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and the Wallace and Fiord Districts were merged into one district. In the Finance Act (No. 3), 1944, additional provision is made for the union of hospital districts by Order in Council, if it is considered expedient—that is, without a preliminary effort or agreement oil the part of the Boards concerned, or the recommendation of a Commission. There are now 42 hospital districts covering the whole of New Zealand. (c) River Boards As stated previously, the tendency to flooding of many of the rivers in New Zealand led to the passing of numerous Ordinances and Acts between 1868 and 1880, giving power to set up specific river districts. In 1884 a general Act, known as the River Boards Act, was passed, which repealed previous Acts and Ordinances in force, and consolidated the law relating to the constitution of River Boards and the construction of river-works. The 10 existing districts were deemed to be districts under the new Act. From time to time new river districts have been set up, and in some cases there has been a consolidation of river districts. The Act of 1884 is the basis of the present constitution of river districts. (d) Land Drainage Boards Until the "nineties" of last century, land drainage was left to the initiative of the private individual. Even prior to this time it was evident that individual effort in this field could not solve the problem, and hence in 1893 the Land Drainage Act was passed, providing for the constitution of Land Drainage Districts and Boards. The object of the Act was to provide for the drainage of agricultural and pastoral lands, and for co-operation between a group of landowners the drainage of whose land required co-ordinated effort. From the time of the passing of this Act until the present time many land drainage districts have been set up throughout the Dominion, and have performed very useful services. The Counties Act also contains provision for land drainage, and some few counties have embarked on drainage-works. In other counties, officers, such as County Clerks and County Engineers, are officers of local Drainage Boards. It is probable that too many Drainage Boards have been set up*. In the environment of Palmerston North, for instance, there are six Drainage Boards, covering adjacent areas, and there is little doubt in this case that further co-ordination of effort would reduce administrative expenditure, as well as provide more effectively for the over-all drainage of the area. In some few cases Drainage Boards have been amalgamated, particularly in the Taupiri, Hauraki Plains, and Piako areas. The Thames Valley Drainage Board, which was constituted on the amalgamation of a number of Drainage Boards in that area, is a large, important, and efficient authority. (e) Catchment, Boards The functions of River Boards and Drainage Boards are essentially local, and are directed rather at alleviating effects than removing causes. The Catchment Board, which is the latest of the local authorities (set up under the Soil Conservation and Rivers Control Act, 1941), has the general function not merely of supervising the work of Drainage and River Boards and seeing that the detrimental effects of erosion and flooding are reduced to the minimum, but the more positive function of seeing that the catchment area is under proper control. Therefore, Catchment Boards are interested not merely in land drainage and river-control, but in afforestation and the prevention of soil erosion— all factors which must ultimately bring benefit to the Dominion. Within the catchment district, therefore, there may be quite a number of Drainage Boards and possibly River Boards. The Catchment Board, in its supervisory function, is called upon not merely to express an opinion on the actual operations of River and Drainage Boards, but may in certain circumstances advocate the abolition or amalgamation of these smaller bodies, and, in fact, it may undertake river-control or land-drainage work itself. With a view to a co-ordinated policy for the whole of the Dominion in a matter which is of vital concern to its future, the Catchment Boards work under the general advice and supervision of the Soil Conservation Counoil, a national body working within the administrative orbit of the Public Works Department. (/) Fire Boards Fire protection has been looked on as an important function of municipalities almost from the time of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1876. When in the early years of this century it was decided that insurance companies should contribute towards fire protection, it was provided that under certain conditions Fire Boards should be set up, which would be autonomous in terms of fire protection in given areas. In many of the borough areas of New Zealand to-day there are Fire Boards. Some still retain municipal fire brigades and receive no contributions from insurance companies. In some cases, as in the case of Auckland, a metropolitan Fire Board has jurisdiction over the territories of a number of local authorities. Normally there are two representatives on the Fire Boards appointed by the territorial local authority, two representatives appointed by the insurance companies operating in the district, and one representative ol the Government. In metropolitan Auckland the various local authorities within the Metropolitan Fire Board District are entitled to certain representation on the Board. There is no popular election for members of the Fire Boards.

* Some Drainage Boards have been constituted by special Act of Parliament.

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