But if the legislative power of the counties is small, its administrative functions are numerous; and locally elected county officials are entrusted with the execution of the most important State laws.
In all the States the county is primarily a district for the administration of justice Courts of general criminal and civil jurisdiction are held at intervals in every county. The judges of these courts are usually elected (or in some States appointed) for a larger district than a single county; but a number of the more populous counties form each a judicial district for such courts; while more frequently county judges with a limited jurisdiction are locally elected. In any case the administrative officers of such courts (clerks, sheriffs and prosecuting attorneys) are, for the most part, elected within each county. In connection with the adminis tration of Justice, courthouses and jails are maintained in each county. The county is also to a slight extent a police district, the sheriff acting as conservator of the peace; but no system of organized and disciplined county police has been developed in any of the States. In nearly every State the county is the district for the public record of land documents, and for the probate of wills, the administration of estates and supervision of orphans.
Except in some of the New England States, counties have to do with the construction and maintenance of the more important roads and bridges, and sometimes have charge of other local public works. But even the construction of main highways has until recently been done for the most part in a primitive way; and in the States where high class roads have been built, the work has generally been done by State authority.
In all the States outside of New England (and in New Hampshire) the county is a dis trict for the administration of poor relief. Pub lic almshouses or poorhouses are maintained; and in the' more populous counties there are other charitable institutions. But such special ized institutions as hospitals for the insane, and schools for the deaf and dumb, are for the most part maintained directly by the State governments.
Outside of New England the county is a dis trict for school purposes. In the most im portant group of States, covering the central region from New York and New Jersey west to Kansas and Nebraska, county school officers supervise the local school officials in the rural districts. In many of the Southern and West ern States the county is the main unit for local school administration.
In many States the county is also a district for the administration of health and sanitation laws.
In connection with these functions and also as agents for both State and smaller districts, the county in all but the New England States is a district of considerable importance in finance administration. It levies taxes and ex pends the proceeds for the different purposes noted above. In most States county officials act also as agentsfor the collection of State reve nues; frequently also for the collection of revenues of smaller local districts. In the States of the South and the far West, property is assessed for taxation by county officials; and in many other States county officers have some supervision over local assessments.
The numerous list of officials elected in each county makes the county an important election district; and it is also a unit for the canvass of votes for officials elected in larger districts, such as members of Congress and State officers. The position of the county as an election district is indicated by the importance of the county com mittee in the political party organizations in many of the States.
Measured by the number of functions and by the relative importance of the county in comparison with smaller local districts, the county is of most importance in the Southern States and the Mountain and Pacific Coast States. By these tests the county is relatively of least importance in the New England States, where on one hand the judicial administration is more highly centralized, while on the other hand the towns are local districts of importance.