In every commune there must be at least one paid administrative the secretary of the commune. The action of the communal authorities is submitted to the control of the government authorities. All the deliberations of the Communal Council and eGiuntas are submitted to the Prefect or Sub-Prefect. The Prefect may annul them if they are contrary to the laws. The more important deliberations, such as regulations, deliberations in regard to taxes, mortgages, contracts• binding the com mune for over five years, the acquisition of real estate, and, in many cases the budget, etc., must be approved by the administrative provincial aGiunta,o which has the power to approve and make them legal. Some other special matters concerning education and public health must be approved by the Provincial School Council, or the Council on Sanitation. If the communal authorities neglect to take action, or to make provision for obligatory services, the Provincial sIGiuntap (and in some cases the Prefect) may take action in the matter. In grave matters of public order, or in serious disturbances in the administration, the Communal Council may be dissolved by the Central The communal affairs in that case are administered by a commissioner extraordinary appointed by the government. He cannot remain in office longer than six months. At the end of this time a new council is elected. The communal serv ices are obligatory, or optional. They are obligatory when they are established by the law; the rest are optional. The communes in which the taxes on land and buildings exceed the legal rate, of which we shall speak later, can not have optional services. The principal obliga tory services are as follows: The most impor tant is elementary education; every commune must have at least one elementary school with one teacher, and it is bound to have schools and teachers in greater number in proportion to the population, so that all may receive education (Law of 13 Nov. 1859; 15 July 1877; 21 Oct. 1903; 8 July 1904). (See ITALY — SCHOOLS awn U14IVERSITIES). Another important service is that of public health. Every commune must have a physician and a midwife paid by it for the gratuitous care of the poor. It must, if possible, pay another physician appointed by the. government . (or sanitary inspector) to supervise hygienic conditions. k commune may be obliged to employ a veterinary surgeon.
Every 'commune must be furnished with drink ing water, and. have a cemetery (Law of 22 Dec. 1888; 26 June 1902; 25 Feb. 1904).
The service of local police comprises light ing, prevention of fires, superintendence of Street traffic, etc. The service of roads and highways includes the communal streets, their construction and maintenance. The service of beneficence comprises, in the communes, the ob ligation to bear the expense of the sick poor taken to the hospitals; to aid, with the prov inces, in the expense of caring for foundlings; and with other societies in providing for those who are unable to work. Besides this, the hos pitals and other charitable foundations take a share in public beneficence (Law of 17 July 1890; 30 June 1889). The communes must also provide for the needs of private individuals by the municipal services, such as the manufac ture of gas, of electricity, the distribution of drinking water to the houses, tramways, etc.
The municipal plants of these industries must be by referendum (Law of 29 March 190).
The revenues of the communes come in great part from the rents of real estate, from capital and industry. The rest is obtained from taxes. The principal are the following: On funded property (land and buildings) the several communes may lay a tax as high as 50 per cent of that owing to the state (Gov ernment tax). In exceptional instances this limit may be surpassed. There is the indirect tax on consumption (excise tax); on food stuffs (except bread and flour) ' • and other articles of necessity and luxury (Law of 15 April 1897; 14 July 1898; 23 Jan. 1902). An income tax may be established on the revenue of each family, which is slightly progressive. The personal revenues which are partially liable to this tax are assessed only in the way of two other taxes— on professional income and on cattle. There are a few other local taxes of minor importance. The communes have the selection between these taxes, but they must observe a certain order and a certain proportion between them; they cannot impose any other taxes. The communes may unite associations to deal with their expenses and to provide for some branches of the services (schools, streets, physicians, industrial plants, etc.).
Every province has a provincial council, a provincial deputation and a president of the same. The provincial council is composed of a number of members varying from 60 to 20, according to the population. The counsellors are elected by the voters of the province. The voters of the separate communes are the electors of the province. All these voters who have their domicile in the province, or pay their taxes here, are eligible as provincial coun sellors. The election is by separate colleges or districts. Each college nominates from one to five counsellors, according to population.
The provincial deputation consists of a num ber of members—from 10 to 6, according to the population of the province. These are elected by the council, are chosen from among the counsellors, and hold office four years. The deputation is charged with the preparatory work, the same as the communal The president of the deputation is elected by the council from among the counsellors. The provincial council may also be 'dissolved by the government in certain emergencies; the provincial affairs are then administered for not more than six months by a commissioner ex traordinary.
The principal obligatory services which be long to the provinces are the roads and other important public works throughout the prov ince; the expenses of beneficence in the main tenance of lunatics and the erection of 'lunatic asylums (Law of 14 Feb. 1904) ; the contrib uting toward the expenses of the care of found lings; certain services and expenses connected with Sanitation (Law of 22 Dec. I::: • 21 July 1902). The province also provides for other services connected with secondary education and agriculture. Consult Nolla, P. D., <1..'atn ministrazione dei communi delle provintie) (Verona 1891).