THE CANADA YEAR BOOK 1909

The Canada Year Book 1909 is the fifth volume of the Second Series. In order to keep this work within reasonable limits, and also within its appropriation, tables iv, v, vi in part, vii to xii inclusive, xiv to xix inclusive, xxii, xxiv, xxv, xxvii, xxix, xxxi to lxiv inclusive, lxvi to lxxvi inclusive, lxxviii to lxxx inclusive, lxxxii and lxxxvi to xciii inclusive in the volume for 1908 have been omitted. These made a total of 128 pages. The new tables relate chiefly to manufactures and railways and occupy 25 pages. The tables have been prepared by Messrs. Joseph Wilkins and James Skead, and the notes of Events of the Year by Mr. E. H. Godfrey. The index at the end of the volume has been revised with the object of facilitating reference by the adoption of a more strictly alphabetical arrangement.

ARCHIBALD BLUE,

Census and Statistics Office,

Ottawa, March, 1910.

Chief Officer.

EVENTS OF THE YEAR

The first session of the eleventh Parliament of the Dominion

of Canada was opened on January 20 and closed by prorogation Dominion on May 19 1909. During the session 154 measures were enacted, Parliament. consisting of 37 public and 117 local and private acts. The public acts related chiefly to the formation of a Department of External Affairs and of a separate Department of Labour, to the conservation of natural resources, the sale of agricultural fertilisers and feeding stuffs, prevention of the payment of illicit or secret commissions, the raising of a public loan not exceeding $50,000,000, the granting of a loan towards the construction of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway and the increase of civil service salaries. The second session opened on November 11.

Chapter 13 creates a Department of External Affairs, and provides that the Secretary of State as head of the Department Department shall have the conduct of all official communications between of External Affairs. the Government of Canada and the Government of any other country in connection with the external affairs of Canada, and shall be charged with such other duties as may from time to time be assigned to the Department by order of the Governor in Council in relation to such external affairs or to the conduct and management of international or intercolonial negotiations so far as they may appertain to the Government of Canada. Provision is also made for the appointment of a permanent staff, including an Under Secretary of State for External Affairs as deputy head of the Department.

By section 10 of the Conciliation act 1900 a Department of Labour was established, mainly to undertake the publication The Labour and collection of statistical and other information relating to Department the conditions of labour and to issue monthly the Labour act. Gazette. From its inception this Department has been under the charge of the Postmaster General, but owing to the rapid development of Canadian industries and the increasing importance of labour questions Parliament deemed it expedient to constitute a separate Department under the control of a Minister of Labour holding no other portfolio. This was effected in 1909 by the Labour Department act (chapter 22). The Hon. W. L. Mackenzie King, M.P., who was Deputy Minister of Labour from 1900 until his resignation on September 21 1908, was appointed the first Minister of Labour under the new act. The Commercial Feeding Stuffs and the Fertilisers acts are practically identical in their provisions, except that one (chapter Commercial 15) relates to commercial feeding stuffs and the other (chapter Feeding Stuffs 16) to agricultural fertilisers. They are intended to afford acts. greater security to farmers in the purchase of these commodities.

and Fertilisers

Licensing of

manufacturers and

brands.

In future no commercial feeding stuff or fertiliser may be sold without an annual license from the Minister of Inland Revenue. Every brand must be registered by the Minister, and must have registration of assigned to it a permanent registration number which shall constitute the means of its identification. A statement giving the registration number, the name of the brand, the name and address of the manufacturer and a guaranteed analysis must be furnished to the Minister, and a similar statement containing also a notice to the purchaser respecting the analysis of samples by the Department of Inland Revenue must be attached to every package sold. Foreign manufacturers must file with the Minister the name of an acceptable agent or representative in Canada.

Guaranteed analysis.

Analyses

The guaranteed analysis furnished by the manufacturer must in the case of commercial feeding stuffs show the percentage content of protein, fat and fibre and in the case of fertilisers the content of phosphoric acid, nitrogen and potash. Where any feeding stuff or fertiliser offered for sale does not contain, subject to certain marginal allowances, the percentage of constituents indicated by the guaranteed analysis, or where the provisions of the acts have not otherwise been complied with, the manufacturer or his agent is rendered liable on conviction to a penalty not exceeding $50 for the first offence and for each subsequent offence to a penalty of $100, and in default of payment of such penalty to imprisonment for 30 days.

Purchasers of registered commercial feeding stuffs and fertilisers may obtain analyses of samples from the Minister of Inland obtainable by Revenue. Such samples must be taken according to the directions prescribed, and in the presence of the vendor or of his representative.

purchasers.

Fees.

Administration.

Prevention

of illicit or secret commissions.

The fees payable by manufacturers are $2 for registration and $5 for the license. The fee to purchasers for analyses is $1 for each sample.

The two acts, which came into force on January 1 1910, are administered by the Department of Inland Revenue in conjunction with the Adulteration act, R. S. 1906, c. 133. The Fertilisers Act of 1890, R. S. 1906 c. 132, is repealed.

The Secret Commissions act (chapter 33), described as an "act to prevent the payment or acceptance of illicit or secret commissions and other like practices," is framed upon the lines of a similar enactment of the Imperial Parliament, viz., the Prevention of Corruption act 1906 (6 Edw. VII, c. 34), which came into force on January 1 1907. It renders guilty of an offence and liable upon conviction on indictment to two years' imprisonment or to a fine not exceeding $2,500 or to both, and upon summary conviction to imprisonment for six months with or without hard labour or to a fine not exceeding $100 or to both, everyone who being an agent corruptly accepts or every