1.—15

(b) Licenses and Fees The following table shows the amount of license fees collected by counties. While not so extensive in absolute amount as the license fees collected by boroughs, the number of separate fees collected is practically the same. The aggregate amount of the present day is practically a quarter of a million pounds:—

License Fees collected by County Councils from 1924-25 to 1943-44

(c) Trading Undertakings : Electrical Supply As mentioned previously in this report some counties undertake the distribution of electric power within their territories. These operations are relatively unimportant, and details are given in the following table : —

Table showing Receipts from and Expenditure on Electric-power Supply of County Councils from 1926-27 to 1943-44

(d) Total Revenue Receipts The following table summarizes the previous figures in relation to revenue receipts of counties. It is interesting to note for comparative purposes that the actual rates have not increased in the same proportion as rates in boroughs, which increased from £2,300,000 to £4,400,000. In counties rates have increased only from £1,800,000 to £2,200,000. Government subsidies have not increased to any extent. In fact, the gross amount of revenue subsidies from the Government is to-day less than it was in the late 1920'5. These figures, however, do. not tell the whole story, as the actual Government grants to counties have increased very materially, chiefly owing to the operation of the Main Highways Board, which has taken over State and main highways in the period. The details of these receipts are shown as non-revenue receipts. Fuller details are given of Government assistance to counties at a later state of the reportj.

* Included in " Sundry other." t Payments do not in every case include interest and sinking fund on debt, } Includes £250,814 under section 45, Finance Act, 1931 (No. 4).

66

I i* k It# i i .1 . S j | I | J j | ijl | | | | | I I £ £ £ £ ££££ £££££ £ 1924-25 .. 10,913 2,046 6,715 13,394 £ 4,425 259 323 1,032 13,888 427 68 1,558 44,135 1925-26 .. 10,763 1,665 12,285 28,946 3,027 258 312 1,330 14,376 525 38 2,752 65,514 1926-27 .. 10,863 2,075 20,741 73,601 3,408 328 299 1,390 15,186 795 17 2,236 120,076 1927-28 .. 10,488 2,245 21,352 64,520 3,800 241 328 1,677 14,388 622 25 2,936 112,134 1928-29 .. 10,449 951 16,195 82,180 2,483 331 317 1,693 ® 16,063 614 .. 2,483 123,310 1929-30 .. 10,324 2,350 24,013 76,063 1,576 351 307 1,999 15,501 666 .. 3,171 125,997 1930-31 .. 10,248 2,393 24,903 83,535 •§ 1,573 391 305 1,423 ra 15,715 482 .. 3,211 144,179 1931-32 .. 10,142 2,146 26,231 79,511 « 1,060 364 331 915 | 14,662 352 .. 2,580 138,294 1932-33 .. 10,060 3,185 25,460 84,191 > 854 368 319 908 " 15,372 226 .. 2,638 143,581 1933-34 .. 10,129 2,476 28,305 84,176 1,728 359 327 1,056 & 15,302 235 .. 2,739 146,832 1934-35 .. 9,878 2,898 27,451 111.117 & 673 363 318 1.327 17,040 223 .. 2,162 173,450 1935-36 .. 10,088 2,733 29,537 120,611 1,596 378 321 1,672 17,445 304 .. 2,184 186,869 1936-37 .. 10,048 3,216 33,289 141,328 956 433 344 2,209 19,091 260 .. 2,314 213,488 1937-38 .. 10,086 3,349 36,345 163,203 526 383 312 2,417 20,683 252 .. 2,545 240,101 1938-39 .. 10,137 3,504 39,220 182,806 ' 387 421 * 2,981 425 23,496 219 .. 2,529 266,125 1939-40 .. 10,038 3,379 40,029 186,973 406 502 * 3,028 484 14,523 156 .. 2,521 262,039 1940-41 .. 9,953 3,716 39,704 184,681 321 .. 450 * 3,027 521 27,499 .. .. 2,805 272,677 1941-42 .. 9,749 3,680 41,236 184,930 86 .. 406 * 2,640 388 21.118 .. .. 3,132 267,365 1942-43 .. 9,598 3,431 32,870 156,370 62 .. 394 * 1,308 351 24,023 .. .. 1,826 230,233 1943-44 .. 9,660 3,916 34,533 176,474 106 .. 355 .. 3,296 275 18,718 .. .. 2,142 243,475 , I

Year. Receipts. Payments.f £ £ 1926-27 .. .. .. 15,276 1927-28 .. .. .. 20,057 1928-29 .. .. .. 83,504 1929-30 .. .. .. 3 47,060 1930-31 .. .. .. | 37,212 1931-32 .. .. .. | 35,068 1932-33 .. .. .. t 35,832 1933-34 .. .. .. 30,144 -*j 1934-35 .. .. .. 31,694 1935-36 .. .. .. 29,183 1936-37 .. .. .. 39,062 30,150 1937-38 .. .. .. 42,939 33,780 1938-39 .. .. 45,920 44,299 1939-40 .. .. .. 48,763 47,134 1940-41 .. .. .. 53,198 46,963 1941-42 .. .. .. 54,018 48,921 1942-43 .. .. .. 59,266 53,556 1943-44- .. .. .. 61,075 54,379