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(3) County Roads.—These are roads within the county which provide for communication within the county itself, and have little importance as means of communication for larger areas : (4) District Roads.—These are concerned with providing transport facilities within a relatively confined area of a particular rural local body. County and district roads respectively refer only to such rural local bodies as counties and road districts. The provisions as to main and State highways refer only to rural local authorities and to boroughs and Town Boards with populations under 6,000. No boroughs with populations of over 6,000 have any main or State highways, and they are entirely responsible for the construction and maintenance of all the streets within their districts*: (5) Streets. —Public highways in boroughs and town districts are designated streets. As stated above, boroughs with over 6,000 population are responsible for all streets within their territories. Boroughs with populations below 6,000 are responsible only for streets other than State and main highways. The importance of road construction and maintenance in rural local authorities is evidenced by the following statistics of county receipts and payments for the year 1941-42. The total revenue of all the counties in New Zealand in 1941-42 was approximately £2,500,000. This does not include hospital rates, subsidies on rates, or other revenue receipts from the Government, nor does it include receipts —■ not revenue —including receipts from the Main Highways Account, the Labour Department, or from loans. In that year the counties paid out of revenue on all roads and bridges (including main highways) and on the purchase and upkeep of plant and machinery"] - a total of £1,382,757, which is 55 per cent, of the total revenue. If to that is added the interest on loans and overdraft, and the amortization of debt, practically all of which expenditure can be referred to road construction or maintenance, the total expended on roads in that year is £1,931,634, approximately 77 per cent, of the total revenue of the counties. The balance of the expenditure is made up of general administration—approximately 14 per cent. —and other payments, approximately 5 per cent. In view of the fact that 77 per cent, of the total rate revenue is expended on road maintenance and construction it would be legitimate to take approximately the same proportion of the administrative expenditure as referrable to roads. Hence, a round figure of 87 per cent, of the revenue of counties is destined for the construction and maintenance of roads. The above figures are admittedly only rough, but are intended to give some idea of the importance of road construction and maintenance as a primary function of the rural local authorities in New Zealand. They are, in effect, roading authorities^. In addition to the above, counties also spent somewhere about £47,000 on roads and bridges out of loan moneys. Similar figures are not available for boroughs, but the following figures give a picture on a somewhat similar basis. The total revenue of boroughs from rates and other sources associated with rates§ was approximately £3,857,000. The total expenditure on roads and bridges was approximately £1,174,000, an expenditure of approximately 30 per cent, of the total revenue on roads and bridges. Boroughs, on the other hand, have to expend their money on drainage, sanitary and garbage removal, water-supply, fire-prevention, baths, traffic control as well, to mention only some of the general subjects without mentioning the public utilities. B. HEALTH AND SANITARY SERVICES The maintenance of public health is one of the functions which must be undertaken by a public authority, since no individual or group of individuals has sufficient proprietary interest therein. While certain general health standards can be laid down nationally, the actual detailed implementation of the provisions necessary to maintain these health standards must necessarily be a function of local government. Dangers to health arise principally in areas where people tend to congregate, and consequently problems of public health demand much closer attention in urban than in rural areas. Therefore' urban local authorities have very much more important responsibilities in this field than rural local authorities. The Health Act, 1920, requires that every local authority shall have a Sanitary Inspector,|| and that such Sanitary Inspector must be a qualified member of the Royal Sanitary Institute, or hold similar qualifications. The powers and duties of local authorities with respect to public health are dealt with generally in the Health Act, 1920. Special provisions as to powers and duties of particular local authorities are contained in the particular Acts relating thereto. These will be discussed in the sequel. The Health Act requires that every local authority shall promote and conserve the public health within its district, and in particular is required to carry out a regular inspection to ascertain if any nuisances or conditions likely to be dangerous to health or convenience exist in the district, and to take steps to cause abatement of such nuisances^. For the purpose of this provision the local authorities are subject to the general direction of the Board of Health, through the Director-General of Health. The District Officers of Health are in their own areas generally responsible for the supervision of the general health requirements of the district, and do, in tact, exercise a supervision over the activities of the local authorities in this direction. In addition to the general requirement of abatement of nuisances and of conditions likely to be dangerous to health, local authorities must on requisition of the Board of Health, provide drainage or sewerage works, water-works, and works for the collection and disposal of nightsoil and offensive matter.

* Tiiis does not touch the question of the genorai statutory subsidy, which is paid out of the Main Highways Account, and a small proportion of which goes to Borough Councils. f .Practically all of this expenditure will be on roadmaking or road-maintenance equipment. j Tnis discussion does not touch the question as to the burden of rates on county ratepayers. J JMot including revenue from public utilities, &e. || Health Act, 1920, section 2d. i| f bid., 1920, section 20.

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