In 1908 the government announced "the first complete system of government-owned tele phones on the continent." Four years later it was announced that there were nearly 4,000 miles of completed railway lines within the province, of which about 1,600 miles had been built in seven years. Provincial guarantees of railway bonds ($25,000,000) have since been practically abrogated by the Dominion (1918) in taking over the Canadian Northern Railway. In 1912, almost exactly a century after the be ginning of settlement in Assiniboia, the bound aries of the province were extended northward over a new district estimated at 106,304,000 acres, with a littoral of 500 miles on Hudson Bay (see Boundaries). The sum of $2,178, 648 was granted for arrears of claims by the province, and the total federal subsidies were Increased from less than $840,000 in 1911 to nearly $1,350,000 pending the control of the natural resources by the province. The Norris administration which was strongly supported at the polls after the resignation of the Roblin government in 1915 is carrying forward a very comprehensive policy of education. The Hud son Bay Railway for which $25,000,000 have been appropriated by the Dominion is now under construction from The Pas to Port Nel son-410 miles, of which 320 have been com pleted. For the province of Manitoba, the prospect of a shorter water route to the British market, for at least four months of the y-ezz than that from New York, marks a curious re currence to historic conditions. Not less im portant will be the prospect of opening up— eventually under provincial control — the nat ural resources of the vast northern areas of the province. The chief interests of Manitoba, however, remain agricultural. By far the most remarkable development of recent years in western Canada has been agrarian organization — the Manitoba Grain Growers' Association with similar organizations in other western provinces — for co-operative and educational purposes. The United Grain Growers, Limited (an analogous commercial organization formed in 1917 by the union of the Grain Growers' Grain Company and the Alberta Co-operative Elevator Company), with headquarters in Win nipeg, has achieved by far the most signal suc cess in Canada both in the marketing of wheat and in the purchasing of agricultural supplies through co-operative agencies.
Natural Resources, Manufactures and Transportation.— The following official sta tistics will indicate the relative returns from natural resources (as tabulated for 1916 by Commissioner Wallace of northern Manitoba), the estimated value of manufactures and the railway mileage within the province: Natural Resources: Agriculture; Field Crops. $76, 749. OM Live Stock Sold • 11,326.457 Produce Sold 13, 212, 607 Water Power 5 .129. 789 Mining (non-metallic) . ........... ...... 1, 823, 576 Forest Products 1,807,320 Fur and Game 1, 684. 474 Fisheries 1 , 390, 002 Manufactures (Census, Ion): Capital 47,941,540 Output S3.673,609 Railway mileage (1916, exclusive of Hud son Bay), 4,3,10 miles.
Agriculture is by far the chief productive industry of the province, representing 89.5 per cent of total production from natural resources, The wheat of Manitoba, grown chiefly in the southwestern areas of the province (maximum production 96,662,912 bushels in 1915), is justly famous, giving its name ("No. I Manitoba hard") to the highest "contract" grade of wheat fixed by statute, though the next grade (No. 1 Northern) has now become the standard of value. Oats, barley (maximum production 101,077,991 and 35,423,495 bushels respectively in 1915), potatoes, rye and flax come next in value. It is estimated that only about 7,187,737
acres (census, 1916) or less than one-twenty second of the total land area of the province have as yet been brought under cultivation. The yield for garden vegetables is prolific. Stock raising and mixed farming are on the increase; the numbers of horses, mikh cows, sheep and swine showing an increase of 20.8 per cent, 32 per cent, 105.7 per cent and 17 per cent respectively for 1911-16. Manitoba contains nearly 4,000,000 horse power of available water power (Commission of Conservation) of 2,904,500 is on the Nelson River and 555,900 on the Winnipeg River. Of this only 76,200 horse power from the Winnipeg River has as yet been developed, chiefly by the Winnipeg Electric Railway Company (Pinawa Channel) and the city light and power (Point du Bois). With the exception of building materials, brick, cement, building stone (Tyndall is pre eminent), gypsum, etc., of the southwestern areas of the province, mining, like the water power, is as yet in its infancy. Vast districts of the Precambrian area which comprises three fifths of the province have yet to be prospected, though deposits of copper and gold in Keewatin Huronian formations are awaiting facilities for transportation and treatment. Upon conserva tive estimates (Wallace) the Hudson Bay Rail way to Port Nelson following the course of the chief water powers of the province (Nelson River) is opening up a field for and other processes such as electric smelting and the manufacture of fertilizers from lime stone and atmospheric nitrogen by the electric process.
The chief manufacturing industries of Mani toba as yet are grain and meat products, electric power and products of lumber, brick and tile. The total output for 1915 was estimated at $61,594,284, an increase of 118 per cent in W years. The Dominion now controls more than half the total railway mileage of the province.
Government and The pro vincial government consists of a legislative as sembly of 49 members with an executive council of seven members directly responsible to legislature. A lieutenant-governor is appointed by the Dominion for a term of five years. The legislature for which both men and women are eligible is elected for a period of four years unless dissolved in conformity with of British parliamentary procedure. The province has a representation of 14 members in the Dominion House of Commons, based pro rata, like that of other Canadian provinces, upon the fixed number of 65 from the province of Quebec.
The judiciary comprises (a) the Court of King's Bench, consisting of a chief justice and five puisne judges with original civil and crimi nal jurisdiction, and until 1906 with jurisdic tion also, when sitting en bane, as the ultimate court of appeal. (b) In 1906 a Court of Ap peals was established, consisting of a chief justice and four (originally three) puisne judges with appellate jurisdiction from other Courts of the province. (c) County Courts in the various judicial districts of the province, with' jurisdiction over certain civil (in general up to $500) and criminal cases. (d) Surro gate Courts, one in each judicial, district of the province. 'the County Court judge is ex officio judge of the Surrogate Court, with jurisdiction over administrations and probate. Minor courts in the province are presided over by stipendiary magistrates and justices of the peace.