THE   LOCAL  AUTHORITIES	273
do acquire special experience of Council work. By this means
also, lie services of people possessed of useful knowledge but
not suitable for election campaigns can be secured. The Chairman
is chosen in the same manner as the Chairman of a District
Council, and has the same right of acting as a J.P. It is within the
power of the Council to pay a salary tq the Chairman, and travel-
ling expenses incurred by members when doing Council work.
The County Council, as chief of local authorities, acts as an
agent for the Central Government, eft-operating with it to
adminster Public Assistance and Pensions, and exercising control
over all the local authorities within the Administrative County.
In this capacity, under the 1929 Local Government Act, it makes
from time to time a survey of the County, and may recommend
alterations in the boundaries of local authorities; these are con-
sidered by the Minister of Health, who will hear any objections
from the authorities concerned and make a decision. One such
survey has already been made throughout the country, and each
County must make them in future at intervals of not less than ten
years. While the Districts and Boroughs do most of the work
under the Housing Acts, the County Council must see that this
is adequately done, and may take over the task itself. The
County co-ordinates and supplements the library service of. the
parishes, and organises elementary education in Rural Districts,
together with all education above the elementary stage.
Similarly, in -the health services the County itself handles
some matters, e.g., infectious diseases, and sees that the rest
are properly performed by subordinate authorities. The position
may be summarised by saying that the County Council's duty is
to maintain a standard of efficiency throughout its area, both by
encouraging the lesser authorities, and by exercising'powers
which they either do not possess, or cannot conveniently use.
'• In addition to this general work, the County Council must
give attention to agricultural development. Among the many
committees which the law requires a County Council to appoint,
is an Agricultural Committee, most of whose members are