Page:Municipal Handbook of Auckland 1922.djvu/35

 At the present day, Auckland occupies a high position among the municipalities of the Dominion. Its civil engineering works are large, and include at the present time the erection of two dams, one designed to contain 69,000,000 gallons of water and the other 540,000,000 gallons. The smaller dam is practically finished, and the larger will be completed in 1923. The Council owns and operates an electric tramway system which covers 27 route miles. The revenue last year was £502,000. The Corporation has just sold its electricity business to the Auckland Electric Power Board, which will supply the City and district with electric energy. Gas is provided by a private company. Water, as already indicated, is under Corporation ownership. The drainage and sewerage work of the City and suburbs is thoroughly modern, and is administered by a Board, upon which the City has representation. The Fire Brigade is similarly controlled by a Board. The health and sanitation of the community is another of the Council's responsibilities. It owns a modern abattoir and a fish market, employing for the latter two steam trawlers, and the fish caught is sold at its own retail department. On the æsthetic side, the Council provides its citizens with Organ and Choral Concerts and subsidizes band performances in the public parks; the Art Gallery caters for the artistic requirements, while the Public Library satisfies the intellectual demands of the community. The public parks and reserves, both within and beyond the City's boundaries, provide for