South Portland, 13,840, 9,254; Sanford (town), 13,392, 10,691; Westbrook, 10,807, 9,453; Bath, 9,110, 14,731.