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Table showing Revenue Receipts from Rates, Statutory Subsidies, and other Sources(') in 1938-39 and 1941-42 ( 3 ) £ 1938-39. 1941-42. Under £100 H 12 100- 199 .. .. .. •• ■■ •• 2 3 200- 299 .. .. .. ■■ •• 7 9 300- 399 .. .. .. •• •• •• 7 3 400- 499 .. .. .. •• •• •• 3 6 500- 749 .. .. .. •• •• •• 12 10 750- 999 .. .. .. ..6.. 4; 1,000-1,999 .. .. .. •• •• •• 17 20 2,000-2,999 .. .. .. •• •• •• 3 5 Over 3,000 .. .. .. • • ■ ■ • • 3 10 71 82 The above tables illustrate the smallness of many of the Boards, and suggest that the administration, at least of some of the smaller Boards, could easily be undertaken by the territorial local authority. J. FIRE DISTRICTS Fire Boards are concerned solely with fire-fighting. Except in Auckland, Wellington, Patea, and Dunedin, the fire district is conceived as covering the area of jurisdiction of a municipal corporation^). There are sixty Fire Boards in existence to-day( 4 )( 5 ). Except in Auckland and Dunedin, where the fire district covers almost the whole of the metropolitan area, fire districts are co-terminous with the boroughs which they serve. In some cases, however, Boards serve areas outside the district on a contract basis. A fire district may be constituted by the Governor-General on the petition of a local authority, provided the proposal is endorsed by a poll of ratepayers in the districtC'). Some idea of the relative importance of Fire Boards can. be gained from statistics as to revenue received by Fire Boards : — Table showing Revenue of Fire Boards( 7 ) in the Years 1938-39 and 1941-42 £ ' 1938-39. 1941-42. 100- 199 .. .. • ■ ■ • • • •• 3 2 200- 299 .. .. .. •• • • 2 5 300- 399 .. .. .. ■■ •• 3 4 400- 499 .. .. .. ■■ •• •• 5 4 500- 749 .. .. •• •• 17 17 750- 999 .. .. .. •• •• ..5 3 1,000-1,999 .. .. ■■ •• •• 3 3 2,000 and over .. .. ■■ •• ..17 17 55 55( 8 ) In both 1938-39 and 1941-42, 35 out of 55 Boards (64 per cent.) had a revenue below £1,000 per annum. It can thus be seen that a large proportion of the Fire Boards are small unfinancial institutions. K. MISCELLANEOUS DISTRICTS (1) Urban Drainage Boards There are three urban drainage districts. They have their origin in the that the drainage of Auckland, Chr.istchu.rch, and Dunedin covers the area of more than one territorial local authority. In Wellington, where one territorial local authority governs the whole drainage area, the City Council administers the drainage. Under this heading of " area " the recently passed. Auckland Metropolitan Drainage Act( 8 ) made some interesting provisions as to extension of the administrative responsibilities of the Drainage Board. These provisions were necessary for two reasons : — (1) Drainage of the isthmian area of the Auckland Metropolitan Area is a single problem ; and (2) Papatoetoe is growing at a very steady rate, and it was desirable to provide control over all drainage in the area.

(J) Subsidies are pound for pound on rates collected. . ( 2 ) Statistics taken from Local Authorities Handbook, which gives details of only eighty-two Babbit .Boards. (3) In most of the larger boroughs fire-fighting is administered by Fire Boards, in the smaller municipalities, and in some urbanized county areas, fire-fighting is controlled by the territorial local authority (see page 25). ( 4 ) The Official Year-Book, 1944, states that there are only 58, but the evidence of the Inspector of Fire Brigades gives 60. The Local Authorities Handbook, 1941-42, shows 55. (5) There are also 96 brigades controlled by territorial local authorities, and not, therefore, shown as separate local authorities. ( 6 ) Fire Brigades Act, 1926, section 3. . C) Revenue consists of payment by local authorities, and an equal amount from insurance companies, a small Government subsidy, and some minor receipts. ( 8 ) Local Bodies Handbook, 1941-42. (») Passed 1944. The old Auckland and Suburban Drainage Board is now replaced by the Auckland Metropolitan Drainage Board, with a wider area and more extensive powers.

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