345 Timehri. 
In September, 1894, as a result of these representations His 
Excellency the then Governor appointed a commission to enquire into the 
whole matter and on its recommendation the Combined Court at a 
meeting held on the 13th March, 1895, by resolution decided to forego 
the Government claims amounting to $31,906.53. This was most 
generous and timely help which the villagers most gratefully appreciated, 
and it did much to lighten the difficulties of both the Village Councils 
and the central administration. 
In 1896 Regulations under Section 6 of the Village Ordinance 
regulating the working of the Village Councils were framed by the 
Board and confirmed by the Court of Policy. These regulations were 
the beginnings of what have now developed into the District By-Laws 
which play such an important part in the smooth and efficient working 
of the village and Country Districts. 
We also find at the close of this financial year the Combined Court, 
on the motion of the Hon. A. Weber, continuing to extend help, as in 
the previous two years, to the villages in the shape of the division among 
them of the unexpended balance of the vote of $10,000 allocated to the 
use of the Board for tbe year 1295-1896 which balance amounted to 
$6,617 and enabled each village to receive a grant-in-aid at the rate of 
297 of the collected rates. 
This was the last year when help was extended in the form just 
indicated. The Councils were now getting a better grasp of affairs and 
their financial position showed some improvement The villagers also 
had awakened to the new conditions and are, in 1897, reported “to be 
gradually acquiring habits of self-reliance, and learning the lesson of 
self-government ” 
In most of the villages a marked improvement was also recorded 
in the condition of the streets and drainage. 
From this period onward we find the Councils settling more and 
more into their work and making slow but distinct progress. Small 
difficulties arose, from time to time, not least among them being dissen- 
sions in some of the Councils. Put in all eases these were cleared away 
and yielded to tactful handling. The Central Board also treated with 
sympathy any village whose administration was faced with sudden 
financial difficulties which were the results of misfortune, and extended 
to it a helping hand to enable it to tide over the period of difficulty. 
It may be as well to pause here and consiler the then condition of 
affairs as regards the administration and sanitary provision for the colony 
generally. The Village Law, as I have pointed out, placed the adminis- 
tration of the Villages in the hands of the Village Councils, but this law 
dealt solely with administration and not sanitation, but each Village was 
made a Sanitary District under the Public Health Ordinance of 1878 and 
the Village Council was the Village Sanitary Authority. ‘The Country 
