170 



MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 256 



The Unit of Government in Massachusetts 



Taxes are levied and funds are spent by three different civil units in 

 Massachusetts. These are the central state government, counties, and cities 

 or towns. The local city or town is the most important unit of go\ernment, 

 carrying on many of the functions performed by counties in other sections of 

 the country. The county is relatively unimportant, since county activities 

 are limited to the support of certain courts, the recording of land titles, a 

 small amount of highway construction, the support and administration of 

 training s.chools for habitual truants and other school offenders, and other 

 minor functdons. Certain counties aJso support agricultural high schools in 

 whole or in part, and a few counties maintain hospitals for the care of tu- 

 bercular children. 



CHARI 



1. Increase iu Public Expenditures for the State, Counties and Identical 

 Cities and Towns, 1912-1926. (Expressed in Percentages.) 



PE-RCEINTAGE 



Increase 

 240 



180 



Towns Towns 



Under Over Counties Cities State 



5000 50OO 



Total 



