Page 7 - Annuaire Statistique Québec - 1918

INTRODUCTION

The 1942-43 edition of the Statistical Yeo,l' Book is the 29th published by
the Bureau of Statistics of the Province of Quebec and is the fil'st to cover two
years. The fusion of two editions into one has enabled us to present the
latest statistics available at the time of preparation of each section. In the
Finance Chapter, for instance, will be found the statements of revenue, expendi-
ture and of the debt of the Province as at l\Iarch 31, 1943.

The geneml structure of the Yeo,r Book shows, it is true, very few changes;
nevertheless, many importan t modifications distinguish each new edition
from the preceding ones. This year, a summary of the annual precipitation
registered at the Quebec Observatory, since its foundation in 1870, is set forth
in the Climatology. ln the Chapter deuling with Population, not only do
the final figures of the Ü)41 Census replace the preliminary ones published in
the previous edition, but a series of tables gives age, racial origin, religion,
civil status, birthplace, and language of the population by Coun'Lies and Cities
of the Province. Further, a new text brieAy describes the act.ivities of the
Department of Health and Social Welfare. ünder Administ,ration, the section
of Public Charities is remodelled. The number and value of live-stock
according to the deceI1nial Census of 1941, the monthly production of butter
and cheese from 1936 to 1942, the production of these same commodities by
agronomic regions in 1942, and a few tables concerni'ng fur farms constitute
the principal changes in the Chapter dealing with Production. In the field
of Economic Activity, the 1942-43 Year Book gives the preliminary results of
the second detailed survey of retail merchandising und service establishments.
Finally, the value of building permits issued from 1920 to 1942, in the six
principal CHies of Quebec and the regional indexes of the cost of living, compiled
by the Dominion Bureau of Statistics, complete the enumeration of new inform-
ation offered in this edition.
A few charts illustrate certain retrospective tables in the chapters on Pop-
ulation and Production. These were drafted by Mr. HeT\ri Talbot, Chief
of the Cartogmphy Service of the Department of Trade and Commerce.
l wish to sincerely thank ail those who have co-operated in the editing of
. the 1942-43 Year Book.

G. LEMONDE,
Edit07' of the Year Book.

BUREA.U OF STATISTICS,
Quebec, April 10, 1944.