308 THE BRITISH APPROACH TO POLITICS

staff, and'another—the Law and Parliamentary—to arrange for
litigation, negotiate with the Central Government, and some-
times promote Bills in Parliament. After an election, the
Councillors decide the membership of each committee according
to their special interests; where the Council is divided on party
lines, the proportions of the parties are preserved. The number
of Committees on which one Councillor serves must depend on'
the amount of work and the size of the 'Council. A useful, if
minor reform of local Government, would be to establish some
proportion between these two factors; at present the size of
Councils depends more on their past history than their present
needs. Where the work is great, and numbers permit, it is
convenient for a Councillor to serve on only one committee, and
specialise^ in its work. In smaller Boroughs, and Districts, how-
ever,' a Councillor can usually find the time and acquire the
knowledge for two or three, and there is a certain advantage in
this, since the work of some committees is closely inter-related.
The Councillors on each Committee choose a number of rate-
payers, not members of the Council, to work with them > these
co-opted members join in the discussion and the voting, but may
not number more than one-third of the committee. By this means
the Council can get help from people whose work qualifies them
to give advice ,on one of the services, but who are unable to
become Councillors.

Each Committee elects its own chairman, but the choice has
usually been determined in advance by the Councillors as a
whole, or by the majority party. At its meetings, the committee
receives reports from the -Clerk and Treasurer of the council, or
their deputies, and from the officer concerned with their work.
Thus they learn how their plans for expenditure are working out,
and what items of Central Government policy affect them. All
the details of administration come before them—the consideration
of contracts, the maintenance of clinics and schools, the appoint-
ment of doctors and teachers, the running of municipal enter-
prises. Often the committees find it necessary to appoint sub-