Page:EB1922 - Volume 31.djvu/879

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MANCHESTER
837

on a proportional basis and controlling its own ministers. The Ministry is to consist of not more than 7, representing the Colonial Secretary's office, Justice, the Treasury, Public Works, Agriculture, Industry, and Commerce. Judges are to be ap- pointed by the Government in Council, and can only be removed by a joint address of the Legislature.

Each House will make its own standing orders and rules and define its privileges, such powers, however, not to exceed those of the British House of Commons. Debates may be conducted in English, Italian or Maltese, but all official entries must be in English only. All persons inhabiting the colony are to have full religious liberty. No person is to be subjected to any disability or exclusion from office on the ground of religion. (A covering despatch suggested that the Legislature, at its first sitting, should declare Roman Catholicism the State religion.) English is to be the official language of the colony, but English and Italian are to be recognized as equal languages of culture, and Maltese is to be allowed in the elementary schools. Italian is to be the official language of record in the law courts, but not only English people but any person who is not Maltese may claim to be tried in the English language.

By the new letters patent the power to make laws regarding 'reserved matters" including everything pertaining to de- fence, the control of the naval, military and air forces, wireless, territorial waters, imperial property and interests, external trade, coinage, immigration, naturalization, treaties and rela- tions with foreign states remains in the hands of the governor and commander-in-chief assisted by a nominated council con- sisting of the lieutenant-governor and a legal adviser as ex cfficio members, and an officer of the navy, army and air force. Legislation by order in council is abolished.

The civil pop. on April i 1920, including Gozo (see 12.305) and Comino, was estimated at 224,859 as compared with 211,864 according to the census of April 2 1911. The death-rate in 1918-9, when influenza was rife, rose to 26-3 per 1,000 as against an average of 22-9 during 1910-20. The more rigorous sanitary measures imposed since 1910 and the enforced observation of flocks -341 sheep and goats infected with undulant fever were destroyed in 1919-20 have contributed to raising the general standard of health.

Critical economic conditions manifested themselves after the cessation of war activities. The number of unemployed was swollen in 1919 by the discharge of about 15,000 men from the naval and military establishments, and an emigration commit- tee was perforce established to investigate the most suitable outlets for Maltese labour and to assist emigration in every possible way. The number of emigrants in 1919-20 reached the high total of 5,600, of whom 700 secured employment on recon- struction work in France, and over 2,000, chiefly skilled arti- sans, attracted by high wages, went to the United States, and 1,268 were awaiting passports on March 31 1920. The distress prevailing among the poorer classes compelled the authorities to continue the bread subsidy in 1920, and a Grant in Aid of 250,000 was made by the Imperial Government to this end. General want and discontent, however, led to serious disorders, and in June 1920 considerable damage, including the burning of a flour-mill, was done to property.

On Aug. 31 1919 the number of Government day schools was 121 (102 Malta and 19 Gozo), with a total of 20,291 scholars; pupils attending secondary schools numbered 765. In Sept. 1919 the minimum age for admission was fixed at the age of six years. The total expenditure for the year on elementary education was 45.374-

During 1918-20 further archaeological investigation of the pre- historic temple at Tarxien was pursued ; wall tombs of the Punic and Roman periods were discovered near Rabat ; and a number of prehistoric cart tracks were discovered and mapped in the north- west of the island. Palaeontological investigations were also con- tinued, and excavations at the cave of Ghar Dalam yielded impor- tant results, among which were the discovery of human teeth assigned to the Neanderthal period and remains of hippopotami and elephants.

The revenue for 1910-20 was 650,489 and expenditure 632,233, as against 463.002 and 410,389 in 1915-6. Expenditure in 1919-20 did not include 160,764 paid as bread subsidy, which was charged to the grant from the Imperial exchequer. Customs dues are the chief source of revenue (252,822 in 1918-19). The amount of British Treasury paper currency notes in circulation on March 31 1920 was estimated at 880,000.

The total area of land under crops in 1919-20 was 42,860 ac., of which 20,498 were under cereals, 10,569 green fodder, 2,752 potatoes, 2,295 beans and pulse, 920 onions, 630 cotton, and 206 cumin. The existence of phylloxera in the vineyards of Gozo was discovered during the year, and immediate measures were taken to deal with the danger; American immune vines were obtained and nurseries established in Malta.

The trade (inclusive of goods by parcel post, but exclusive of bullion and goods in transit) was as follows:

Imports Exports

I9I3-4 2,589,272

1.154,363

1919-20 4,261,743 918,588

Total 3.743.635 ^S. 1 80,333

Of imports in 1919-20, 54% were from the United Kingdom. The number of British steamers calling (not including war-vessels and transports) was 489 of aggregate tonnage 1,292,755, and of foreign vessels 386 of 583,528 tonnage.

MANCHESTER, England (see 17.544). Pop. (1911) 714,333- The most important changes in local government have been the bringing of the city entirely under one Board of Guardians (1915), and one Board of Overseers (1916). The area of the city was slightly increased (1913) and a rearrangement of wards (1919) somewhat reduced the representation of the central business wards. Among the important schemes completed or in progress are the completion .of the third pipe (1915), and com- mencement of the fourth pipe, from the Thirlmere water-works; the acquisition of Haweswater for additional water-supply (1921), and the purchase of the North Cheshire Water Co.'s undertaking (1921) ; the South Manchester town-planning scheme, giving new outlets on the Cheshire side, and housing schemes involving a total expenditure of 6,448,102; a main drainage scheme (1911- 21); the purchase of the Stretford gas-works (1921); the erection of an electricity generating station at Barton-on-Irwell; the purchase of the historic Free Trade hall (1921); the Town Hall extension scheme (1921), which will include a new central library; and work in connexion with Abergele sanatorium (1921) to cost nearly 500,000.

Manchester's progress during 1911-21 was marked by the growth of a new warehouse district in the neighbourhood of Whitworth Street ; by the erection of numerous chemical and engineering works, many of them in Trafford Park just beyond the city boundary; and by the development of a university quarter, with the principal hospitals in the neighbourhood. Two well-known buildings have been taken down: the reference library (formerly the Town Hall), King Street, replaced by Lloyd's Bank; and the Royal Infirmary, Piccadilly, the site now being occupied by a flower garden and by the temporary buildings of the public libraries. Important new buildings include several hospitals in the vicinity of the Royal Infirmary, Oxford Road, the Diocesan Church House with a hall seating 2,000 persons (1911), the Y.M.C.A. (1911), the enlarged Royal Exchange (1921) and two or three churches. In 1911 Mr. Andrew Carnegie promised 15,000 to the city towards the building of three branch libraries in the Withington district, two of which were opened in 1915.

There have been many additions to the university equipment and buildings, amongst them being the new chemical (1909), botanical (1911) and physical laboratories (1912) and the Faculty of Arts building (1919). To its original faculties of arts, science, law, medicine and music were added faculties of theology (1904). commerce and administration (1904), technology (1905) and education (1914). An extension of the Manchester museum was opened on Oct. 30 1912, providing accommodation for geological, anthropological and Egyptian antiquarian collections.

The public libraries consisted in 1921 of a reference library, housed in temporary buildings, Piccadilly; a commercial, a music, and a foreign library; and 24 lending libraries, with a total of over half a million volumes. The John Rylands Library, an endowed library, containing the invaluable Althorp collection, has grown to over 250,000 volumes, and had a new wing added in 1920.

The public parks and open spaces numbered over 70 in 1921. Among recent additions are two bearing the names of their donors: the Fletcher Moss Playing Fields, Didsbury (1913-20), and the Broadhurst Park, Moston (1920).

As the seat of the Halle and other concerts and of the Royal Manchester College of Music, Manchester takes a leading place in the musical world. The Gentlemen's Concert Society, founded nearly 200 years earlier, ceased to exist in 1920.

Though best known as the business and warehousing centre of the cotton industry, Manchester has also become a great manufacturing and distributing centre for chemicals and dyes, and some of the greatest engineering workshops in the world are in the city or its immediate neighbourhood. Motor-cars and commercial vehicles are made, and rubber manufacture and the ready-made clothing trade are extending. Manchester is also a great centre of the film trade.