a valuation, even against the wishes of
the owners, though they must obtain parliamentary confirmation of such
a compulsory purchase. Several acts have been passed to provide for
the public acquisition or building of workingmen's dwellings. In 1899
the "Small Dwellings Acquisition Act" gave power to any local
authority to loan four-fifths of the cost of purchase of a small
house, to be repaid by the borrower by instalments within thirty
years.

Laws for the stamping out of cattle disease have been passed on the
same principle. In 1878, 1886, 1890, 1893, and 1896 successive acts
were passed which have given to the Board of Agriculture the right to
cause the slaughter of any cattle or swine which have become infected
or been subjected to contagious diseases; Parliament has also set
apart a sufficient sum of money and appointed a large corps of
inspectors to carry out the law. Official analysts of fertilizers and
food-stuffs for cattle have also since 1893 been regularly appointed
by the government in each county. Adulteration has been taken under
control by the "Sale of Food and Drugs Act" of 1875, with its later
amendments and extensions, especially that of 1899.

*76. Industries Carried on by Government.*--In addition to the
regulation in these various respects of industries carried on by
private persons, and intervention for the protection of the public
health, the government has extended its functions very considerably by
taking up certain new duties or services, which it carries out itself
instead of leaving to private hands.

The post-office is such an old and well-established branch of the
government's activity as not in itself to be included among newly
adopted functions, but its administration has been extended since the
middle of the century over at least four new fields of duty: the
telegraph, the telephone, the parcels post, and the post-office
savings-bank.

The telegraph system of England was built up in the main and in its
early stages by private persons and companies. After more than
twenty-five years of competitive development, however, there was
widespread public dissatisfaction with the service. Messages were
expensive and telegraphing inconvenient. Many towns with populations
from three thousand to six thousand were without telegraphic
facilities nearer than five or ten miles, while the offices of
competing companies were numerous in busy centres. In 1870, therefore,
all private telegraph comp