Banking and Finance.— Montreal is the banking centre for Canada. There are 20 chartered banks in Canada, many of which have their head offices in Montreal and nearly all have branches. The bank clearings in Mon treal for 1917 were $4,188,255,210; the assess ment valuation was $824,630,229 (doubled in six years). The municipal budget, $14,230,492 in 1916, is the highest in Canada.
Railways.— Threegreat railway systems, the Grand Trunk, Canadian Pacific and Grand Trunk Pacific, have their headquarters in Montreal with general offices and large works, Two bridges span the Saint Lawrence. The Victoria bridge, one and three-fourths miles long, tubular, costing $6,300,000, was designed by Robert Stephenson, and the work was inaugurated by the Prince of Wales in 1860. It was long regarded as one of the engineer ing feats of the world, but in 1898 It was converted into a structure more suitable for modern needs with two nazis, a driveway and foot-path. The Canadian Pacific Railway bridge, light and graceful, crosses the river at Lachine. It is built on the cantilever principle, and has two spans each 408 feet long. In order to obtain terminal facilities for the Canadian Northern Railway, a tunnel has been con. structed through Mount Royal.
The population • of Greater Montreal is now (1917-18) approaching 800,000.
In the city 75 per cent of the population are of French-Canadian extraction. Both French and English languages are officially recognized and the majority of the population speak both languages. In 1800 the city had 7,000 popula tion. Montreal has the largest birth rate of any of the world's large cities, being in 191$ 36.96, the death rate was 19.60; but infant mortality is heavy, 185 per 1,000.
The public schools are con trolled by boards of commissioners, one for Catholics and one for Protestants. These are elected by the legislature and the city council. The schools are in the main effective, though the commissioners are chiefly clergymen, and education is free. The city was placed under government by commission in 1918.
The weather in Montreal is cold in winter and pleasantly warm in summer. The greatest cold, however, is rarely below 20° zero, and the greatest heat above 88°. The annual mean temperature is about 42°. There is gen erally plenty of snowfall in winter and sleigh ing begins about 1 December. Consult Bos worth