91 



contribute towards the cost of the maintenance, repair, enlarge* 

 ment, and improvement of any highway, and even of any 

 pubHc footpath in the county. Mark the fact that main roads 

 are vested in the County Councils, and that the clause as to 

 highways and pubUc footpaths largely extends the sphere of use- 

 fulness of such councils. But the powers granted with regard to 

 rivers pollution overshadow in importance — from a sanitary point 

 of view — all the rest. The narrowly selfish manner in which 

 urban and municipal authorities have sent down sewage into 

 rivers and streams, and for which they will now be promptly 

 brought to account, is a crying disgrace. With the single excep- 

 tion of Colne, not one authority — whether municipal, urban, or 

 rural sanitary, is free from blame in this matter — ^t'rom Trawden 

 to Whalley. Not only will the Lancashire County Council be 

 able to enforce the provisions of the Elvers Pollution Prevention 

 Act, 1876, within their own area, but they will by joining in 

 committee with other County Councils be able to follow any river 

 or stream to its source in Yorkshire, Derbyshire, or Cheshire. 

 Many other minor powers have been granted to County Councils, 

 but enough has been brought before you to prove that the post 

 of a faithful County Councillor will be one involving plenty of 

 hard work and heavy responsibilities. In Lancashire he wiU 

 have a share in the administration of an immense tract of coun- 

 try of large rateable value and containing a population of one 

 and a half miUions. In naming the paper " the Local Govern- 

 ment Act and its effect upon our neighbourhood," I did not 

 intend to don the prophetic mantle, Eussell Lowell's grand- 

 mother's advice " don't never prophecy unless you know," would 

 have openly rebuked me else. " Effect," therefore, must here be 

 understood in its narrow and immediate sense ; but it is impos- 

 sible to ignore the importance of this crisis, or the need of a 

 careful selection of candidates if the Act has to be made as useful 

 as every friend of good government desires. 



The best CANDmATES fob the Office of County CouNOHiLOR. 



Ambitious seekers after social position should be avoided, and 

 on the other hand honoured names are not in themselves suffi- 

 cient — we must insist upon a liking for work and administrative 

 capacity. Above all, the election of members as a reward for 

 purely party services would lower the tone of the whole council. 

 Government by party has — in the present state of public opinion 

 — in Imperial Parliament — an irresistible case — because there 

 laws are abrogated, altered, or made. But on the County 

 Councils quite a different set of faculties will be brought into 

 play. Laws already passed will have to be carefully administered, 

 and a member's usefulness will increase just in proportion to his 

 power to lay aside for the time aU local and party considerations 



