The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1929 (19 & 20 Geo 5 c. 25) reorganised local government in Scotland from 1930, introducing joint county councils, large and small burghs and district councils. The Act also abolished the Scottish poor law system with institutions passing to the local authorities. The Act was drafted by Walter Elliot, the Unionist (Conservative) politician who became later (1936) Secretary of State for Scotland. Parish councils and poor law The parish councils that had been introduced by the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1894 were dissolved. Their responsibilities regarding poor law passed to the county council, other powers passing to the new district councils. Another major effect of the Act was the ending of the Poor Law system, which had largely been administered by the parish councils. Their responsibilities in this area – now known as "Public Assistance" – passed to the county councils, large burghs and counties of cities. Abolition of Commissioners of Supply Commissioners of Supply had been established for each county in 1667, but had lost most of their powers to the county councils formed in 1890 under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889. The commissioners' remaining powers were to form part of a standing joint committee which acted as the police authority for the county. The 1929 Act dissolved the standing committees and the commissioners ceased to exist. The county and city education authorities that had been formed in 1919 were also abolished, with their functions and powers passing to the counties and counties of cities. Changes to burghs The county councils created in 1890 had not had authority over some burghs. Those burghs whose population had been 7,000 or more in the 1881 census and which either ran their own police force or were royal burghs which returned or contributed towards a member of parliament had been independent from the county councils. Large burghs and small burghs The 1929 Act brought all burghs under the control of a county council, except for the four burghs which were counties of cities (being Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, and Glasgow). The burghs were categorised as either being a "large burgh" (generally those with a population of 20,000 or more) or a "small burgh". The large burghs retained substantial powers of self-government. The small burghs ceded many of their powers to the county council. Councillors were directly elected for the landward part of each county (the area outside