Local Government Law and Legislation for the Year ...

LONDON:

HADDEN, BEST & Co., PRINTERS, 5, WEST HARDING STREET, & 26, FETTER LANE, E.C.

PREFACE.

Although the legislation of the protracted session of 1906 introduces no startling innovations in the sphere of local government, the Acts are sufficiently numerous and embrace some useful measures. In particular the tendency towards consolidation of the law, as shown by the Alkali, &c., Works Regulation Act, the Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs Act, the Open Spaces Act and the Workmen's Compensation Act, is much to be commended. The policy of adding as time rolls on amendment to amendment of any branch of the existing law without consolidating it into one comprehensive measure affords infinite trouble to administrators and cannot be too strongly deprecated.

It will be noticed that the provisions of the Census of Production Act, the Prevention of Corruption Act and the Workmen's Compensation Act are expressly made to apply to local authorities. The last mentioned Act practically covers the whole field of employment, and local authorities may find it advisable to protect themselves by insurance against its meshes.

The digest contains some notes of cases not given in the ordinary reports and digests,

February, 1907.

W. H. D.

PREFACE TO FIRST ANNUAL VOLUME.

New legislation and the reported decisions of the Courts, continually render the most comprehensive text books on local government out of date and deficient in some particulars.

Until the gap is filled by new works or editions or by some other means, members and officers of local authorities necessarily experience difficulty in keeping in touch with the law and in grappling with the problems which invariably press for solution when changes take place in the law relating to local government. It is true that legislation of a novel character when of sufficient importance is generally followed at no great length of time by explanatory treatises, but this is seldom so in the case of less important statutes. These may not be dealt with at all, or even if they amend previous Acts, may often have to wait a somewhat prolonged period before their provisions are incorporated in new editions of standard works. The results of cases

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decided in the Courts since the publication of any particular text
book can only be gathered by a close search in digests and various
current reports dealing with every branch of the law which are not in
every instance readily accessible. Busy men have long felt the need
of a handy year book which would meet their difficulty and practically
form a supplement bringing up to date all other text books.

The present work, which is intended to be the first of a series to
be issued at the close of each parliamentary and legal year, has been
prepared for the express purpose of bringing together in a convenient
form the legislation and cases of the year which affect the powers and
duties of county, borough, district and parish councils, and boards of
guardians. The text of the Acts of the year is fully annotated and
explained, and so much of any previous legislation is reprinted as may
be necessary to elucidate the new enactments. Each Act is followed

by the Official Circulars, Orders, or other information which bear upon
its provisions. Miscellaneous Orders, Circulars, and other official
information issued by Government departments in relation to matters
not arising out of Acts of the year, are collected together in a separate
Part of the book. The Digest of all cases decided and reported during
the year contains full references to the recognised reports, and the
notes have been carefully framed to show clearly the point raised and
decided by each case. A list of Public Bills stating briefly their sub-
ject matter and the progress which they made, will it is hoped
complete the usefulness of the book as a ready work of reference for
those who are interested in the progress of local government.

Acts and other matters relating exclusively to the administrative
county of London in which special enactments as to local government
are in force, have generally not been included in the work; but notes
of cases relating to those enactments which throw any light upon
similar provisions in force in the provinces will be found among the
cases noted in the Digest.

Each Part has, so far as the subject matter permits, been arranged
alphabetically; a general Table of Contents is inserted at the com-
mencement of the book further to facilitate reference.'

November, 1899.

W. H. D.

CORRIGENDUM.-Page 195.-Footnote (1) to be struck out.

Each volume since 1899 has also a full classified index.

CONTENTS.

PART I.

PUBLIC GENERAL ACTS of 1906, annotated and explained

together with the Official Orders, Regulations, Circulars,

and other Information relating thereto :-...

Alkali, &c., Works Regulation Act, 1906

...

Memorandum of Local Government Board, dated December, 1906.

Burial Act, 1906

Census of Production Act, 1906.

PAGE

Circular-Local authorities-Board of Agriculture and Fisheries,
dated 27th October, 1906

...

Education (Provision of Meals) Act, 1906

Circular 552-Local education authorities-Board of Education,

dated 1st January, 1907

Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs (Sampling, &c.) Regulations,

1906

Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs (General) Regulations, 1906.

Fertilisers and Feeding Stuffs (Limits of Error) Regulations,

1906

Circular-Local authorities-Board of Agriculture and Fisheries,

dated 31st December, 1906

Form of Official Agricultural Analyst's Report
Circular-Local authorities-Administration of Act-Board of
Agriculture and Fisheries, dated 31st December, 1906

Justices of the Peace Act, 1906 ..

...

Local Authorities (Treasury Powers) Act, 1906...

...