LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
THE NECESSITY FOR A COUNTY COUNCIL.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."]
have just been reading with considerable interest your article on " The Necessity for a County Council" in the Spectator of November 27th, and in doing so I could not help wishing that you would try to throw some light on "the necessity (or the object) for Parish Councils." We heard a great deal when the Act was passed about infusing the prin- ciples of self-government into the masses of the people, but the masses—at least the best of them—have no idea of wasting their time in sitting upon Councils if their delibera- tions are to have no practical result. I was Chairman of a Parish Council in this neighbourhood for nearly two and a half years, and retired at last election. The parish (or town- ship) has a population of about seven hundred and fifty, and a threepenny rate amounts to about £75. Our regular expenses were confined to the payment of the clerk's salary, guarantee for the treasurer, postage, printing, and some other items amounting to a few shillings. It is true that we incurred heavier expenditure the first year by reason of a contested election, and by also having spent about £3 on cindering the pathway of an accommodation road and 30s. in rebuilding a stile, but this extraordinary expenditure has not been re- peated. It is from no want of energy that this Parish Council action has been so circumscribed. For two years it took a very active interest in all sanitary matters affecting the town- ship, and as the District Council systematically ignored all recommendations of the Parish Council and took its own (generally the very opposite) course, the Parish Council appealed to the Local Government Board, but got no help there,—the reply being that the Board could not interfere unless the District Council applied for a loan! Now the question arises,—If the Parish Council is to have no voice in sanitary matters, to what is it to direct its attention P Pro- bably it would be useless to try to get the Local Government Board's sanction to a loan for a library, washhouse, or any- thing of that description for a small parish, but it would be very interesting if you could tell your readers whether the- attempt has been made, and, if so, with what success ; and, in any case, whether any of the smaller Parish Councils have found it possible to do any useful practical work for their districts.—I am, Sir, &c.,
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