196 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



planning and development of land, is that municipalities should have 

 greater assistance given to them by expert municipal departments of 

 the provincial governments and that there should be greater co-opera- 

 tion between the provincial and municipal authorities. The central 

 department in Britain is primarily responsible for securing the free- 

 dom from dishonest dealing and uniform efficiency which are some- 

 times wrongly ascribed to the personnel of the municipal councils 

 in Britain as compared with that of councils in Canada. The result 

 has been that, although the system appears on the surface to be more 

 bureaucratic than the Canadian system, it has led, in its practical 

 results, to municipalities being entrusted with greater responsibilities 

 than would be possible without having a central administrative 

 body in supreme control. Among these responsibilities is that of 

 preparing schemes for the planning and development of land under 

 the British Housing, Town Planning, etc., Act of 1909. 



Municipal legislation in Canada has grown up in a more or less 

 piecemeal fashion. It should be remodelled on a definite system, 

 and some attempt made to secure as much uniformity as possible 

 between the different provinces. More reliance on expert advice 

 needs to be given in regard to the financial and engineering aspect 

 of local undertakings. The imperfect and sometimes unfair method 

 of controlling building construction and planning of land by local 

 by-laws should be revised. 



One great difficulty in Canada is due to a fact already referred 

 to, namely, that there is too much overlapping between legislative 

 and administrative functions. In municipal matters this overlap- 

 ping is particularly unfortunate, as it leads to the elected rulers, 

 whose term of office is frequently limited to one year, having to 

 give attention to executive details which can only be dealt with 

 efficiently by permanent and expert officers. 



In the rural districts and small towns, there is a tendency to try 

 and manage the complicated and highly technical questions relating 

 to township and town development by men without adequate know- 

 ledge or training for the task. Real economy is only possible where a 

 full advantage is taken of skill and experience in carrying out construc- 

 tive improvements and the work of developing land. It seems to 

 be assumed that municipal affairs can be managed by lawyers, tailors, 

 grocers, and others who, whatever their expert knowledge in their 

 own business, have not — as a rule — the kind of experience and capa- 

 city necessary for municipal administration. A tailor, who very 

 naturally would not accept the advice of an engineer to cut cloth for 



