X. J. M. SMAIL. 



body of Trinity College Hospital. The items of annual expendi- 

 ture under the extent of control, viz., Watching £52,513, Light- 

 ing £30,063, Cleansing £48,775, Fire Brigade £7,575, Parks 

 £7,825, Sewers and Drains £23,063, Public Health £19,502. 



If we turn to Ireland and take one of the largest cities, Belfast, 

 we still find the same extensive system of civic government exist- 

 ing. Belfast has a population of 313,400, and a rateable value of 

 £931,420. The Corporation has the gas and electric lighting as 

 well as markets, baths, parks, technical schools, sewerage, fire 

 brigades, and libraries under its control. 



If we cross the Atlantic we find the same progression in 

 municipal engineering with regard to water and sewerage, trans- 

 portation, lighting, scavenging and other works connected there- 

 with, but the principles of civic control are not models upon which 

 we would like to build up an ideal civic government. 



Coming nearer home we find that municipal government as it 

 has been carried out in older countries does not exist, the con- 

 trolling powers being from time to time taken away and invested 

 in other bodies, Movements have been made in the direction of 

 amalgamating several boroughs with the City, on the lines of the 

 London County Council, while on the other hand another modified 

 scheme has been advanced, neither of which appears to have 

 advanced beyond the initial stage. Several reasons might be 

 advanced to account for the movement not making any advance. 

 It might be attributed to the apathy of the people concerned, or 

 to the fact that the legislators were more concerned with State 

 politics than domestic legislation. Whatever the cause may have 

 been in the past, there is a hope, now that all questions of 

 national import are relegated to the Federal Parliament, the State 

 Legislature will have time and inclination to deal with matters 

 pertaining to domestic legislation. 



The existing City Council was inaugurated a few years age 

 after the proclamation conferring responsible government on the 

 State of New South Wales, and history may repeat itself after a 

 lapse of nearly half a century by Local Government becoming a. 



