r the population of the
district. A county borough may also, instead of providing an asylum of
its own, contract with the visiting committee of any asylum to receive
the pauper lunatics from the borough. Private patients may be
accommodated in the asylums provided by a county council, and received
upon terms fixed by the visiting committee. The expenses of lunatic
asylums are defrayed in the following manner: The guardians from whose
union a lunatic is sent have to pay a fixed weekly sum, which may not
exceed 14s. a week. A larger charge is made for lunatics received from
unions outside the county, as these do not, of course, contribute
anything towards the provision or up-keep of the asylum itself. In
addition to the payments by guardians, there is a contribution of 4s.
a week from "the exchequer contribution account" already mentioned,
and the remaining expenses are defrayed out of the county rate.

Allotments.

Under the Allotments Acts 1887 to 1907, it is the duty of a county
council to ascertain the extent to which there is a demand for
allotments in the urban districts and parishes in the county, or would
be a demand if suitable land were available, and the extent to which
it is reasonably practicable, having regard to the provisions of the
acts, to satisfy any such demand, and to co-operate with authorities,
associations or persons best qualified to assist, and to take such
steps as may be necessary. The powers of the Local Government Board
under the Allotments Acts were transferred by the act of 1907 to the
Board of Agriculture and Fisheries, and by the same act the powers and
duties of rural district councils were transferred to parish councils.
The county council under these acts has compulsory powers of purchase
or hire if they are unable to acquire land by agreement and on
reasonable terms. If an objection is made to an order for compulsory
purchase or hire, the order will not be confirmed by the Board of
Agriculture until after a local inquiry has been held. If the Board of
Agriculture is satisfied, after holding a local inquiry, that a county
council have failed to fulfil their obligations as to allotments, the
board may transfer all and any of the powers of the county council to
the Small Holdings Commissioners.

Small holdings.

By the Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1907, Small Holdings
Commissioners are appointed by