LOCAL GOVERNMENT-ENGLAND AND WALES.

The total amount received from Public Rates by local authorities in England and Wales during the year ended Lady Day, 1908, was £59,623,513.

Councils have power by means of precepts exclusively for purposes of sport or recreation, upon the Overseers to require special rates to or land used as a racecourse.' To meet the be raised for lighting and for public libraries. deficiency thus arising, and to prevent a For the purpose of preparing the Poor Rate greater burden being placed on occupiers of a valuation list is made for each parish, con- other property, grants-in-aid are made by the taining particulars as to the gross rental and Local Government Board to " 'spending au. rateable value of all properties in the parhthorities" out of the Local Taxation Accounts, liable to be rated. These valuation lists are the Inland Revenue Commissioners paying the the basis for practically all the local rates. In annual sum required into the Account out of the London the Borough Councils act as Over proceeds of Estate Duty on personal property. seers and raise one rate for all purposes, The "spending authorities are the Councils called the General Rate. of Counties, Boroughs, and Urban and Rural Districts, Boards of Guardians, and the Receiver of the Metropolitan Police District. The total rateable value of agricultural land in England and Wales in July '96, was £24,565,058; at Lady: day 1907 it had fallen to £23,662, 160. The total rateable value of all property had risen from £165,412,266 in '96 to 199.355,590 in 1904, and £209,891,680 in 1907. The assessable value for the purposes of the Agricultural Rates Act was 198,060,600. The total amount of the grants paid to authorities in England and Wales during the year ended March 1908 was £1,326.487. of this £433,680 went to County Councils, 354,043 to Rural District Councils, and £499,473 to Boards of Guardians. These grants represent an average rate of about is. 1d. in the on the total rateable value of agricultural land.

Local Taxation Accounts.

Taxation.

These are Accounts into which certain Imperial Revenues are paid for distribution by the Local Government Board to County and County Borough Councils in aid of Local They were established under the Local Government Act, 88, when the system of direct grants by Parliament in aid of special services ceased. The Commissioners of Inland Revenue pay into the Accounts 80 per cent. of half the proceeds of the Estate Duty; this grant is distributed among the counties in proportion to the share which the Local Government Board certified to have been received by each county during the financial year '87-8 out of the grants previously made in aid of local rates, and is used in relief of local taxation. In addition, there is paid into the Accounts 80 per cent. of the amount raised by certain Beer and Spirit Duties-viz., 3d. a barrel on beer and 6d. a gallon on spirits. The Commissioners for merly paid also into the Accounts the duties on licences to deal in game, licences for dogs, for killing game, for guns, carriages, armorial bearings and male servants, but the power to levy these duties was transferred in England and Wales to County and Borough Councils, as from lan. 1st, 1909. (See "Grants in aid of Local Taxation," p. 121.)

Land Rating.

By the Agricultural Rates Act, '96, occupiers of agricultural land in England and Wales were exempted from payment of one-half of the rates otherwise payable on land during the five years ending March 31st, 1902. The period has been extended from time to time. In 1910 the Act was renewed for four years. The exemp tion does not apply in respect of rates to which land is already assessed at only onehalf or less than one-half its rateable value, such as the General District Rate in urban districts and the Special Expenses Rate in rural districts; nor does it apply to rates levied in respect of works primarily for the benefit of the land, such as drainage, walls, and embankments; but it operates as regards all the other important rates, including the Poor Rate, County Rate, Borough Rate, etc. Agricultural land is "any land used as arable, meadow or pasture land only; cottage gardens exceeding a quarter of an acre, market gardens, nursery grounds, orchards, or allotments, but does not include land occupied together with a house, as a park, gardens other than as aforesaid, pleasure grounds, any land kept or preserved mainly or

Local authorities are required to make annual returns of their receipts and expenin due course publish the information thus diture to the Local Government Board, who obtained in summary form. The latest_complete returns are for the year 1907-8. These 25,900 local authorities, including 62 County include summaries of the accounts of about Councils, 69 County Boroughs, 250 other Urban District Municipal Boroughs, 812 Councils for districts other than boroughs, 672 Rural District Councils, 6531 Parish Councils, 390 Parish Meetings, and 657 Boards of Guardians, besides a host of other authorities, such as Hospital Boards, Harbour Boards, Commissioners of Sewers, Burial Authorities, etc.

Value of Property.

The rateable value of property in England and Wales has risen each year since 1874, when the total was £115,646,63 1

In 1884 it had risen to
in 1894 to..

and in 1908 it was

The total rateable value in 1874 represented an average of £4 178. 6d. per head of population, while in 1908 the average was £6.

Comparing the valuation in force in 1908 with that of 1897, it appears that while the rateable value of agricultural land has diminished by 28 per cent., the rateable value of other hereditaments has increased by 30'8 per cent. Taking the two together, the increase in the period of 11 years is 25'9 per cent.

As regards the county boroughs only, nine decreased in rateable value-namely, Cardiff (o'02 per cent.), Chester (01), Birmingham (0°2), Brighton (02), Merthyr Tydfil (0'3), West Ham (04), Bradford (0'5), Reading (05), and Hastings (15). The increases in the other county boroughs ranged from o'02 per cent. in Burtonupon-Trent to 13 in Manchester and Blackburn, 27 in Blackpool, 2-8 in Bolton, 3'8 in Burnley, and 6 2 in Warrington and Devonport,

The area of the City of London is 673 acres a little more than 1 square mile. The area of the County of London is 117 square miles. The population of the County at the census of 1901 was 4,536,541-about the same as the population of Scotland, or of Ireland, or the populations of Australia and New Zealand combined-and constituted one-ninth of the population of the United Kingdom and about one twentieth of the population of the British Empire, exclusive of India. In the middle of 1910 the population was estimated at 4,872.710. Metropolitan Police District, has an area of 692-84 square miles, excluding tidal water, and is Greater London, comprising the Oity and the defined as containing every parish, the whole of which is within 15 miles of Charing Cross, or any portion of which is within 12 miles. Its population in 1910 was estimated at 7,537,196. There are 30 Municipal bodies in the Admin-politan Police District lying outside the Admin istrative County of London, consisting of the London County Council, the Corporations of the Cities of London and Westminster, and 27 Metropolitan Borough Councils; while in Outer London, which signifies the part of the Metro

istrative County, there are 142 Local Authorities comprising 5 County Councils, 8 County and Municipal Borough Corporations, 60 Urban District Councils, 14 Rural District Councils, and 55 Parish Councils.

THE LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL.

The Council was constituted by the Local Government Act, 1888, and is the authority for the administration of the County of London, which has an area of 116'95 miles. The Council consists of 19 Aldermen and 118 Councillors (but in Oct. 1908 the Council adopted a recommendation in favour of the increase of the membership from 137 to 154). The aldermen sit for six and the councillors for three years. Under the London County Council Electors' Qualification Act, 1900, every parochial elector is entitled to vote at the election of a London County Councillor. No elector can legally vote more than once in the county at the same election.

The last election, the eighth, took place on Saturday, March 5th, 1910. The party results of this and the previous elections were as follows:Pro- Municipal Indegressives. Reformers.* pendents.

1889

71

47

34

1895

1898

* Called Moderates '89-1904.

At the election in March 1910 all the electoral divisions were contested, and 406,013 persons, or 51 per cent. of the electorate, voted, as compared with 555 per cent. in 1907 and 45'7 per cent. in 1904. The number of persons who voted was 60,408 less than in 1907, the decrease being due to some extent to the falling off in the electorate, which was 795.713 in 1910, as compared with 840,730 in 1907.

Members of the Council.

The members elected on March 5th, 1910, or since that date, to represent the various electoral divisions are given below. An asterisk denotes that the member was also in the former Council. The figures in brackets after the name of each division give the number of voters in that division.

Battersea (23,102). *W. Davies (P.), 7254; W. Warren (P.), 7049.

Bermondsey (14,952). Hon. C. Russell (P.), 3288; W. H. Ecroyd (P.), 3276.

Bethnal Green, North-East (8987). Garnham Edmonds (P.), 3423; *E. Smith (P.), 3369. Bethnal Green, South-West (8741).

*Rev.

S. D. Headlam (P.), 2584; *Percy A. Harris
(P.), 2618.
G. Lansbury

Bow and Bromley (11.729).
(Lab.), 4002; G. L. Bruce (P.), 3442.
Brixton (13,961). *W. Haydon (M.R.), 4324 ;
*Ernest Gray (M.R.), 4295.

Camberwell, North (14.357). *R. A. Bray (P.), 4355; *H. R. Taylor (P), 4339. Chelsea (15,099). *R. Norman (M.R.), 4935; E. L. Meinertzhagen (M.R.), 4886,

City of London (24,645; four seats). *N. L. Cohen (M.R.), 5413: *J. W. Domoney (M.R ), 5404; S. Sankey (M.R.), 5383; *W. H. Pannell (M.R.), 5370.

Clapham (28,418). Lord Dunmore, V.C. (M.R.), 9184; R. M. Sebag-Montefiore (M.R.), 9037.

Deptford (17,816). W. Freeman Barrett (M.R.), 5932 E. Mumford Preston (M.R.), 5047. Dulwich (15,787). *F. Hall (M.R.), 5836; A. Griffith-Boscawen (M.R.), 5786.

Finsbury, Central (9380). A. B. Russell (P.), 2481; L. S. W. Rostron (M.R.), 2460.

Finsbury, East (6224). H. E. A. Cotton (P.), 2026; G. M. Gillett (P.), 2020.

Fulham (25,687). Cyril Cobb (M.R.), 7398;
E. G. Easton (M.R.), 7314.

Greenwich (15,338). Lord Hill (M.R.), 4574;
G. H. Hume (M.R.), 4569.

Hackney, Central (11,298). A. J. Shepheard. (P.), 3634; Miss N. Adler (P.), 3521. Hackney, North (17,129). G. W. H. Jones (M.R.), 5133: O. Warburg (M.R.), 5042. Hackney, South (16,261). T. Chapman (P.), 4947; *W. A. Casson (P.), 4867.

Haggerston (9643). Stephen Gee (P.), 2845; *A. A. Allen (P.), 2839.

Hammersmith (17,946). J. Brandon (M.R.), 5815; *I. Salmon (M.R.), 5654.

Hampstead (15,593). A. T. Taylor (M.R.), 4509; W. Reynolds (M.R.), 4527.

Holborn (11,751). Hon. H. Lygon (M.R.), 3324; R. I. Tasker (M.R.), 3309.

Stanley Holmes (P.), 3612.
Hoxton (10,749). B. B. Evans (P.), 3645; J.

Islington, East (13.438). E. Smallwood (P.), 4031; A. A. Thomas (P.), 3949.

4613: F. L. Dove (M.R.), 4591.
Islington, North (14,870). J. C. Hill (M.R.),

Islington, South (9767). *Howell J. Williams (P.), 2855; G. Dew (P.), 2841.

3193; H. L. Jephson (P.), 3172.
Islington, West (9862). R. C. Lambert (P.),

Kennington (11,824). Sir John Benn (P.), 3290; Baron de Forest (P.), 2828.

Kensington, North (13,312). *D. Davis (M.R.), 3761; *Major C. Skinner (M.R.), 3714.

LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Hall, main drainage extension, street improvements, and educational buildings.

The estimates of expenditure for 1910-11 on rate and debt accounts amount to £10,942,129. The estimated receipts, excluding balances brought forward, are £3,762,617, giving a net expenditure of 67,179,512, which, as to £6,911,550 is to be raised by rate, the remainder being provided out of balances. The total gross expenditure of £10,942,129 is to be met in the following manner :-Balances brought forward from 1909-10 in excess of estimated balances to be carried forward to 1911-12, £267,962; receipts in aid of expenditure, 63,011,021; contributions from revenue-producing undertakings for interest and repayment of debt chargeable thereto, £749,963; and grant under the Agricultural Rates Act, 1896, £1,633; making a total of £4,030,579, together with County contributions amounting to £6,911,550.

Trams.

The Council controls 130 strect-miles of tramways. The number of passengers carried during 1908-9 was 412,913,841. The total capital expenditure on the tramways undertaking to March 31st, 1909, amounted to £9,483,561. The receipts for the year amounted to more than £1,847,000, and the working expenses to 1,202,000, so that there was a balance of £645,000. After allowing for debt and other charges, £107,570 was carried to the Renewals Fund.

Consult "London Statistics," published annually by the Council. For the work of the London Education Committee, see article on EDUCATION.

London Traffic.

In the year 1881 the number of passengers carried by local railways, by tramways, and by the principal omnibus companies was 269,662,649. In 1908 the number had increased to 1,377,680, 180. This total does not represent the whole of the travelling which takes place in London in public conveyances, since it does not include the whole of the omnibus traffic, nor does it include the cab traffic, or the very large suburban traffic carried by the trunk railways. The number of public vehicles licensed by the Metropolitan Police in 1909 was follows:

Horse-
drawn.
6,562
1,771
239

8.572

as

2,437

7,334 15,906

The number of cases of personal injury caused by vehicles reported to the Metropolitan and City Police in 1909 was 13.388. Of these 303 were fatal. The vehicles causing the accidents are classified as follows:

Horse-
drawn.
Cabs, carriages, etc. 6,033
Omnibuses
Tramcars

Their purpose is to supplement the report of the Royal Commission on London Traffic issued in 1905 (see 1906 ANNUAL) by indicating the changes that have been since made, and by bringing the statistics up to date.

London's Landowners,

As the result of an investigation conducted by the London County Council, it appears that the landowners of London number 34,600. The largest London landowners are the Crown, the Ecclesiastical Commissioners, the London County Council, and the City Corporation, who own together 19 square miles out of the total of 113. There are in addition 183 large landowners owning on the average one-third of a square mile each. Of the remaining 34,413 owners the average ownership is about one acre each.

London Fire Brigade.

The

Since its establishment in 1866 the strength
and appliances of the Brigade have been
more than quadrupled. There are now 1171
officers and men, 40 men under instruction,
12 pilots, 190 coachmen, and 315 horses (hired).
The area protected is about 117 square miles,
including the City and County of London, and
extends roughly from Highgate in the North to
Sydenham in the South, and from Roehampton
in the West to Plumstead in the East.
cost of maintaining the brigade during the
financial year 1909-10 (including pensions) was
£272,780. Of this sum the fire insurance com-
panies contributed £36,999, the Government
£10,000, and miscellaneous receipts amounted
to £1733. The balance, £224,047, plus £58,123 for
interest and repayment charges on capital (i.e. a
total of £282,170), was raised from the ratepayers.
The report of the chief officer of the brigade for
the year 1909 shows a decrease in the number
of fires of 82 as compared with those in 1908.
The number of calls for fires, or supposed fires,
received during the year was 5233. Of these
1229 were false alarms, and 807 were calls for
chimneys on fire. Chief Officer, Lieut. S.
Sladen, R.N.; Divisional Officers, Mr. Sidney G.
Gamble, C.E., and Mr. A. R. Dyer; Assistant
Divisional Officers, Mr. C. C. B. Morris and
Lieut. H. Spencer, R. N.

Mechanical. Total.
Of the 3,197 fires which occurred in 1909, 698
were caused by lights being carelessly thrown
3,956
10,518 down. Sparks from fires caused 234 outbreaks;
1,180
2,951 defective flues, 127; children playing with fire
2,198
and matches, 202; mishaps with candles, 129;
escapes of gas, roo; fat, etc., boiling over, 84;
defective electric circuits, 95; curtains coming
in contact with the gas light, 90; the upsetting
of mineral oil lamps, 92: improperly set stoves,
72; airing linen, 73; hot ashes, 68; overflow of
petrol, 43; and sparks from locomotives, 22.
Smoking tobacco caused 28 fires; spontaneous
ignition, 16; friction of machinery, 13; swing-
ing gas brackets, 17; seeking for an escape
with a light, 11; gas stoves, 18; and "lime
slaking," 8; while in 288 cases the cause is
returned as "unknown." The number of lives
lost was 103-10 more than in 1908. Of these 67
were injured and removed before the Brigade
was called, and of the remaining 36, 22 were
taken out alive from the buildings but subse-
quently died. Of the 103 persons whose lives
were lost, 52 were children under 12 years of

Mechanical. Total.
3,488
1,343
2,118

304

102

6,439

6.949

9,521
1,647
2,220

13,388

Total
Consult the annual reports of the special
London Traffic Branch of the Board of Trade. | age.

LONDON: CITY CORPORATION.

THE CORPORATION OF THE CITY.