Education

The Treasurer devoted a good deal of remark to this important question. He explained that there would be a further increase of 150, 646,70 in the estimates for 1912-1913 over those of 1911-12.  The total vote for the latter being 1,065,950.40 as compared to 1, 16,596.0 for the latter. He gave the details of this increase and about 125,000 for distribution among the school municipalities, which paid all their teachers annual salaries of not less than 100 dollars to increase that to 130 dollars and later 150 a year, the object of the Government being to encourage the payment by local effort of a higher standard of salary as well as the employment of qualified teachers.

(EDITOR: In 1910 Quebec's teachers were the lowest paid in Canada.)

Referring to Laval and McGill Universities he commented on the great services they had paid in building up the state. In the past they had been mainly sustained by public munificence. Now, however the time had come when a united public demanded that the state should aid their great and good work . A substantial subsidy was also provided to Bishop's College in he estimates.

Agriculture and Rural Roads (the impact of the auto)

In consequence of the amendments to the law relating to automobiles, last session, by increasing the duties, there had been a significant augmentation of revenue from that service. He had no doubt that this source would increase from year to year, until it reached a very considerable amount, as it was obvious that improved highways would greatly increase the number of automobiles. He thought the automobilists deserved to be regarded as pioneers of the good roads movement. They had more than any other class drawn attention to the wretched condition of our highways

In conclusion the honorable gentleman spoke as follows: Wise expenditure, within the limit of revenue, is in my opinion the truest economy. Let us all patriotically bear our share of the Burdens of the state, and encourage every movement toward the development of our resources; to uplift the moral and social conditions of our people; to make them happy and contented at home; and admired and respected abroad.