3. To carry on public works beyond the power of the towns individually. A desired local improvement may be beyond the power of a town either because it is outside of the jurisdiction of the town or because of its expense.  Thus, a road may be needed between two centers of population, villages or cities, which would run through several towns, while the jurisdiction of the towns individually extends only to their own borders.  Or a bridge over a wide stream may be needed, which would be too expensive for the town in which it is located.  The road and the bridge would better be provided by the county.[Footnote:  Sometimes state aid is secured.  Do you think it wise, as a rule, for the state to grant such aid?] And the poor can generally be better cared for by the county than by the individual towns, for the county can erect and maintain a poor-house.

4. To secure certain local officers not needed in every town; for instance, a register of deeds, the coroner, the judge of probate, the superintendent of schools (in most states), and the surveyor.

5. To serve as a territorial basis for the apportionment of members of the legislature. This is, perhaps, merely an incidental gain.  But its convenience in defining legislative districts is obvious.

6. To make justice cheap and accessible. It is well in many ways, as we have seen, to have in every town, village, and city, courts of limited jurisdiction.  But to establish justice in any generous or satisfying sense there should be within the reach of every citizen a court competent to try any difference between individuals regardless of the amount in controversy, and able to punish any crime against the laws of the state.  To bring such a court within the reach of every one was the original reason for the establishment of the county, and remains today the greatest advantage derived from its existence.

Establishment.—­Counties are established by the state legislature.

In thinly settled parts of a state the counties are much larger than in the populous parts.  A county should be large enough to make its administration economical, and yet small enough to bring its seat of justice within easy reach of every one within its boundaries.  In the ideal county a person living in any part thereof can go to the county seat by team, have several hours for business, and return home the same day.

County Board.—­The administration of county affairs is in the hands of the county commissioners or supervisors.  This board is usually constructed on one of two plans:  Either it consists of three or five members, the county being divided into commissioner districts; or else it is constituted of the chairmen or other member of each of the several town boards.  The former plan prevails in Minnesota, Iowa, and other states; the latter in Wisconsin, Michigan, most of Illinois, and in other states.

The commissioners have charge of county roads and bridges, county buildings and other county property, and the care of the county poor.  Through the commissioners the county exercises the usual corporate powers.