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bodies to be set up were concerned with the development of internal roads and other purely local transport amenities. As time went on, and trade between the various parts of New Zealand and with overseas countries became more and more important, there became an urgent need for the provision of harbour facilities. Harbour control was decentralized within limits under the provinces, and, although Harbour Boards as such did not appear till much later, there was an element of local control in their development. The next step was the opening-up of the more accessible hinterland, with the consequent need of drainage of otherwise fertile land in some parts. Eivers which were subject to flooding required some measure of control. These local problems, which directly benefited the owners of the land and those who were working the land, were obviously questions for local control, and River and Drainage Boards were set up in the late " sixties " and " seventies." During the " seventies " the problem of the health of the community began to assume important dimensions. While certain general principles could be laid down as to the character of health control and hospitals, it was felt that the actual administration of health and hospitals was a matter for local responsibility. Hence the need arose for the establishment of Hospital Boards. By the end of the century there were several types of local bodies in the Dominion. In the territorial field there were County Councils, Borough Councils, Town Boards, and Road Boards. Road Boards had their origin quite early in New Zealand's history, although their organization was systematized only in the early " eighties." Their function was essentially the development of district roads at a time when transport facilities were so undeveloped as to make inadequate effective development by an institution as large territorially as a county. By the end of the century transport facilities had considerably improved. Many of the road districts had been adequately served with roads, and they were left solely with the function of maintenance of the roads already constructed. They had fulfilled their function, and by the end of the century they were on the decline. By 1930 they had practically disappeared. By the end of the century such ad hoc bodies as River and Drainage Boards, Harbour Boards, and Hospital Boards had been formed. Many municipalities had taken advantage of the powers given them by statute to undertake such municipal trading services as gas-supply, transport, libraries, and suchlike. In the early days of New Zealand neither the Government nor the local authorities accepted any real responsibility for fire protection. Insurance companies, because of their financial interest in fire protection, frequently made some attempt to cope with the problem. By the end of the century, however, most boroughs had taken steps to safeguard themselves against the hazard of fire, and, although most fire brigades at that time were manned by volunteer firemen, the capital expenditure was normally borne by the local authorities. During the first decade of this century, however, it was recognized that insurance companies had a particular interest in the development of fire brigades, and should therefore bear some of the expense. The Fire Brigades Act, 1906, provided for the settingup of Fire Boards on which local authorities, insurance companies, and the Government should have representation. Apart from a small contribution by the Government, finance was to be provided equally by local authorities and the insurance companies. Normally the area over which a Fire Board has jurisdiction is the area of the territorial local authority, although in some cases where there are a number of urbanized areas adjacent to each other the Fire Board has jurisdiction over the territory of those contiguous local authorities. The next major step sook place after the last war, when electricity had become of major importance in the economic life of the country. Many municipalities had by this time local electricity-supply, mostly produced from local steam-stations, although in some cases an adjacent water-supply had been taken advantage of to develop hydro-electricity. By 1.920, however, it had become evident that action by the central Government was necessary for the generation of electricity, and from that time on the State assumed general responsibility for hydro-electric, generation. It was also evident that the areas covered by territorial local authorities were not necessarily identical with the areas which would be most suitable for electricity distribution. Electric-power Boards, therefore, came into being in an attempt to devise for New Zealand a series of districts which would provide most satisfactorily for the distribution of electricity. The next important step forward came in 1941. Almost since the beginning of this present century it has been obvious that, due to the destruction of much of the indigenous forests, and also to some of the wasteful farming methods adopted, New Zealand was faced with a serious problem of erosion, and that much of the disastrous flooding which has occurred since that time has been due to the denudation of the forest areas. The problem is one of tremendous economic significance, and one which demanded immediate and drastic action if further loss of valuable farming areas was to be avoided. Here again, although the general policy of soil conservation and river control could be laid down by Parliament, the actual work was confined to specific areas, and would call for the co-operation of those living in these areas. This accounts for the decision to set up Catchment Boards throughout the Dominion, the areas of which were to be delimited by the catchment areas into which New Zealand can be divided. Although there is a multiplicity of types of local authorities in the Dominion, it is apparent that each of these types had its origin in a specific economic or social development which called for local activity and for the development of local responsibility. Some other types of ad hoc authorities, however, owe their origin to local difficulties. In this category can be included such institutions as the Auckland Transport Board, the Christchurch Tramways Board, the Auckland Metropolitan Drainage Board, and the Christchurch Drainage Board, the Petone and Lower Hutt Gas Board, and similar isolated local institutions. In most areas the functions carried out by these bodies are under the jurisdiction of the territorial local authority, but because in Auckland, Christchurch, and Petone and Lower Hutt, the economic area of the services covered the territories of a number of territorial local bodies it was deemed advisable to set up a new body to deal specifically with a particular function. The question arises as to whether the area of the territorial local authority should not be extended so as to enable it to cover an area which corresponded with the area of community of interest. This problem is still with us, and it is one to which we will devote some attention in the sequel.

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