June, 1937] 



Land Utilization in New Hampshire 



61 



$15,000 road to service an $800 location, the best State policy is one of 

 encouraging the relocation of these people to present public services in 

 better areas. The situation in Areas 1 to 4 can be noted by studying 

 Table 14 and Plate 8. 



A few attractive lakes have possibilities for summer development. 



Reorganization of Local Governments 



The reorganization of local political units is probably not a popular 

 theme on account of a strong town consciousness ; and yet in the interest 

 of a program to bring a better content of living to the people of the 

 area, the possibilities should be explored.^ 



The abandonment of places, the decline in agriculture and population, 

 and changes in transportation bring need for the readjustment of local 

 institutions. Where decline has been severe, the town boundaries 

 represent a unit too small for efficient administration. Where only a 

 few families are left in a town, the real need of government is reduced 

 to a minimum ; and yet the local superstructure continues to result in 

 high per capita costs. 



Probably the average town is too small a unit for the best adminis- 

 tration of roads and schools. In the case of rural towns where only a 

 few families remain, effective and efficient administration is definitely 

 handicapped by the small political unit. Modern road building and 

 maintenance require large and expensive machinery and very little 

 hand work. Schools, especially high schools, are most economical and 

 effective when the unit of administration is larger than the town. 



For purposes of illustration, Groton is studied in some detail (Fig. 

 12 and Table 15), and this town probably is a sample of others in the 



^ There have been 34 changes in political units in the State since 1790, 

 but these have all been by dividing existing towns or setting off portions of 

 several towns to form new and smaller units. It is far more difficult to com- 

 bine than to dissect. 



