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pox. Under recent sanitary legislation the general health of the 

 population had improved and the expectation of life had per- 

 ceptibly increased. The typical urban sanitary authority was the 

 Local Board, the constitution and functions of which were ex- 

 plained. The provisions of the Act with respect to Local Board 

 districts might be summed up by saying that it was made the 

 duty of every hoiiseholder to keep his house and premises whole- 

 some and clean, while it was the duty of the Board to see that 

 he did so. The powers of sanitaiy authorities for dealing with 

 infectious diseases were not so large as they ought to be, and 

 those they had were not sufficiently used. There ought to be 

 systematic provision for the notification of infectious disease. 

 The Local Board had power to construct and maintain hospitals. 

 An attempt had been made by some of the more enlightened 

 local authorities of the Burnley Union to provide hospital accom- 

 modation for cases of infectious diseases. He then defined the 

 powers of the Local Board in providing public walks and re- 

 creation grounds, establishing markets, supplying gas and water, 

 disposing of sewage, &c. 



THE RURAL SANITARY AUTHORITY. 



The Kural Sanitaiy District consisted of all that part of the 

 area of a Union which was not included in any urban district. 

 Speaking broadly, a rural authority had much the same powers 

 as an urban authority in respect of sewage and drainage, water 

 supply and the inspection and abatement of nuisances. It had 

 not the powers of an urban authority respecting lighting, high- 

 ways, streets, public baths or recreation grounds. The Local 

 Government Board might however confer on a Eural Sanitary 

 Authority all or any of the powers of an urban authority. The 

 system of taxation was that each parish was a separate con- 

 tributory place chargeable with its own special expenses, for 

 example, water supply or other local work. 



CONSIDERATIONS FOR AMENDMENT. 



Discussing the subject of an amendment of local government, 

 Mr. Horn asked why our legislators should have so artfully 

 varied the time of election for town councils, local boards, and 

 highway boards ? Or why should the same rating give the same 

 man one degree of power when he assists at tlie election of a 

 burial board, and another degree of power when he helps to 

 choose a board of guardians ? Or why should the members of 

 a burial board retire by thirds each year, while those of a school 

 board retire altogether every third year ? Why, again, should 

 the same person give a cumulative vote at the election of a 

 school boai'd, and a single vote at the election of a town council ? 

 Why should that stake in the country which entitles him to sit 



