Malarial fever offers the principal obstacle to white colonists in this territory, some parts of the islands being more subject to the ravages of the fever than others. The efforts of the Australian medical authorities have met with great success, and the percentage of people suffering regularly from malaria has gradually decreased from year to year. In Rabaul, where much work has been performed on sanitation and bush clearing around the town, the malarial carrier, the anopheline mosquito, has been almost eliminated, with the result that malaria cases are at present few and far between. The man who suffers is of course the planter living in places remote from the activities of the medical authorities. Elephantiasis makes an appearance occasionally amongst the native population; and, as is the case in most tropical countries, dysentery and tubercular diseases yearly claim a number of victims from the colored races.

Constant care has to be exercised to prevent the introduction of epidemic diseases, such as smallpox, influenza or measles, the latter of which, while comparatively harmless among white races, becomes calamitously destructive among the careless living slightly clad natives.

Native Population.

Head-taxes are collected every year and a census is taken regularly in the parts of the Territory under Government influence. total enumerated native population at 30th June, 1936, was 542,394. The non-native population at that date was 5,897.

The

Generally speaking the New Guinea aborigine is of a good type, well built, and, when civilised, very amenable to discipline. As a rule he is fairly stolid, though flashes of brilliance are found amongst members of some of the tribes. In every island the different branches or tribes appear to be innumerable, and even at short distances it is found that great physical differences occur in the types; while tribes only ten or twelve miles from each other often speak totally different dialects. The result is that interpretation is very difficult for travellers or for the natives amongst themselves, but throughout the colony the use of "pidgin" English has become so established, that even the Germans spoke pidgin English to their labourers. Natives are recruited for many purposes; they make good plantation labourers, boats' crews, or domestic servants, whilst many who have received special training have become adept artisans. The German Government had commenced a technical school for natives at Rabaul. This school has been continued by the Australian Authorities who have also established an Elementary School.

Work of this nature is also carried out by the Missions.

Communications.

A regular subsidized shipping service between Sydney (Australia) and New Guinea is maintained by vessels of Burns, Philp & Co. Ltd., pursuant to an agreement with the Commonwealth Government.

In addition vessels from Europe, Australia, U.S. A. and the East call at Rabaul.

Between Rabaul and the various islands small steamers maintain a regular service, carrying mails and stores to the outlying districts, and loading with copra, etc., for transhipment to Rabaul. Radio-telegraphic communication is maintained throughout the group by a number of wireless stations.

The Administrator, Brigadier-General Sir W. R. McNicoll, K.B.E., C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O., V.D. Government Secretary, H. H. Page.

Treasurer, H. O. Townsend.

Director of District Services and Native Affairs,
E. W. P. Chinnery.

Director of Public Health, Dr. E. T. Brennan.
Director of Agriculture, G. H Murray.

Crown Law Officer, G. G. Hogan.

Director of Public Works, C. R. Field.

Secretary for Lands, Surveys, Mines and Forests, E. P. Holmes.

Non-Official Member, J. C. Mullaly, O.B.E.

Legislative Council.

The official members of the Executive Council and 7 non-official members appointed by the Go 'orGeneral of Australia

J. C. Mullaly, O.B.E., W. E. Grose, B. B.
Perriman, N. P. H. Neal, R. L. Clark, R. C. A.
Ollerenshaw, F. G. Lewis.

Clerk of the Legislative Council, G. E. Walker.

1897, the remaining territory was subdivided into the districts of Ungava, Franklin, Mackenzie, and Yukon, the last-named being made a separate territory, distinct from the North-West Territories, under special regulations by chapter 6 of the Acts of the Federal Parliament, 1898.

were

By chapters 3 and 27 of the Act of 1905 the four provisional districts of Alberta, Assiniboia, Saskatchewan, and Athabaska were formed into the two provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, and admitted into the Dominion as such on the 1st September, 1905. The dividing line runs north and south. Alberta has an area of 255,285 square miles, and Saskatchewan of 251,700 square miles.

By Federal Act passed in the Session of 1912, the boundaries of the Provinces of Ontario, Quebec, and Manitoba were extended, the whole of Ungava being transferred to Quebec and parts of Keewatin to Ontario and Manitoba. The area of Quebec was reduced by 112,400 square miles as a consequence of the Labrador Boundary Award, made on March 1st, 1927, by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.

Situation and Area.

The Dominion of Canada occupies the northern half of the American continent (except Labrador, Newfoundland, and Alaska, the latter belonging to the United States), stretching from latitude 49° to beyond the polar circle, and including the islands of the northern archipelago lying in the Canadian sector. It comprises an area computed at 3,694,863 (land and fresh water) square miles (39 times the area of the United Kingdom, over three times that of British India). The nine Provinces of the Dominion (including territory added to the Provinces of Ontario, Quebec and Manitoba) comprise 2,003,230 square miles of land and 174,875 square miles of fresh water. The Dominion includes the islands of Anticosti, Prince Edward Island, and Cape Breton on the east, and Vancouver and Queen Charlotte Islands on the west.

History.

Particulars as to the history of each province will be found in the following pages, but it may here conveniently be stated that the north-east coast of the Dominion seems to have been first discovered by the Norse seamen of the middle ages. Cabot reached Labrador in 1497, and the fisheries off this coast were frequented early in the sixteenth century. In 1535 Cartier wintered on the St. Lawrence and claimed the country on behalf of France, and others followed. The whole territory became British by the Treaty of Paris, 1763.

Constitution.

The Executive Government is vested in the Crown, and is exercised by a Governor-General appointed by the King. The Governor-General is assisted by his Cabinet which, as in England, is a Committee of the Privy Council, formed of the principal Members of the Government. The capital of Canada is Ottawa in Ontario.

The supreme legislative power is vested in a Parliament, consisting of the King, a Senate, and a House of Commons. The Senate now consists of 96 members nominated for life by the Governor

General, and so chosen that 24 represent Ontario, 24 Quebec, 24 the Maritime Provinces, and 24 the is the possession of property worth $4,000, age of Western Provinces. The qualification for Senator not less than thirty years, British nationality and residence within the province for which he is appointed. The House of Commons consisted originally of 181 elected members, which number has been increased by additions on the accession lation, and is at present 245; 82 representing of new provinces, and by the increase in popuOntario, 65 Quebec, 12 Nova Scotia, 10 New Brunswick, 17 Manitoba, 16 British Columbia, 4 Prince Edward Island, 17 Alberta, 21 Saskatchewan, and 1 the Yukon Territory. The basis on which the number of members allotted to each province is regulated, is that Quebec shall always have 65, and the other provinces a proportional number according to their population at each decennial census. There is no property qualifi cation.

Each member of the Senate receives Commons a maximum of $4,000 per session, 84,000 per annum, and each member of the with certain deductions for days of non-attendance. A Parliament lasts five years if not sooner dissolved. Election is by ballot.

For each province there is a Lieutenantholding office during pleasure, but not removable Governor, appointed by the Governor-General, and within five years of appointment, except for cause assigned. He receives a salary fixed and provided by the Dominion Parliament, and is assisted by an Executive Council or Cabinet possessing the confidence of the Provincial Assembly.

Each province has a "Legislative Assembly," and in Quebec there is also a “Legislative The Council," forming a second chamber. Provincial Legislatures possess the power of altering their constitutions. The territory not comprised within any province (Yukon and the North-West Territories) is very thinly inhabited. The Yukon Territory is governed by an appointed Gold Commissioner and an elective council of three members. The Northwest Territories are governed by a Commissioner and six councillors appointed by the Governor-General in Council.

The Dominion Parliament has exclusive legislative power in all matters except those specifically delegated by the constitution to the Provincial Legislatures. The Canadian Constitution is in this respect the reverse of that of the United States. Among such general matters may be named public finance, trade regulation, postal service, currency, coinage, banking and navigation matters, defence, the law relating to crimes, bankruptcy, copyright, patents, naturalisation, and Indian affairs.

The powers of the Provincial Legislatures are confined to certain specified subjects, of which the chief are property and civil rights, the alteration of their own constitutions, direct taxation within the province and provincial loans, the management of provincial public lands, and of provincial and municipal offices, hospitals, gaols, &c., licences, local works, and the general civil law and procedure. With regard to education, they have full powers, subject only to certain provisions to secure protection to religious minorities. In agricultural, quarantine, and immigration matters, they possess concurrent legislative powers with the Dominion Parliament.

The Judges are appointed by the GovernorGeneral in the superior, district, and county courts throughout the Dominion, except in the probate courts of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.